NEWARK, NJ – NJIT men's lacrosse fell to Wagner 7-2 on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The win was the third in a row for the 4-4 Seahawks, while the Highlanders drop to 0-8 in their inaugural varsity season.
Wagner's top goal-scorer was freshman Andrew Streilein, with three, his third hat trick this season, and junior Paul Devit added a goal and two assists.
The other three goals for the visitors came from junior Billy Battaglia, freshman JP Pawela and sophomore William McMenamin. Sophomore Patrick McMenamin added two assists.
Freshmen
Joe Lomeli and
Liam Derkasch both scored unassisted goals for NJIT. With his goal, Lomeli keeps his scoring streak going, with at least one goal in all eight of his college games.
On the defensive end, freshman
Rich Brunje recorded a season-high five ground balls, while freshman goalie
Nick Marzullo added four as well.
Wagner junior goaltender Anthony Peruso made eight saves in the win, allowing only two goals. NJIT's own Marzullo made 15 saves in defeat. The freshman was one save away from tying his season-high of 16.
NJIT kept Wagner off the board until late in the first quarter when Seahawk freshman Billy Orme found Pawela at 2:19. Then, with just seven seconds left, DeVita scored his only goal of the game to give the Seahawks the 2-0 advantage going into the second quarter.
Putting the Highlanders on the scoreboard in the second period was Lomeli in the 13th minute, with his 11th goal of the season.
Wagner would tally on three more goals in the period for 5-1 halftime lead.
The scoring was even in the third quarter, as Derkasch recorded NJIT's second goal of the game in the 11th minute. Streilein of Wagner tacked on another goal for the Seahwaks, for a 6-2 score after three quarters.
Wagner added one just one more goal in the fourth quarter, to bring the final score to 7-2.
The Highlanders will play their next three games on the road, starting with Manhattan on Tuesday at 7 pm The venue is Gaelic Park Sports Centre, West 240th Street and Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
