HENNIKER, N.H. – After falling behind early, Emmanuel men's lacrosse fired off five straight goals to finish the first quarter, never trailing from that point on, defeating the New England Pilgrims 12-9 on Wednesday night in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division play from Melander Field.

The Saints have won seven straight games, improving to 7-5 (6-0 GNAC, 5-0 GNAC North) this season. The seven-game winning streak is the longest for the program since an eight-game run in 2023. The Pilgrims fall to 6-6 (3-3 GNAC, 2-2 GNAC North) with the loss.

New England College netted back-to-back tallies in the opening minutes before the Saints took control with five consecutive goals. Junior Cole Cloney and senior Ryan Etzo scored 50 seconds apart, tying the game at 2-2. Sophomore Cooper Mehlhorn and senior Sanzio DiGesualdo were next on the board, while one final Mehlhorn tally with 1:22 left gave the Saints a 5-2 lead through one quarter.

Much like the first quarter, the Pilgrims started the second quickly, with goals by Daniel Varga and Henri Pfeifle scored in a 57-second span, cutting the deficit to 5-4. But the Saints rebounded with Etzo scoring a pair and first-year Braxton Bragg adding his first of the night, lifting the Saints to a 8-4 lead at the half.

A low-scoring third quarter resulted in one goal for each side before the Pilgrims made one final run in the fourth quarter, scoring three in a row in a span of 3:30, to trail 10-8. As the Saints had done all game, the Emmanuel rebuttal reestablished a safe lead, as junior Samuel Yan and Mehlhorn added insurance goals late in the fourth, helping the Saints to a 12-9 victory.

Mehlhorn scored a game-high four goals to go along with one assist for a five-point night. Cloney played the role of passer on Wednesday night, totaling a game-high four assists to go with one goal. Etzo chipped in with a hat trick while first-year Colby Enos earned his seventh straight decision, improving to 7-4 on the season.

For the Pilgrims, Matt Daley netted a hat trick in the loss. Pfeifle and Thomas Norton both added a pair of tallies for New England. Goalie Nate Finn made eight stops for the Pilgrims and falls to 2-3 this season.

The Saints will look for their eighth straight win on Saturday, April 12, as they welcome Albertus Magnus to Clemente Field for a 12:00 p.m. faceoff. Emmanuel will celebrate Senior Day prior to the game on Saturday. New England College carries on with Regis on Saturday afternoon.