Mount Ida Men's Lacrosse Drops Opener To Tough Little East Member Western Conn. State, Junior Brett Conley Scores Four

Junior Brett Conley (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Warde) and senior John Lightbown (Melrose, MA/Malden Catholic) combined for seven goals for Mount Ida but could not crack the late lead by Western Connecticut State taking an opener loss in Danbury, CT this past Wednesday night losing 9-8. The Mustangs would drop to 0-1 on the season while the Colonials bettered to 1-0.

The Mustangs would open up the scoring before the end of the first period with four second remaining on a rocket by Conley from freshman midfielder Dan Harrington (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) giving them the 1-0 lead heading into the first break.

The Colonials would gain the advantage off two quick scores in the second quarter within three ticks of each other. Less than a minute later, Lightbown would net the first of his three goals with 9:35 to go before the end of the first knotting things at 2-2. Both teams would exchange goals before the horn including Conley’s second score of the game from Lightbown with 6:35 remaining tying the contest at 3-3 heading into halftime.

The Mustangs would strike first in the third quarter with Lightbown netting his second goal of the game giving his team their second lead of the contest up 4-3. Unfortunately, Mount Ida’s advantage was short lived while West Conn locked the score at 4-4 less than a minute after. Three clicks later, the Colonials reacquired the lead netting two quick goals with 7:11 showing on the clock making it 6-4.

The two goal advantage wouldn’t hold up too long with Mount Ida chipping away to come back within one on another Conley score making it 6-5 in favor of WSCU. The hosts would regain the two goal separation at the five minute mark towards the end of the third, 7-5. But two quick goals at the end of three by Lightbown and Conley would re-knot the scoreboard at 7-7 going into the fourth and final quarter with senior Andrew Cloonan (Franklin, MA/Franklin/Dean College) and senior Luke Philip Wilson (Essex, MA/Ipswich) chipping in assists on both goals.

A little more than two minutes into the final stanza the Colonials would regain the advantage up 8-7. Not even a minute later, Cloonan would re-energize his squad firing the tying goal top shelf locking it up at 8-8 with 12:35 left in the game. Eventually, the hosts would take over the lead at 10:09 and hold off the Mustangs through the last ten minutes with MIC unable to convert anything into the back of the net handing them a tough loss against a very difficult opponent.

Mount Ida goaltender sophomore Matt Vernik (Bethany, CT/Amity Regional) would notch 14 saves in the loss.

The Mustangs will travel to Amherst College and face another tough squad who belongs to the strong division III New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. face-off.