BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Men's Lacrosse team delivered a strong performance on Wednesday afternoon, defeating Johnson & Wales, 15-5, in Conference of New England (CNE) action at Bayside Field. Senior goalkeeper Aaron D'Aversa (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) recorded his 500th career save in the contest. 

Roger Williams set the tone early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Ethan Mahoney (Stonington, Conn.) opened the scoring before Caleb McKeown (Plymouth, Mass.), Alex Daigneault (Winthrop, Mass.), and Harrison Steffens (Fairfield, Conn.) each added goals as the Hawks controlled possession and tempo from the start.

The Hawks continued to build their advantage in the second quarter. Unassisted goals from Brady Lee (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and Drew LaChapelle (Andover, Mass.) extended the lead to 6-0 before Johnson & Wales got on the board. JWU added two in the second, both from Jacob Tresser. Roger Williams responded quickly, with McKeown and Lee each finding the net again to give the Hawks an 8-2 lead at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Roger Williams put the game out of reach with a dominant third quarter. The Hawks scored four goals in the period, including an extra-man goal from Carter Shelton (Castle Rock, Colo.) and multiple tallies from McKeown, while also limiting the Wildcats' offensive opportunities to take a 12-3 lead into the final frame.

In the fourth, Roger Williams continued its balanced attack. Steffens and Reece Moore (Marblehead, Mass.) contributed to the scoring as the Hawks pushed their lead to 15-3. Johnson & Wales added a pair of late goals, but Roger Williams secured the 15-5 victory.

McKeown led the Hawks with four goals and one assist, while Steffens, Lee, and Moore each added two goals. Connor Russell (West Hartford, Conn.) facilitated the offense with three assists, and Mahoney chipped in a goal and an assist.

Defensively, Roger Williams held Johnson & Wales to just 15 shots on goal and forced 15 turnovers. Aaron D'Aversa (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) recorded eight saves in the win, recording his 500th career save. The Hawks also controlled possession at the faceoff, winning 14-of-23 draws, helping fuel their offensive momentum. 

Roger Williams finishes the regular season at 8-9 overall and 6-3 in conference play, as they look to keep their momentum into the postseason.