PRIDE FALLS TO NOR'EASTERS

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomore Tyler Thomas (Mount Pleasant, N.Y.) and first-year Nick Gross (Kennebunk, Maine) scored four goals apiece to lead 11 players that found their way into the scoring column as the University of New England men's lacrosse team picked up a 22-0 non-conference win over Regis College Tuesday evening at the Big Blue Turf.

The Nor'easters, who had suffered setbacks in their five previous outings, improve to 3-6 on the year. The loss drops the Pride back to the .500 mark at 2-2 overall.

Junior Dylan Thomas (Mount Pleasant, N.Y.) had a hand in the first five UNE goals and ended up with three goals and six assists, while seniors Billy Davis (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Steve Smith (Walpole, Mass.), along with junior Michael Pennacchio (Peabody, Mass.), each scored two times.

Senior Nick Wilson (Amherst, N.H.), junior Howie Theberge (Brunswick, Maine), sophomore Brent Bourgeois (New Haven, Vt.), and first-years Pat Wolfe (Phippsburg, Maine) and Dan O'Gorman (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) tallied the other Big Blue scores. Junior George Jenkins (Natick, Mass.) registered two assists.

O'Gorman and senior Joe Bussiere (Amherst, Mass.) combined to win 15 of the 18 face-offs they took, and the rookie midfielder also grabbed a game-best 10 ground balls.

In the UNE goal, junior Nate Porter (Cohasset, Mass.) did not have to make a play on the one shot he faced in the first half, as his squad assumed a 12-0 cushion by intermission. Sophomore Jay Letendre (Southington, Conn.) and first-year Jeremy Diaz (Brunswick, Maine) split the remaining 30 minutes to record two saves and one save, respectively.

The Nor'easters finished with a 61-7 advantage in shots, and a 63-23 edge in ground balls.

For the Pride, junior Andrew LaMacchia (Lynn, Mass.) scooped up a team-high five ground balls. First-year goalie Breandan Crane (Billerica, Mass.) made eight first-half stops before giving way to classmate Tyler Beyor (Carthage, N.Y.), who turned aside seven shots after halftime.

Big Blue stays home for a non-conference match with Wheaton College (Mass.) on Thursday under the lights (7 p.m.). Regis is off until April 6, when it pays a visit to Wheelock College.