WORCESTER, Mass. – A five-goal run that spanned the second and third quarters proved to be the difference as the MIT men's lacrosse team defeated Clark University, 10-8, in a NEWMAC game on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Harris Stolzenberg (Weston, Fla.) led all players with five points on two goals and three assists as the Engineers improved to 9-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Junior Luke Verdi (Middletown, Md.) generated a hat trick while sophomore Michael Traub (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) and freshman Graham Davis (Crofton, Md.) both posted two goals and an assist. Senior Chris Cook (Tully, N.Y.) chipped in one goal and one assist as sophomore Cody Jacobucci (Woodstown, N.J.) and freshman Christian Jamison (Huntington, N.Y.) both totaled four groundballs. Freshman David Klee (East Greenbush, N.Y.) tacked on three groundballs while junior Eric Bartell (San Diego, Calif.) collected 12 saves.

Clark registered two goals in the first three minutes of the game but MIT quickly responded with a strike by Verdi. The Engineers later tied the game when Traub connected on a feed from Cook with 5:54 left in the quarter.

The stalemate continued into the second stanza until Stolzenberg found Verdi to put the visitors in front, 3-2, after 26 seconds elapsed. The Cougars countered with a 4-1 run, reestablishing their two-goal cushion with 5:27 on the clock. MIT replied with back-to-back goals during the last three minutes, evening the score at six at the break. Davis buried the first goal following a pass from Traub while Cook's solo effort produced the fourth tie of the contest.

The Engineers carried the momentum into the third quarter as Stolzenberg was a factor in all three unanswered goals. He converted an extra-man opportunity courtesy of a feed from junior Paul Orrson (Baltimore, Md.) to give the Cardinal and Gray the lead and then added an unassisted marker. Stolzenberg helped MIT increase its advantage to 9-6 by setting Davis up at the 7:54 mark.

The small cushion would hold until Clark began its comeback attempt during the final frame. The Cougars kicked things off after 55 seconds expired and put three shots on net before closing the gap to one (9-8) with 5:51 remaining in regulation. Following several possession changes, Verdi registered an insurance goal with 68 seconds to go.

MIT returns to Cambridge for a NEWMAC contest with cross-town rival Emerson College on Wednesday, April 15.