LOWELL, Mass. – The much anticipated regular-season opener for the 2016 Yale lacrosse team went as expected. The No. 8 Bulldogs raced out to an early lead and never looked back in a 17-7 victory over UMass-Lowell. The Bulldogs' swarming defense, led by captain and 2015 All-American Michael Quinn, and an opportunistic attack overwhelmed a River Hawks squad hoping to make today a competitive contest. Ben Reeves, the 2015 Ivy League Rookie of the Year after a 43-point freshman campaign, hit the net four times on four shots and handed out three assists while playing in three quarters. Reeves connected with John Daniggelis to close out the scoring in the first half. The freshman midfielder sent a low shot through the legs of the UML goalie to send the Bulldogs into intermission with a 7-2 lead. That was the first of two goals for Daniggelis. The visitors also had a 19-5 lead in shots and a 21-10 edge in ground balls in the first half. Junior attackman Jeff Cimbalista played a key role in statistical control. Coming off a 30-goal sophomore spring, Cimbalista handed out three assists and scored one himself on the day. Eric Scott, who helped the Blue win a third Ivy League Tournament Championship in 2015, led all midfielders last year with 28 points. He got off to a good start in 2016 with a pair of goals. The Elis, who finished with a 47-20 advantage in shots, flexed their muscle in the third quarter, outscoring the River Hawks 9-0 and putting any thoughts of a comeback far from anyone's mind. Freshman attackman Brendan Rooney made a nice collegiate debut by scoring three times on as many shots. His classmate, midfielder Jack Tigh, also began his Yale career in fine fashion with a goal and two points. One of big challenges for the Elis in 2016 is replacing four-year starting goalie Eric Natale. Sophomore Phil Huffard got the nod today but his teammates did not allow him to get much action, making one save before sharing the duties with rookie Hoyt Crance (4 saves). UML, playing its second season of Division I lacrosse, got five of its seven goals in the final period. The Bulldogs' swarming defense, led by captain and 2015 All-American Michael Quinn, and an opportunistic attack overwhelmed a River Hawks squad hoping to make today a competitive contest. Ben Reeves, the 2015 Ivy League Rookie of the Year after a 43-point freshman campaign, hit the net four times on four shots and handed out three assists while playing in three quarters. Reeves connected with John Daniggelis to close out the scoring in the first half. The freshman midfielder sent a low shot through the legs of UML goalie to send the Bulldogs into intermission with a 7-2 lead. That was the first of two goals for Daniggelis. The visitors also had a 19-5 lead in shots and a 21-10 edge in ground balls in the first half. Junior attackman Jeff Cimbalista played a key role in statistical control. Coming off a 30-goal sophomore spring, Cimbalista handed out three assists and scored one himself on the day. Eric Scott, who helped the Blue win a third Ivy League Tournament Championship in 2015, led all midfielders last year with 28 points. He got off to a good start in 2016 with a pair of goals. The Elis, who finished with a 47-20 advantage in shots, flexed their muscle in the third quarter, outscoring the River Hawks 9-0 and putting any thoughts of a comeback far from anyone's mind. Freshman attackman Brendan Rooney made a nice collegiate debut by scoring three times on as many shots. His classmate, midfielder Jack Tigh, also began his Yale career in fine fashion with a goal and two points. One of big challenges for the Elis in 2016 is replacing four-year starting goalie Eric Natale. Sophomore Phil Huffard got the nod today but his teammates did not allow him to get much action, making one save before sharing the duties with rookie Hoyt Crance (4 saves). UML, playing its second season of Division I lacrosse, got five of its seven goals in the final period.