Wesleyan men’s lacrosse returned to peak form on Wednesday afternoon as the team bested the Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) Warriors by a score of 9-3. In their final non-conference contest of the 2012 season, the Cardinals shut down a potent Warrior offense that came into the match averaging 11 points per game and had scored no fewer than 8 points in any game this season. Wesleyan improved its overall record to 8-2, while ECSU fell to 5-5.
Wesleyan drew first blood at 9:16 in the first quarter, as midfielder DJ Bernatavitz ’12 received a pass from tri-captain attacker Max Landow ’12 and netted a goal from the right side. While the Cardinals fired 10 more shots  for the rest of the period, Warrior goalie Jamie Tommins responded with four saves, and thus the Cardinals were unable to convert for the rest of the frame. At the end of the quarter, Wesleyan led 1-0.
Just as it appeared the game might turn into a defensive battle, Wesleyan exploded for five goals in the second quarter while holding ECSU scoreless. Working in the Cards’ favor was the way in which they used the Warriors’ physical style against them to draw fouls, as three of Wesleyan’s goals came in man-up situations. Midfielder Aidan Daniell ’14 scored man-up goals at 12:46 and 7:29 off of assists from Bernatavitz and attacker Matt Prezioso ’15, respectively, while Bernatavitz scored the third man-up goal at 5:16 off of another assist from Landow. Long-pole midfielder Brendan Hanley ’13 scored unassisted at 12:46, and Bernatavitz assisted Landow at 8:41. The one-two combo of Bernatavitz and Landow contributed three points in total to Wesleyan’s tally, and Bernatavitz managed four points of his own. The Cardinals entered halftime leading with a score of 6-0.
In the second half, Wesleyan gained some insurance from tri-captain midfielder John Froats ’12 and attackers Graham Macnab ’14 and Remy Lieberman ’14. Froats scored the first goal of the third quarter at 11:34 to put the Cardinals up 7-0, the largest lead they would enjoy on the afternoon. ECSU struck back at 6:05 in the third, which is the longest time the Cards have kept an opponent scoreless in a game this season at 38:55, and followed up with another goal less than two minutes later. However, Wesleyan quickly responded with two goals of its own. Macnab scored unassisted with 1:50 left in the third quarter and Lieberman scored midway through the fourth off of an assist from midfielder Quentin DellaFera ’15. The Warriors managed one more goal to bring the final score to 9-3.
Wesleyan resumes action this Saturday, April 14, at 1 p.m. as the team hosts Bowdoin on Jackson Field in a matchup between two of the most dangerous teams in the conference. While the Polar Bears (4-3 NESCAC, 8-3 overall) are ranked 18th in NCAA Division III, the Cardinals look to maintain their slight edge in the NESCAC standings as the regular season winds down.