NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Emmanuel College men's lacrosse team rolled past Albertus Magnus 23-6 at Celentano Field on Tuesday night to improve to 2-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play. Nine Saints found the back of the net, as Emmanuel dominated every statistical category, outshooting the Falcons 59-23 and winning ground balls 50-27.
Senior captain Cole Cloney turned in a standout outing, finishing with six goals and one assist for a career-high seven points. Cloney's six goals ties him for second in single game scoring in program history. The junior was relentless all afternoon, scoring in three different quarters and repeatedly beating Albertus goalkeeper Alexis Gonzalez — who made 17 saves against a relentless Emmanuel attack — from multiple angles.
Senior Ethan Madura matched Cloney's scoring pace in the opening quarter, notching four of his five goals in the first period alone to help Emmanuel build an early cushion. Madura opened the scoring just 84 seconds into the game, and his fast start set the tone for a Saints offense that never looked back. He added a career-high fifth goal in the third quarter off an assist from Chase Greenlaw and finished with five points (career-high).
Cooper Mehlhorn was equally prolific, contributing five goals and one assist. The junior struck twice in the third quarter within a minute to push Emmanuel's lead to double digits, and his assist on Gavin Hunt's third-quarter goal capped an electric stretch in which the Saints scored eight unanswered goals.
Emmanuel came out of the gates firing, building a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. Albertus briefly threatened to make things interesting — a pair of late first-quarter goals by Nicholas Longo (man-up) and Cooper Strecker trimmed the deficit to three at 6-3 — but Mehlhorn answered with a goal as time expired to send Emmanuel into the break with a comfortable advantage.
The Saints extended the lead to 10-4 through two quarters, with Cloney adding two more goals in the second period. Emmanuel's ability to win faceoffs was a key factor throughout; Myles Mitnick and his teammates won 18 of 31 faceoffs on the day, giving the Saints consistent possession and limiting Albertus's offensive opportunities.
Any remaining doubt was erased in the third quarter, when Emmanuel erupted for nine goals to make it 19-5. Cloney scored three times in the quarter, while Mehlhorn added two more. Samuel Yan, Nikko Kelly, Gavin Hunt, and Madura each chipped in as well. Hunt had a strong all-around afternoon with two goals and two assists for a career-high four points, and Yan contributed a goal and two assists.
With the game well in hand, Emmanuel's depth continued to deliver in the fourth quarter. Austin Overmeyer and Brandon Shuman each scored their first goals of their collegiate career, and Kellen Connor capped the scoring with an unassisted tally at 3:16 for the first goal of his career. Connor finished with one goal and one assist, while Kelly added an assist to complement his third-quarter score.
Christian Hanoian set the Emmanuel men's lacrosse program record for single-game ground balls with 19.
In goal, Colby Enos (2-2) earned the decision, playing the first three quarters and making eight saves while allowing six goals. Jake Lynn stepped in for the fourth quarter, making two saves and holding Albertus to a single goal in his time on the field.
Up Next
Emmanuel improves to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play. The Saints host Saint Joseph (Conn.) in their home opener on Saturday, March 14 at 12:00 p.m.
