NEW LONDON, Conn. – Four unanswered goals in the first quarter gave the MIT men's lacrosse team a lead it would not relinquish as it went on to defeat the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 13-9, in a NEWMAC game on Saturday afternoon. Junior Zach Bleil (New Canaan, Conn.) generated three goals and two assists to lead the Engineers.
 
THE BASICS:

• Score: MIT 13, Coast Guard 9
• Records: MIT (4-6 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC); Coast Guard (7-3 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Coast Guard got on the board after 1:09 expired but first-year Riley Pierce (Vestavia, Ala.) buried the equalizer on a feed from Bleil at the 13:12 mark.
• A defense battle ensued until MIT produced three goals during the last 3:27 of the frame. Junior Garrett Campagna (Lancaster, Pa.) put the Engineers ahead courtesy of a feed from classmate CJ Sanchez (New Rochelle, N.Y.) as Bleil found the back of the net two minutes later. Sanchez then increased MIT's cushion to 4-1 when he redirected a pass from Campagna with 48 seconds on the clock.
• Junior Bryce Metalios (Old Greenwich, Conn.) set up senior Nick Stiles (New Canaan, Conn.) 10 seconds after the opening faceoff of the second quarter, but the Bears narrowed the gap to 5-2 following the ensuing faceoff.
• The Engineers replied with goals from Bleil, Sanchez, Stiles, and Pierce to create some breathing room. However, Coast Guard notched back-to-back goals, making the score 9-4 at halftime.
• The Bears chipped away at the deficit, coming within 9-7 with 6:38 left in the third quarter. Campagna responded with a goal with just under four minutes remaining and then he found Metalios for a man-up goal, resulting in the 100^th point of Metalios's career.
• Bleil was a factor in both of MIT's goals in the fourth quarter as he notched an unassisted goal and earned an assist on a blast by Metalios, moving the score to 13-7 at the 6:48 mark.
• Coast Guard produced two quick goals, the last at 4:11, but it would not get any closer.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Metalios finished with two goals and one assist, becoming the 40^th player in program history to reach 100 career points and the fourth this season as Bleil, Campagna, and Stiles previously accomplished this feat.
• Campagna registered two goals and two assists while Sanchez had two goals and one assist.
• Juniors Tim Haarmann (Boxford, Mass.) and Isaiah Nathaniel (Scotch Plains, N.J.) both collected two groundballs.
• Senior Brennan Hoppa (Hampstead, N.H.) and sophomore Stone Smith (Roswell, Ga.) both generated two caused turnovers.
• In net, junior Collin Lung (Lynbrook, N.Y.) totaled 10 saves and four groundballs.

UP NEXT:

• MIT will host Emerson College in a NEWMAC game on Saturday, April 12 at 4:00 PM.

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