Watts, Wing Score Three Goals Apiece

            BANGOR, Maine -- Junior Austin Watts (Westbrook, Maine) and sophomore Seth Wing (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area) scored three goals apiece as the visiting University of Southern Maine men's lacrosse team opened its 2015 season with an 11-3 victory over Husson University in a non-conference game Saturday at Boucher Field.

            Watts had the lone goal of the first quarter to give the Huskies a lead they would never relinquish.  Junior Jaymz McStowe (Plymouth, Mass.) and Watts scored in the second quarter to expand the Huskies' lead to 3-0 before junior Brandon Corbo (Merrimack, N.H.) put the Eagles on the board with 2:01 remaining.  Freshman Nate DelGiudice (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) scored 24 seconds before halftime to give the Huskies a 4-1 lead at the intermission.

            Wing and Watts scored 52 seconds apart early in the third quarter to increase the Huskies' lead to 6-1.  Corbo and junior Brett Martin (Topsham, Maine/Mt. Ararat) would sandwich a goal by Wing over the final 7:41 of the quarter to make it 7-3 heading into the fourth.

            It was all Huskies in the final quarter as senior Burleigh Desjardins (Brunswick, Maine), DelGiudice, junior Eddie Barrasso (Wilmington, Mass.) and Wing scored while the Huskies' defense, backed by rookie goalie Zach Bessett (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook), shut down the Eagles.

            Bessett stopped seven shots to record his first collegiate win.  Sophomore Ryan Saul (Lancaster, Penn./Lampster-Strasburg) won 10 of 15 faceoffs and had five ground balls.  Rookie defender Sam Hornblower (Portland, Maine/Deering) had a team-high six ground balls as the Huskies won the battle for the loose balls 43-22.  The Huskies also piled up a 42-16 advantage in shots.

            Husson sophomore goalie Tom Lepage (Lewiston, Maine) was busy in the cage stopping 18 shots.

            Southern Maine (1-0) is off until next Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when it hosts New England College for a non-conference game.  Husson (0-1) travels to Regis College for a non-conference game on Wednesday (5:00 p.m.).

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