DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men's lacrosse team kicked off conference play with a statement, defeating CNE opponent the Nor'easters of the University of New England 10–8 this evening at Vendetti Field.
With the victory, the Bison leap to 5-4 (1-0 CNE) while the Nor'easters drop to 3-6 (0-1 CNE)
Nichols' offense was led by
Shea Ullo, who recorded a career-high four goals and added an assist for a team-high five points.
Conor Doherty contributed four points, scoring twice and assisting on two other goals, while
Jonah Libby went a perfect 2-for-2 on his shots and also added three ground balls and a caused turnover. Other offensive contributors included
John Caserta with an assist,
Kane Williams with a goal and an assist, and
Jackson Hernandez with a lone goal.
The Bison defense was anchored by senior goalkeeper
Carter Renaud, who played all 60 minutes and made 15 saves on 41 shots, including 23 on goal, to keep Nichols in front. The defensive unit also featured strong efforts from
Cam Ayotte, who collected three ground balls, three caused turnovers, and scored key defensive points, and
Travis Arnold, who dominated the faceoff X with 11 wins on 18 attempts.
The Bison struck first in the opening quarter, as Ullo scored Nichols' first goal at the 12:54 mark. Doherty quickly followed with a goal just over a minute later to give Nichols a 2-0 advantage. The Nor'easters responded with a goal at 9:03 to cut the lead to 2-1. Nichols answered again when Libby found the back of the net on an assist from Williams at 5:02, extending the lead to 3-1. UNE closed out the period with a man-up goal at 0:40, leaving the Bison with a 3-2 edge heading into the second quarter.
Nichols extended their lead early in the second quarter as Ullo scored to open the quarter again at 13:49, pushing the Bison advantage to 4-2. The Nor'easters responded quickly, cutting the deficit to 4-3 at 12:19. Nichols regained control as Ullo struck for his third goal of the game at 3:16 off of an illusive spin move making it 5-3. Hernandez added a late-quarter insurance goal with an assist from Caserta at 0:12, giving Nichols a 6-3 lead heading into halftime holding all the momentum from the half.
Nichols maintained control in the third quarter, building on their first-half momentum with the third opening goal from Ullo assisted by Doherty, to push the Bison lead to 7-3. The Nor'easters attempted to mount a comeback with a man-up opportunity, capitalizing at 5:59 to cut the deficit to 7-4. Nichols responded midway through the quarter as Williams scored on a feed from Ullo at 4:03, restoring a comfortable four-goal advantage at 8-4. UNE managed to find the back of the net once more scoring at 2:50, but the Bison still carried a three-goal lead into the final period, thanks to a balanced attack and amazing defensive play from Renaud in goal.
The deciding period saw Nichols work to protect and extend their lead. The Bison struck early as Doherty scored at 14:19 to push the lead to 9-5. Libby added a man-up goal at 6:21 his second of the day, assisted by Doherty, giving Nichols a 10-5 cushion. The Nor'easters mounted a late rally with goals from narrowing the gap to 10-8. Despite UNE's late surge, Nichols held firm defensively and closed out the game, anchored by stellar goaltending from
Carter Renaud and a balanced offensive effort from Ullo, Doherty, and Libby.
The Bison return home this Saturday, March 28th, as they host the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University on Vendetti Field, at 1:00 PM.
