Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine --  Four players scored two goals each as the University of New England assumed an 11-5 cushion after three periods and then held on for a 12-8 non-conference men's lacrosse victory over the University of Southern Maine in a contest played Thursday afternoon at the Big Blue Turf.

The Nor'easters improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Huskies (0-2) suffer their second defeat in as many games.

Senior Luke DiFiore (Gloucester, Mass.), juniors Michael Pennacchio (Peabody, Mass.) and Dylan Thomas (Mount Pleasant, N.Y.), and sophomore Tyler Thomas (Mount Pleasant, N.Y.) all recorded two goals for UNE. Tyler Thomas also added a pair of assists, as did senior Michael Woods (Kittery Point, Maine).

Big Blue junior Nate Porter (Cohasset, Mass.) posted 16 saves to earn the win, and notched his first collegiate point in the process, assisting on a marker by DiFiore in the first period.

UNE went up 2-0 at that point, before Southern Maine junior Kyle Baker (Kennebunk, Maine) capitalized on a man-up situation to make it a one-goal game after one.

USM first-year Dylan Bousquet-Smith (Bowdoinham, Maine) tied things up (2-2) just over two minutes into the second frame, only to see the Nor'easters regain the lead for good with the next three scores. UNE took a 6-4 edge into the halftime break.

Five different players found the back of the cage in the third period for Big Blue, as the hosts extended the margin to 11-5 after 45 minutes of action.

Following the first career goal from UNE sophomore James Hankins (North Canton, Ohio) which made it 12-5 near the midway point of the fourth, the Huskies upped the pressure to tally the final three goals of the contest. USM out-shot the Nor'easters, 20-7, in the closing stanza.

For Southern Maine, junior Kayle Hamilton (Buxton, Maine) scored a match-best three times -- all in the second half -- and helped on two others. Baker recorded assists on two of those markers.

Sophomore Kyle Dussault (Lewiston, Maine) made 17 stops in goal for the Huskies, who return to action on Saturday (1 p.m.) against Husson University.

Big Blue kicks-off its Spring Break with a road match at nationally-ranked Connecticut College on Sunday (2:30 p.m.), before making a stop in New Jersey on Wednesday at Richard Stockton College.