DALLAS, PA - Graduate student midfielder Tyler Starrett (Redding, Conn.) erupted with a game-high four goals to lift the Western Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team to a 10-8 victory at Misericordia University on Saturday afternoon at Mangelsdorf Field. Classmate Benjamin Hawthorne (Manorville, N.Y.) and sophomore James Kreig (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) chipped in with two goals apiece.

With the victory, the Wolves improved to 2-0 overall while the Cougars fell to 0-2. The visitors outshot the hosts, 43-32, while converting 2-of-6 man-up opportunities. They also won the ground ball battle, 32-20.

The teams exchanged a pair of goals before Hawthorne connected on a tally to wrap up the first quarter. Starrett followed it up with a man-up strike to begin the second when he took a feed from senior attacker Julian Duque (Mastic, N.Y.) to make it 4-2. Shortly thereafter, Duque fired home his second strike of the game, giving the Wolves a 6-3 halftime advantage.

It was all Misericordia to begin the second half as they reeled of a four-goal flurry to seize a 7-6 lead with 8:19 remaining. However, WestConn retaliated with a four-goal surge of their own to regain a 10-7 advantage. Starrett began the run with a trio of goals before Hawthorne put the finishing touches on the spurt with 1:26 left to play. The Cougars canned the final marker to round the scoring out at 10-8.

Sophomore goalkeeper Connor Atwater (Cheshire, Conn.) earned the win for the Wolves and stopped 12 shots, while Chris Dindino took the loss for Misericordia and recorded 15 saves.

WestConn returns to action when they host Montclair State University in another non-league tilt at the WAC on Wednesday at 4 p.m.