LAX Edges Nichols to Tie School Record for Wins

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Mitchell College men's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to six games on Wednesday night with an 11-10 victory over Nichols College at Vendetti Field.

Junior Shane Sullivan led the Mitchell (9-2 overall) attack with three goals while classmates Demetre Lyras, Chris Joy and David Klapp each netted two. The Mariners dominated the face-off circle, winning 20-of-24 draws, and also went 2-for-4 with the man advantage.

Mitchell also tied a school record with its ninth win of the season. The Mariners also won nine games in 2011 in head coach Derek Marks' first season.

Anthony Verville recorded four points for Nichols, scoring two goals and handing out two assists as the Bison fell to 4-9 on the season. Nicholas Kokich and Michael Bane each potted two goals for the Bison, who were outshot by the Mariners 50-39 on the evening.
  
Mitchell closed the first quarter with a 2-0 lead behind goals from Joy and Sullivan. Two goals from Bane and one from Kokich helped the Bison tie the game at 3-3 in the second quarter before Sullivan's second marker of the evening with 4:12 remaining in the half put the visitors up by one.
 
The Mariners scored the first two goals of the third to extend their lead to 6-3, but goals by Chris Litchfield and Marc Miller brought Nichols to within one (6-5) with 11 minutes left in the stanza. Mitchell entered the fourth up by one, and goals by Klapp and Lyras less than one minute apart gave it a 10-7 edge with 13:27 remaining.
 
Nichols responded with goals by Macaulay Gillis and Verville at 11:34 and 5:54, respectively, to climb to within one at 10-9. Sullivan's third marker of the evening 19 seconds after Verville's goal gave the Mariners a two-goal lead at 11-9. Kokich made it a one-goal game with his third of the season with 1:09 remaining, but the Bison could not get a shot on their final possession.
 
Junior Peter Eshenfelder recorded 19 saves for Mitchell and moved to 9-2 with the win. Matt McGue made his second straight start between the pipes for the Bison and stopped 10 shots. He was temporarily relieved by Seth Drouin midway through the third, and he finished with seven saves.
 
Chris Barchard led the Bison in both ground balls (five) and caused turnovers (four). Joy, meanwhile, collected a game-high 13 ground balls for the Mariners as both Klapp and freshman Aaron Sladyk caused five turnovers each.  
 
Mitchell will close out the regular season at Mass. Maritime on Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m.