WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The Roger Williams University Men's Lacrosse team fell to Hartford, 15–4, in Conference of New England (CNE) action Tuesday afternoon at Al-Marzook Field.
As a team, Roger Williams was outshot 41-24, with 24 of Hartford's attempts landing on target. The Hawks cleared 18-of-20 attempts, but Hartford was successful in 22-of-23. The ground ball battle and faceoff battle both went in favor of the squad from Connecticut, with Hartford picking up 27 ground balls ot RWU's 19 and winning the faceoff battle 15-8.
Hartford controlled the pace from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 3–0 lead midway through the first quarter behind a pair of goals from Colin Reilly. The Hawks responded with tallies from Matt Kennedy (Cumberland, Maine) and Reece Moore (Marblehead, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 4–2 at the end of the first, but were unable to sustain momentum.
The second quarter proved pivotal, as Hartford outscored Roger Williams 2–0 to take a 6–2 lead into halftime. Despite several offensive opportunities, the Hawks were unable to convert, finishing the game 0-for-5 on extra-man chances.
Hartford extended its advantage in the third quarter, using a 4–1 run to push the margin to 10–3. Matt Craig (Tiverton, R.I.) accounted for the lone Roger Williams goal in the period, but RWU continued to struggle with turnovers and faceoff possessions.
In the fourth, Caleb McKeown (Plymouth, Mass.) scored man-down for Roger Williams, but Hartford closed the game on a 5–1 run to seal the 15–4 final.
McKeown led the Hawks with two points on a goal and an assist, while Kennedy, Moore, and Craig each added a goal. Connor Russell also contributed an assist. In goal, Aaron D'Aversa (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) made eight saves over 52 minutes, with Logan Dudley (Jericho, Vt.) adding one save in relief.
Hartford was paced by Reilly, who recorded six points on four goals and two assists, while Aidan Ezra and Aidan Kemp combined for nine points.
Roger Williams (6-9, 4-3 CNE) will travel to face the University of New England on Saturday, Apr. 18, before closing out the regular season on Wednesday, Apr. 22 at 7:00 pm against Johnson & Wales.
