LOWELL, Mass. – Coming off a hard-fought battle in the season opener, the UMass Lowell men's lacrosse team (0-1) hits the road for the first time this season when they visit the Mercyhurst Lakers (0-2) on Saturday, February 14. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Saxon Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT
In Friday's season opener against Quinnipiac, sophomore Alex Lafreniere (Chelmsford, Mass.) tallied three goals and an assist, as the River Hawks fell to the Bobcats, 15-12. Lafreniere, who added two ground balls on the afternoon, was one of seven River Hawks to score a goal. Sophomore Danny Burke (Eden Prairie, Minn.) also finished with three goals and an assist, while junior Johnny Soi (Kerhonkson, N.Y.) added two goals, and freshman Ryan Proctor (Uxbridge, Ontario) tallied his first career goal and assist. Junior Ryan Cho (Acton, Mass.) and sophomores Griffin Sumwalt (Aquebogue, N.Y.) and Brady Brennan (Newington, Ct.) all added a goal, while redshirt sophomore James Donnelly (Ottawa, Ontario) and sophomore Braden McMahon (Vestal, N.Y.) rounded out the point scorers with two assists and one assist, respectively. In net, junior Scott Kosakowski (Westport, Ct.) made 10 saves in 60 minutes of action.

LEADING THE FLOCK
After the first game of the season, both Lafreniere and Burke lead their squad with four points and three goals, while Donnelly paces the team with two assists. At the X, junior Justin Alexander (Franklin, Mass.) went 17-28 on faceoff opportunities, while collecting a team-high 10 ground balls. Defensively, junior Hayden Almeida (North Kingstown, R.I.) adds a caused turnover and three groundballs, with sophomore Jack Fredriksen (Rocky Point, N.Y.) tied with him with a caused turnover, as well. In net, junior Scott Kosakowski (Westport, Ct.) totals 10 saves.

SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Through two games, the Lakers currently own a 0-2 record, outscored by a total of 41-11 in those two games. Offensively, the team is led by Chase Petschke, who totals five points off a team-high four assists, while Mason Blakeman leads his squad with three goals. Drew Pagano has made his mark in the midfield, collecting three ground balls in each game while causing four turnovers in the loss to Bellarmine. In net, Tyler Moritzen has earned both starts, making 17 saves while allowing 39 goals, good for a .304 save percentage.

MATCHUP HISTORY
UMass Lowell and Mercyhurst faced off last year for the first time, with the River Hawks earning a 15-7 victory at home. Against the Lakers, Burke posted a three-goal, three-assist performance to lead the offense, while Almeida caused two turnovers and grabbed four ground balls, earning them America East Rookie of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively.