DANBURY, Conn. - Junior midfielder Tristan McMahon (Farmingville, N.Y.) notched a game-high three points with two goals and one assist to lead the Western Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team to a nailbiting 9-8 victory over visiting Plymouth State University in the Little East Conference opener for both squads on Sunday afternoon. Graduate student faceoff specialist Jonathan Russack-Baker (Groton, Conn.) won 16-of-19 attempts to help the Wolves negate the stellar play from Panther netminder Ethan Schena (Methuen, Mass.). 

The hosts outshot the visitors by a whopping 41-22 margin while also dominating the ground ball battle 37-21. 

The contest was close most of the way as neither team led by more than three strikes. McMahon got things started with his eighth marker of the season off a nifty feed from graduate student middie Tyler Starrett (Redding, Conn.). However, Plymouth would eventually capture the lead and widen the gap to 7-4 early in the third quarter when senior attack Crosby Fay (Thornton, N.H.) tallied his team-leading 18th goal of the year. Westconn retaliated with five of the next six goals en route to the win. With the score knotted at 8-8, Wolves graduate student midfielder Liam Ford (New Fairfield, Conn.) dodged down the alley and fired the game-winner just under the crossbar with 5:20 remaining. WestConn drew a pair of late penalties and were able to play keep-away for the final 1:15. 

WestConn rookie goalie Jake Kelly (Bethpage, N.Y) earned his first career win and stopped five shots, while Schena took the loss and finished with 18 saves. 

With the victory, the Wolves avenged last season's loss in the LEC Championship game, improving to 4-6 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Panthers dropped to 4-3 and 0-1. WestConn has now won 6 of the last 11 games between the duo. The Wolves return to action at Vermont State University Castleton in yet another LEC contest on Saturday at 7 p.m.