CHESTERTOWN, Md. – After building an 8-6 halftime lead, Eastern University Men's Lacrosse scored the first six goals of the second half to open the 2024 season with a 14-7 win. Ethan Myers made 14 stops in goal, Nicholas Fanelli with a five-point day, and Head Coach Colin Piper picked up a win in his debut in charge.

Connor Bachman opened the scoring with an unassisted tally in the sixth minute. Less than two minutes later Nicholas Fanelli set up Gavin Stark to double the Eastern lead. The host Shoremen would answer, but they would never equalize in the game. Nick Litzenberger put the Eagles up 3-1 and Brett Williamson scored a man-down goal for a 4-1 edge.

After Washington College tallied late in the first quarter, Christopher Fanelli finished from Stark to open the second. The goal, the 91st of his career, moves him alone into the eighth spot on Eastern's career list.

The Shoremen got a faceoff goal to grab the goal back, but Nicholas Fanelli  restored the lead to three less than a minute later. The Eagles got their own faceoff goal to go up 7-3. Patrick McClain won the face-off and then got it back from Nicholas Fanelli. McClain won 14-of-24 faceoffs and finished with 11 ground balls.

The hosts scored the next two goals, their only two-goal burst of the match, before Christopher Fanelli set up his brother for an 8-5 lead with six minutes left. The Eagles had several chances to stretch their lead, but could not muster another goal on the way to the 8-6 haltime lead.

The Eagles took 23 first-half shots but were 0-for-3 on man-up chances.

"We definitely left some opportunities unfinished in the first half," Piper said. "In the second half We did a good job being composed on the clear and on our man-up chance. We made a really minor adjustment in our defense and the guys did a good job executing it."

Bachman scored the first tow goals of the second half, and Brett Williamson and NIck Litzenberger also scored twice. Washington College got their only goal after the intermission with 50 seconds left in the game.

Piper noted Myers performance in goal and the work of defensive midfielder Dominic Marangoni. Stark finished with a goal and three assists, and Bachman, Litzenberger and Williamson all had hat tricks.

The Eagles will host Swarthmore on Wednesday.