WEST HARTFORD, C.T. - UMass Boston Men's Lacrosse came out of the gate firing and held strong in the second half to improve to 3-0 on the season, defeating the Hawks of the University of Hartford by a final score of 13-11.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 13, University of Hartford 11

UMass Boston (3-0)
University of Hartford (1-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Making his season debut for the Beacons, Brayden MacLean made his presence known early. With just under 11 minutes to play in the first quarter, he got his new team on the board with an unassisted goal. The Beacons' leading scorer, freshman Dale Wills, followed the lead of his new teammate, stretching the lead to 2-0 less than 30 seconds later. 

The two Beacon goals were all either team could muster through the first nine and a half minutes of play. The final 5:30 was a different story entirely.

Sean Daly and Luke Murphy sparked the late scoring barrage, scoring goals just eight seconds apart to stretch the UMass Boston lead to 4-0. Not looking to let the Beacons run away, the Hawks pinned their first goal on the scoreboard just seven seconds after Murphy's. 

Greg Wolff interrupted the Hartford run with an unassisted goal, but the hosts responded quickly with a pair of scores to cut the lead to 5-3. Patrick Carey took the momentum back for the Beacons, going unassisted for his second goal of the season. Daly finished off the explosive first quarter with his second score, putting in the 10th total goal with just four ticks on the clock.

Daly completed his first hat trick of the season in the second quarter, but that was the only look the Beacons would get before halftime. Meanwhile, the Hawks chipped away at the big deficit, racking up two second period goals to cut the score to 8-5 at the break.

The opening minute of the third quarter saw Hartford cut the UMass Boston lead to two for the first time since the opening minutes of the first quarter. A Murphy score stretched the advantage back out to three, but the Hawks put in two quick goals to pull within one, 9-8.

In the closing minutes of the third, Zach Mann gave the Beacons a bit more room to breathe, dishing out helpers to Wolff and Liam Bowler to go up 11-8. The Hawks would cut it to 11-9 before the end of the frame.

Luke Murphy traded goals with the Hawks in the fourth quarter, putting in the later half of his game-high four scores to keep the hosts at bay. Once again playing all 60 minutes in net, first-year goalie James Boldy continued to shine, saving 15 of the 26 shots he faced to improve to 3-0 alongside his team.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Though he allowed double-digit goals for the first time, Boldy's goals against average sits at 9.25 on the year to go alongside a .591 save percentage
• In a statistical oddity, 10 Beacons recorded a point but none who scored a goal recorded an assist and vice versa
• UMass Boston made good on all three of their man-up opportunities 
• Saturday marked the first ever meeting between the Beacons and Hawks

WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will return to their home field in search of their fourth straight win on Wednesday afternoon when they host Wheaton College. That game will begin at 4 PM.