Cambridge, Mass. (February 28, 2025) – The men's lacrosse team took on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Engineers jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first. Both teams scored three goals in the second, and MIT led 7-4 at halftime. MIT broke the game open with a 4-0 run in the third to lead 11-4 before MIT scored four goals to three WNE goals, and the game concluded with MIT winning 15-7. Bryce Metalios led MIT to the win with six goals.

Records:

• Western New England: 1-2
• MIT: 2-0

How it Happened:

The contest began with Chris Catuosco winning the opening faceoff. The Engineers were called for a thirty-second penalty 1:26 into the game. However, the Golden Bears could not capitalize. 2:43 into the game, Garrett Campagna scored to give MIT the lead. Chris Catuosco tried to shift the momentum and won the faceoff. WNE had two shots, one saved by the MIT goalie, Collin Lung. WNE would turn the ball over, and MIT would score on their next shot. Zach Bleil scored, and MIT led 2-0. WNE was called for a penalty, and MIT had a man advantage. MIT had a shot during the WNE penalty time, but first-year goalie Braden Civiello made the save. Jack Gara caused a turnover, and WNE would get a shot but no goal. MIT ran back down the field and tripled their lead with a Hayden Calabratta goal with 8:28 left in the first. Catuosco won the faceoff and had a shot, but Lung made another save for MIT. The teams traded possession of the ball, with both teams turning the ball over once before MIT scored another goal with 4:30 left in the first. Bryce Metalios scored, assisted by Dylan Nelson. MIT led 4-0. The Golden Bears saw Catuosco win another faceoff and had a shot but no goal before a turnover. The teams traded shots back and forth with a couple of turnovers from the Engineers. Then, with seventeen seconds left in the opening quarter, Logan Jenkins scored a third goal on the season to cut the MIT lead to 4-1. MIT's Andrew Palleiko won the faceoff, and Metalios sent a shot wide before the end of the quarter. MIT led 4-1 at the end of the first. WNE had more shots, 10-8, and MIT had more saves, 3-1. WNE had more faceoff wins, 4-2. Both teams picked up eight ground balls.

The second saw the WNE deficit stay at three. However, the second quarter started with MIT extending their lead back to four. Zach Bleil scored another goal 26 seconds into the second, and MIT led 5-1. Turnovers from both teams happened before MIT picked up the ball, had a couple of shots, and extended their lead up to five (6-1). Catuosco won the faceoff, and then WNE had a couple of shots, with Lung making another save. MIT turned the ball over, with Nathan Leone causing the turnover. Then, Josh Gagnon scored WNE's second goal, and Jenkins assisted the goal. WNE trailed 6-2 with 9:39 remaining before halftime. However, MIT won the faceoff to squash any WNE momentum, but then, Civiello made a save, and after a WNE clear and shot, MIT was called for a penalty, and WNE saw Griffin LaRochelle score on the extra-man opportunity; WNE trailed 6-3. Catuosco won the faceoff, but Ashton Axe caused a turnover for MIT, and with 6:31 before halftime, Nick Stiles scored, assisted by Stone Smith, to give MIT a 7-3 lead. Palleiko won the faceoff for MIT before MIT turned the ball over. The teams then traded possession of the ball back and forth before WNE saw another Logan Jenkins goal cut the lead back down to three. WNE trailed 7-4 with 3:43 until halftime. MIT would win the ensuing faceoff, and after a timeout, they had two shots, with Civiello making a save. The teams traded possession of the ball for the rest of the first half, with Civiello making another save. WNE had two shots blocked by the Engineers. MIT led 7-4 at halftime. WNE led 19-17 in shots and were 1-2 on the extra-man opportunities. Both teams had four saves and six turnovers. MIT had more ground balls, 17-14.

Catuosco tried to help the Golden Bears get a quick start to the second with a faceoff win. However, a WNE shot went wide, and MIT picked up the ground ball, cleared the ball, and had two shots, with the second shot being a goal from Bryce Metalios, assisted by CJ Sanchez. MIT led 8-4 57 seconds into the third. Jonathon Salsbury then entered as goalie for the Golden Bears. Catuosco won the faceoff, but after a turnover, MIT got the ball back. They would turn it over also, and WNE had a shot but no goal. After a clear attempt from MIT failed, WNE had a shot, but once again, Collin Lung. Then, MIT ran down the field, and at 3:54 into the third, Bryce Metalios completed the hat trick with a goal assisted by Nick Stiles. MIT led 9-4. MIT would win the faceoff, and Collin Lung made another save before Metalios scored a fourth goal to give MIT a 10-4 lead with 9:33 left in the third. Palleiko won a faceoff, but MIT had a turnover. Lung made another save as WNE had their next shot. MIT ran down the field and saw Salsbury save another shot. WNE had a shot saved by Lung before a turnover. The teams traded possession, with both teams' defenses causing turnovers and both goalies making saves. The Golden Bears kept trying to get the next goal but could not achieve it. Metalios scored once again with 37 seconds left in the quarter on a goal assisted by CJ Sanchez. MIT now led 11-4. With two seconds left in the third, Salsbury made a save, and the game moved on to the fourth and final quarter of play. WNE still had more shots, 28-27, and caused turnovers 7-5. MIT had more faceoff wins 10-8, saves 11-8, and ground balls 27-22.

Rocco DeSimone won the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter, but after a WNE turnover and an MIT shot, which went over the goal and another Metalios goal. MIT led 12-4. Catuosco won the next faceoff, but Collin Lung made another save. Connor Callahan created an MIT turnover, but WNE could not capitalize. Salsbury made another save before another WNE turnover. Salsbury made a save after that, but then WNE was called for a penalty. WNE called a timeout, and then Nick Stiles scored off an assist from Garrett Campagna, and MIT led 13-4 with 9:28 left. Zach Bleil then scored to give MIT a 14-4 lead with 8:42 left in the game. Chance Starrett won the next faceoff for WNE before WNE would have a turnover, and after two shots that went wide, Riley Pierce scored the fourteenth MIT goal. MIT led 15-4 with 6:18. MIT won the ensuing faceoff, but Salsbury made a save, and Jack Houlden would give WNE their first second-half goal. Brock Busa won the faceoff after the goal before both teams had a shot to get the next goal, but WNE had the only shot on goal, and Collin Lung made another save for MIT. WNE had two shots go wide before scoring their sixth goal of the contest. Josh Gagnon scored, and WNE trailed 15-6 with 2:59 left in the game. MIT won the next faceoff, but Salsbury made a save to keep the MIT led at eight. WNE caused a turnover later that possession and would score with 41 seconds left in the game. Jack Houlden scored off an assist from Zachary Mein, and the score was 15-7, MIT. MIT won the faceoff after the goal and ran the clock out to earn the 15-7 win. MIT ended the game with more goals 40-36, ground balls 31-30, faceoff wins 13-12, and saves 13-12. WNE had more caused turnovers, 9-7.

Inside the Lines:

• WNE traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for their third game of the season versus MIT.
• MIT was led in goals by Bryce Metalios, who had six goals, and Zach Bleil, who had four.
• WNE was led by Logan Jenkins, Josh Gagnon, and Jack Houlden, each with two goals.
• Zachary Mein led WNE with two assists, and Jenkins led the Golden Bears with three points.
• Jonathon Salsbury made eight saves for WNE, and Collin Lung made 13 saves for the Engineers.
• Nathan Leone caused two turnovers to lead WNE, and Ashton Axe led MIT with three turnovers.
• WNE lost to MIT 15-7.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears return home for their home opener on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 2:00 PM. They will host the Bowdoin College Polar Bears, who they are 2-3 against since 2009.