Box Score             STANDISH, Maine -- Senior Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H./Nashua North) scored eight goals as the Saint Joseph's College Monks pulled way over the final 21 minutes to post a 17-8 victory over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies in non-conference men's lacrosse action Wednesday afternoon at the SJC Athletic Complex.
            The game was the season opener for the Huskies who fall to 0-1.  The Monks improved their record to 2-0 on the season.
            Two man-up goals from USM senior Joe Cullinan (Contoocook, N.H./Hopkinton) in the third quarter pulled the Huskies within three, 11-8, before Martin and the Monks scored six unanswered goals over the final 21 minutes to pull away.
            Martin led all scorers with nine points on his eight goals and one assist.  Senior Shane Puleo (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) picked up six points on three goals and three assists, and sophomore Max Lacy (Salisbury, N.H./Merrimack) added two goals and passed out three assists.
            Junior Nick James (Portland, Maine/Deering) paced the Huskies' attack with three goals and three assists.  Cullinan and senior Tristan Dundas (Abbotsford, B.C.) chipped in with a pair of goals.  Dundas' two goals gives him 92 in his career, moving him past Tim Bryant (2009-11) into third place on the Huskies' all-time goal scoring list.
            Martin opened the game with a pair of goals in the opening 92 seconds.  James responded for USM with two markers.  A run of three straight SJC goals from Martin, senior Alex Osmanski (Abington, Mass.) and Puleo to close the first quarter gave the Monks a 5-2 lead.
            Martin's fourth goal made it 6-2.  After the teams traded goals, Dundas scored twice in a span of 21 seconds to close the gap to 7-5.  The Monks outscored the Huskies 3-1 over the final 6:21 to restore a four-goal lead, 10-6, at the half-time break.
            A Lacy goal in the opening minute of the third quarter pushed the margin to 11-6 before Cullinan scored two while USM enjoyed a man up to cut the deficit to 11-8.  But that is as close as the Huskies would get as Martin (four goals), Puleo and Lacy tallied six consecutive goals as the Monks pulled away.
            The home side piled up a 48-32 advantage in overall shots while the Huskies won the battle of the ground balls 36-34.  James led all players with six ground balls.
            USM junior Josh Cahill (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Central), making his debut in goal, made 16 saves.  Junior Michael Janocha (Southampton, Mass./Williston-Northampton) stopped eight shots over 58:04, and sophomore Brannon Gilbert (Gray, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) had one save, for the Monks.
            Southern Maine is off until April 3 when it will open Little East Conference play at Western Connecticut State University.  Saint Joseph's is scheduled to host Bates College on Saturday.