WATERBURY, Conn. - Senior Drew Collins (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) and sophomore Sebastian Simonson (Spruce Grove, Alberta/Spruce Grove Composite) both tallied six points to buoy the Saint Michael's College men's lacrosse team to a season-opening 15-10 win at Post University on Friday afternoon at LaMoy Field.
RECORDS
- Saint Michael's (1-0), Post (0-1)
SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS
- Simonson, 3 goals, 3 assists, 2 ground balls
- Collins, 3 goals, 3 assists
- Senior Max Katavolos (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport), 3 goals, 3 ground balls
- Senior Alex Chirgwin (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury), 2 goals
- Sophomore Ethan Hughes (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull), 1 goal, 1 assist
- Sophomore Sean Regan (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland), 8 saves, 2 ground balls in 30 minutes, win
- Junior Spencer Scardino (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna), 7 saves in 30 minutes of relief
- Sophomore Cooper Wilson (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna), 12 faceoff wins, 6 ground balls
- Junior Cam Steuer (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs), 2 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers
- Junior Rocky Grillone (Brockton, Mass./Cardinal Spellman), 2 caused turnovers
OPPONENT LEADERS
- Junior Dylan Heald, 3 goals, 2 assists
- Junior Nick Meier, 3 goals
- Junior Cole George, 15 saves, 4 ground balls
GAME FACTS
- The Purple Knights improved to 4-0 in the all-time series, including 3-0 at Post's home field.
- Saint Michael's played the earliest opener in program history.
- Simonson recorded his second consecutive six-point game, while Collins set a career high in points.
- Regan picked up his first college win in his first start.
- The Purple and Gold held a 46-42 edge in shots. The teams were tied in ground balls (30-30), while Post committed 17 turnovers to the visitors' 19, though Saint Michael's tallied nine caused turnovers to Post's four. The Purple Knights went 2-for-4 during extra-man opportunities.
THE ACTION
- Neither team led by more than a goal until Simonson (14:06) and Katavolos (12:23) tallied consecutively early in the second quarter for a 6-4 Purple Knight lead.
- Simonson struck twice in exactly two minutes late in the stanza to give the visitors a 9-6 lead by 1:55, and that was the score at halftime.
- Heald and first-year Tim Keefe wrapped goals around a Collins marker to make it 10-8 at 8:42 of the third.
- The Purple Knights utilized their man-up unit, which was fifth in the nation last season in success rate (46.0%), to pull away. During a key 3-0 run, Katavolos scored man-up at 7:39 before scoring again 1:56 later, and Chirgwin netted an extra-man tally at 14:25 of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 13-8.
- Heald scored at 10:40, but Post never got closer than four goals down the stretch.
NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME
- Feb. 25 at No. 16 Bentley University, 1:30 p.m.
- The Falcons' national ranking is according to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA).