Riverdale, NY - The College of Mount Saint Vincent's men's lacrosse team improved to 2-0 in as many games on Saturday afternoon, topping the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the program's second ever game on the turf surface down on Marillac Field. The game had just a three goal difference, but the Dolphins had a strong afternoon that saw them out-perform their opponents in multiple different areas of the game. 

After a game-starting faceoff win by junior Brian Valera, the Dolphins dominated the possession game, and it was eventually reflected on the scoreboard. CMSV kept control of the ball for four of the first five minutes of action, and after firing off a number of shots, Richie Albert continued his dominant start to his collegiate career when he scored his sixth goal of the year to put his team up 1-0. From there, classmate Andrew Dzubak and Albert would combine for two more, with Valera and Renee Alamo recording their first assists of the season. 

The attackmen duo of Albert and Dzubak furthered their scoring output in the second, with each scoring a goal while the other assisted. That was topped off by Ryan Jean-Pharuns, who scored his first goal in 2023, putting the Dolphins up 6-2 at the break. 

It was the defense's turn to shine in the second half, with senior goalkeeper Sawyer Davis leading the charge. The Holbrook, New York native allowed just three second half goals while totaling 12 saves in the afternoon affair. The team's defense, led by Adrian Guillermo, Jake Luxoro, Chris Meenan and Walker Moore, did a strong job shutting down the Trailblazers offense while continuosly giving their team possessions. MCLA would go on a late run, cutting the score to just two in the fourth quarter, but Dzubak and fellow freshman Isaac Parsons scored within minutes of each other to secure the win. 

Junior midfielder Jacob Cochran, mostly known for his offense, had a great afternoon on the other end of the field with nine ground balls and six caused turnovers, both team highs. Meenan added eight ground balls and five caused turnovers of his own. 

Dzubak finished the contest with four goals and two helpers, good for six points, while Albert secured three and two of his own. 

The Dolphins return to Marillac Field on Wednesday when they take on Sage College for their third game of the year.