SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
Keith Campbell earned his first NCAA win as the American International College men's lacrosse team stopped Caldwell University, 13-5, on Saturday, February 14.
AIC is now 1-1 overall.
Though the Cougars scored first, AIC dominated the opening rame.
Seven Gillingham struck twice, first on a solo effort and then off of a feed from
Jacob Ligor, netting his second and third of the season. Ligor then buried a shot of his own for his second of the season. Finally, AIC struck late, as Camden Macdonald set up
Riley McGraw for a man-down pole goal, his first in an AIC uniform, to give AIC a 4-1 lead after one.
The Cougars clogged up the middle and cut the deficit back to 4-3 before AIC took back over in the final five minutes of the half.
Jordan Boyenko was at the heart of the run, scoring a natural hat trick with an assist from Gillingham, another from Macdonald, and finally a solo crease-wrapping effort at 5-on-5.
Jett Bogart then took a
Matt Smith pass in the middle and fired it low on the ground for his first of the season in the final minute, allowing AIC to take an 8-3 lead into halftime.
Boyenko kept rolling in the third. He scored two more, taking feeds from Bogart and Gillingham, to reach nine tallies in just two contests. Smith then added a goal to his assist, scoring his second of the season. After three, AIC's edge was 11-4.
The fourth saw little scoring. Macdonald scored a man-up marker, his first of the year, from Fox, and
Joe Liquori scored the game's final goal, his second of the campaign, in the 13-5 Yellow Jackets victory.
Apart from his goal, McGraw caused four turnovers and grabbed five ground balls.
Aiden Moscarello went 13-of-21 on faceoffs with seven ground balls. Boyenko and Gillingham each had five points.
Nicholas Kendall made nine saves in the win.
AIC returns to action Wednesday, February 18 at 5:00 p.m. against Post University as part of a lacrosse doubleheader with the women's team, which opens its season at 2:00 p.m. against Roberts Wesleyan University.