LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men's lacrosse team fell in their season opener as the Merrimack Warriors outscored the River Hawks, 16-8, Saturday afternoon at Cushing Field. Merrimack improved to 1-1 on the season with the River Hawks' first loss.

"Ground balls and clearing win games and we didn't perform well in those areas in the first half," commented head coach Ed Stephenson. "We did challenge every ground ball in the second half, and I was proud of the way our men played until the final whistle. We'll need to learn from our slow start."

UMass Lowell tallied three late goals in the fourth quarter to chip away at the Warrior total, including points from sophomore Conor Foley (Walpole, Mass.) and newbies Jake Davis (Franklin, Mass.) and Garrett Murphy (Billerica, Mass.). Foley finished the afternoon with four points (3g,1a).
 
UMass Lowell trailed 11-3 at halftime, after Drew Hailey scored three goals to pace the Warriors in the opening quarter.
 
Foley continued his point trend from a season ago, opening the scoring for the home team with the 11th tally of his career. Senior captain Jake Lining (Rochester, Mich.) added one in the second, followed by the first goal in the third.
 
Freshman Anthony Mancino (Holbrook, N.Y.) made his debut for the River Hawks, making nine first-half saves, while sophomore Max Christides (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) came in for UMass Lowell in relief, stopping three shots in the fourth frame. Merrimacks' Henry Vogt stopped eight shots in the win for the Warriors.
 
Fifth-year face-off midfielder Brett Dattillo (Derry, N.H.) won 10-of-26 in the losing effort for UMass Lowell. Senior captain Harry Morrill (Hyde Park, Mass.) led the defensive charge with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.

"Our freshman and sophomore goalies both played really well and gave us plenty of opportunities," exclaimed Stephenson. "I was pleased with generating 37 shots considering the limited time of possession we had. Brett Dattilo was outstanding at the face off x in the second half. Five of our freshman saw significant time and gained valuable experience."
 
Up next, the River Hawks will kick off league play when they travel to Vermont on Wednesday, March 3. The America East matchup is set for 4 p.m. on Virtue Field.