The University of Mount Saint Vincent opened their season on Friday night and participated in a competitive, back and forth contest with Vermont State University Castleton. Despite trading leads into the fourth quart, the Dolphins ultimately fell 14-11 to the Spartans. Castleton jumped out quickly with a four-goal first frame, forcing UMSV into a comeback mode early, but the Dolphins showed resilience and kept themselves within striking distance throughout the opener.

The Dolphins offense was paced by Sam Hall, who led all scorers from UMSV with four goals on eight attempts, putting pressure on Castleton all game long. Chai Dunlap and Isaac Parsons each found the back of the net twice, while Logan Charboneau converted a shot attempt for the first time this season as well. 

First year offensive talents also chipped in. Mattias Remes and Jaylin Johnson scored the first goals of their collegiate careers, while fellow freshman Thomas Vallely added an assist. Cal Denier provided a spot on the face-off dot, with his second half success helping ignite UMSV's offense. Denier won 11 of 17 face-offs and led the way with six ground balls. 

The veteran defensive unit settled in and eventually did a strong job in turning away the Spartans offense. Sophomore Brandon Mestres had a standout first game, with six caused turnovers and six ground balls, while Jackson Taylor had two of his own. Miguel Cordero and Walker Moore combined for five ground balls. 

Sophomore Max Mills got the call in net and made 15 saves throughout the evening, including allowing just one in the third quarter. 

After being shut out in the opening quarter, UMSV answered with three goals in the second, as Hall and Dunlap pushed the tempo and converted chances. The third quarter saw UMSV continue its surge with four goals, tightening the margin and setting the stage for a dramatic final stanza. The Dolphins stayed aggressive and added four more tallies in the fourth, but a late flurry from Castleton ultimately put the game out of reach. 

The Dolphins will take the positives away from their opener and regroup ahead of a showdown on the road against Moravian University next weekend.