Cougars best Seahawks 18-6

WORCESTER, Mass. – Host Clark University used a high-scoring second quarter to break open a matchup with Salve Regina and the Cougars coasted to a convincing 18-6 win over the Seahawks on a rainy Granger Turf Field on Wednesday evening.

The win for the Scarlet and White sends their record to 5-0 – the best start in school history – while Salve Regina, who started the season 6-0, has now dropped two games in the last five days.

Clark actually took control of the contest in the opening quarter, scoring the game's first four goals. Isaac Bass (Amherst, Mass.) kickstarted the offense with help from Andrew Myhre (Middlebury, Vt.) less than two minutes into the game.

Jack Pierce (Westborough, Mass.) then connected with Ryan Moore (West Hartford, Conn.) three minutes later to give the Cougars a two-goal cushion.

Bass notched his second of the night a little while later and then Nick Johnson (Amherst, Mass.) registered a man-down goal before the Seahawks finally got on the board with less than two minutes to play in the frame on an Andrew Fera (Cranston, R.I.) marker.

The Scarlet and White then scored seven unanswered goals in the second quarter to put Salve Regina away. Both Bass and Johnson had two goals apiece in the period, while John Goracy (West Islip, N.Y.), Moore and Will Mandracchia (Melrose, Mass.) had the others, sending Clark into intermission ahead, 11-1.

That lead grew in the opening seconds of the third period as Alex Turgeon (Holden, Mass.) won the faceoff and registered his first goal of the season.

Salve Regina did score four of the next five goals, including three from Fera but the Cougars answered back with two more from Mandracchia, two from Lucas Petricone-Berg (Nyack, N.Y.) and one each from Matthew Sullivan (Brunswick, Maine) and Brandon King (Eastham, Mass.).

Drew Riopelle-Tyrrell (Northville, Mich.) was stellar in the cage, turning away 16 shots, while scooping up eight groundballs. Sophomore netminder Nathan Lalonde (East Middlebury, Vt.) made nine saves in 42 minutes of action for the Seahawks.

Defensively for Clark, Will Roberts (Paxton, Mass.) was a problem for the Seahawk offense for most of the night, causing five turnovers and collecting four groundballs.

Bass led Clark with four goals, while Johnson ended with three goals and three assists. Mandracchia chipped in with three goals of his own and Goracy and Rob Holden (East Longmeadow, Mass.) both handed out a pair of assists. 

Fera had five of the Seahawk goals and Nick LoCicero (Lynbrook, N.Y.) added the other for Salve Regina.

Clark is back in action on Saturday when they host Skidmore College, while the Seahawks return to the field on Saturday as well, taking on Clarkson University in Tampa, Fla.