Men's LAX Rallies Late to Top Salem State

SALEM, Mass. -- The Mitchell College men's lacrosse team recorded four of the last five goals to pull out a 13-12 victory at Salem State University on Saturday night at Alumni Field.

Jade Shields potted the winner with 35 seconds remaining, his fourth of the game. Joe Schley also finished with four goals in the contest, and Ethan LePain contributed a goal and three helpers.

Mitchell led 9-7 midway through the third quarter, but Salem State tied the game before the start of the fourth. The Vikings' Patrick Guinee then scored twice in the opening 1:47 of the final stanza, putting the hosts up 11-9.

The Mariners fought their way back to the lead with three straight goals, with Shields playing a part in every one. He scored the first off a feed from LePain before returning the favor for the second. Shields capped the stretch with an unassisted effort to put Mitchell on top 12-11 with 3:32 to go.

Hunter Spencer evened the game at 12-12 with a goal for the Vikings with 2:52 remaining. Both teams had chances in the final minutes, with goalie Marcel Quinlan making a pair of stops to keep the score even. After denying Guinee with 53 seconds left, Quinlan started a clear attempt that ended in Shield's stick at the left sideline. He dodged around his man and made a bee-line for the goal, deking another defender at the crease and tucking a shot in the top-left corner of the cage.

Mitchell regained possession on the ensuing face-off thanks to a Salem State violation, and Dominick Reposa and LePain ran out the clock as the Mariners picked up their third win of the season.

Quinlan finished with 19 saves and recorded the seventh win of his career. Jadyn Gonzalez went 15-for-28 in face-offs and also grabbed a team-high six ground balls. Reposa chipped in a pair of scores while James Giovanniello and Henri Poehlman also added tallies.

Mitchell will wrap up the season with a home date against URI on Saturday, May 1 at 1 p.m.