LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. — In the first game of its new era, the NJIT men's lacrosse team showed the lacrosse world why there is tremendous optimism around the program.

The Highlanders opened the 2023 season on the road against the Siena Saints and played the hosts down to the wire in a 12-11 thriller Saturday afternoon at Hickey Field.

"I'm proud of the boys for staying in the fight and being resilient throughout the game. We have much to build off of moving forward and I'm looking forward to getting back to work with our team," new NJIT head coach Eric Wolf said after his first game leading the Highlanders.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gavyn Willson tied for the game lead in goals with a four-point effort against the Saints, one of seven Highlanders to register a goal and one of ten to record at least one point in the matchup.
• Arthur Miller was the only other Highlander with multiple goals (2) while also adding an assist for three points.
• Isaac Vanzomeren also tied for a game high with six ground balls, won 50 percent of his faceoffs (7-14), and scored his first goal of the season.
• Billy Kroeger helped keep NJIT's faceoff rate at an even 50 percent with a 6-12 showing at midfield to go along with four ground balls of his own.
• Liam Brown started the season with an eye-popping 20 saves, which currently sits second in the country for a single game and tops in the America East.

1ST QUARTER

• NJIT took just over a minute to score the game's opening goal. After forcing a Siena turnover, Will Labartino connected with Willson in transition for the 1-0 Highlander lead.
• Willson's goal set off a back-and-off first half that ended with both teams knotted at 6-6, but the first quarter ended with NJIT ahead 2-1 as Brandon Wasitowski responded to a goal by Siena (1-0) at the 11:02 mark with an unassisted one with 5:36 to go in the half.

2ND QUARTER

• Siena would net a man-up goal (14:30) to start the period but Miller would push NJIT back ahead, 3-2. less than a minute later (13:47). The Saints evened things again at 3-3 before Willson's second score came on an extra man opportunity with 11:02 left.
• A fourth tie at 4-4 came after another Siena goal (10:41) but Willson locked in the halftime hat trick off a Keegan Ford assist with 7:10 to go until the break. The first back-to-back goals of the game went to NJIT after Jack Bowie scored on a Wasitowski helper to put the Highlanders ahead by two, 6-4.
• Siena would catch up for a fifth time, deadlocking things at 6-6 with two straight before the frame was up,

3RD QUARTER

• Miller kept some of NJIT's quick strike offense going with a goal less than 90 seconds into the second half (13:47) from Garrett Muscatella.
• Another Siena counter tied the game again at 7-7 before NJIT pushed its lead back to two on a Vanzomeren faceoff scoop and score (12:26) and WIllson's fourth and final goal (4:00).
• The quarter would end - and a four-goal run would start - on a Siena goal with 2:40 to go as NJIT went into the fourth with a 9-8 edge.

4TH QUARTER

• The Highlanders' one goal lead would turn into a two-goal deficit by the 9:49 mark as the Saints opened the period with three straight scores to move ahead, 11-9.
• A rookie (Alystair Hemberger) and a veteran (Owen Corry) brought NJIT back even, 11-11, with 5:42 left in the game.
• The eventual game-winner came from Siena's Christian Watts with 35 seconds to go as the Saints capitalized on a failed NJIT clear and scored out of a timeout. 
• NJIT would win the ensuing faceoff and call its own timeout to draw up a play but Miller's initial shot hit the goal post and a second chance as time ran down went wide of goal.

OTHER NOTES

• Liam Brown's 20-save effort locks in his fourth straight season with at least one performance of 20 saves or more. It was also brown's fifth 20-save game and one shy of his career high of 21 (done once in 2020 and once last season at Marist on Apr. 12).
• Gavyn Willson's four-goal performance is the second game of his career with at least three goals. Ironically, both were in season openers (the first was his career-best five-goal effort in his collegiate debut against Hampton on Feb. 1, 2020).
• In a sign of program growth, Saturday's game was the closest season-opening defeat in program history (-1). The closest game to open a campaign prior to Saturday was a five-goal loss at Lehigh on Feb. 3, 2018 (13-8). NJIT's lone season-opening victory came on Feb. 1 against Hampton (24-7 in Newark.

NEXT UP
NJIT will return to action and play at home for the first time this year on Saturday, February 18 at 2 p.m. against Mount St. Mary's.