SALEM, Mass. (April 24, 2026) – UMass Boston men's lacrosse (10-7, 6-2 Little East Conference) locked up its 10th consecutive Little East Conference tournament appearance with a determined 9-6 win over Salem State in Friday night's regular-season finale.
How It Happened
The Beacons came out firing, with Tyler Hilgert (Guilford, Conn.) opening the scoring less than three minutes in. Hilgert added a second goal later in the first, and Jackson King (Jamesville, N.Y.) found the net to give UMass Boston a 2-1 lead after ten minutes into the first quarter. Hilgert added a second goal in the quarter off the feed from Carson Carson Meczywor (Adams, Mass.) to end the quarter with a 3-2 edge. Salem State pushed back in the second, briefly taking a 4-3 lead, but Reilly Collins (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Cole Allan (Falmouth, Maine) answered with key tallies to keep the Beacons even. With under two minutes left in the half, Jack Schartner (Bolton, Mass.) scored off a feed from Hank Alessandro (Barrington, R.I.), putting UMass Boston up 6-5 at halftime.
Defense took over in the third as Alessandro extended the lead with an unassisted goal, while James Boldy (Wrentham, Mass.) frustrated the Vikings with several tough stops. Salem State made it a one-goal game early in the fourth with a man-up strike, but Schartner's second goal of the night and a late insurance tally from Max White (Amesbury, Mass.) off a pass from Jonathan Halpin (Abington, Mass.) sealed the win and the Beacons' place in next week's conference tournament.
Inside the Box Score
- Jack Schartner (Bolton, Mass.) led the Beacons with two crucial goals on 12 shots, including the halftime go-ahead and a fourth-quarter insurance marker.
- Tyler Hilgert (Guilford, Conn.) scored twice in the opening period for early momentum.
- Hank Alessandro (Barrington, R.I.) contributed one goal, one assist, one ground ball and one caused turnover.
- James Boldy (Wrentham, Mass.) posted 17 saves and a .739 save percentage, tying the Beacons' season record for fewest goals allowed.
- Jack Baker (Bellingham, Mass.) won eight faceoffs and picked up five ground balls.
- UMass Boston overcame a 27-12 ground ball deficit and outshot Salem State 52-47 despite an 11-8 disadvantage at the X.
Up Next
The Beacons conclude the 2026 regular season as the LEC No.3 seed, and will play host to the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors on Tuesday (April 28) from the James Cotter Field at 11:30 AM, with the winner proceeding to play the LEC No.2 seed Mass Maritime in Buzzards Bay, MA., on Thursday at 7:00 PM.
For updates, follow the Beacons on Instagram (@UMassBeacons), X (@UMassBostonAthletics), and beaconsathletics.com.
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