University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse could not overcome its slow start and Harvard's early offensive precision in a 16-11 UMass loss to the Crimson at Garber Field on Saturday. Devin Spencer posted his first collegiate hat trick via three goals while Buddy Carr tied for the game high with six points on a pair of tallies and four assists. Jeff Trainor (two goals), Ben Spencer (two goals) and Chris Connolly (one goal, one assist) also produced multi-point outings for the Minutemen. Harvard's Morgan Cheek totaled six points on three goals and as many assists. Fellow Crimson attackmen Kyle Anderson and Ryan Graff put forth five-point days, each via four goals and one helper. Tim Edmonds added five points via three goals and two assists. Sean Sconone started in net before Hampton Brannon relieved Sconone in the 27th minute. Sconone finished with three saves while Brannon posted eight stops against four goals allowed. Isaac Paparo had three caused turnovers and a groundball for the Minutemen. Sconone suffered the loss while Robert Shaw collected the win with 11 saves opposite Brannon and Sconone. Harvard scored the opening eight goals of the game – all in the first quarter – before Connolly stopped the streak with his fifth tally of the season. Rak won a faceoff, scooped the groundball and fed Connolly for the score with 27 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Massachusetts added its second of the day only 30 seconds into the next frame when Carr connected for his fourth tally of the year. After Harvard held its lead to at least six into the third quarter, the Maroon and White used a four-goal push and pulled within four of tying early in the final stanza. Four Minutemen scored during the streak, which began with Kevin Tobin's first collegiate tally. Tobin fielded a long clearing pass from Brannon near the midfield line and cut upfield before he dropped the deficit to 15-8 with his conversion near the crease. After Tobin's goal with seven minutes, six seconds left in the third, Trainor tallied his second of the day two minutes later. Trainor cradled possession with his back to the Harvard goal, spun off his defender and fired a sidearm shot by Shaw. Ben Spencer and Devin Spencer followed Trainor's lead as the brothers from Danville, California, converted back-to-back, spanning the third and fourth quarters. Ben Spencer's third quarter goal beat the clock as he whipped a 30-yard shot into the back of the cage for his second tally of the day. Devin Spencer's goal opened scoring only eight seconds into the final frame as he caught a pass from Carr and deposited it for his third of the day. The Maroon and White earned chances to further cut into the deficit throughout the fourth, including a pair of man-up chances as a result of slashing penalties against Robert Mencke, but were unable to pull closer before Anderson capped scoring with 2:09 left to play. Harvard led in shots, 42-41 and groundballs, 25-22. The Crimson also won 15 of the 28 faceoffs, but were 13-of-16 on clears to 13-of-14 for the Minutemen. Harvard turned it over 14 times to 11 by the Maroon and White. Each team ended the day with 11 saves. Massachusetts continues its five-game homestand with its second consecutive Ivy League foe when No. 11/11 Yale visits Garber Field for a 3 p.m. game on Tues., Feb. 27.