Junior standout Zach Cole went 18-of-19 from the X and the Hawks outscored the Warriors 8-3 in the second half as the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse squad earned a 9-7, come-from-behind Northeast Conference victory over Merrimack in the Crimson and Gray's 2021 home opener at Sweeney Field on Saturday afternoon. With their third consecutive win, the Hawks even out at 3-3 (3-0 NEC) while the Warriors fall to 2-3 (1-2 NEC). The first face-off of the game went out of bounds, in favor of Merrimack. Following that play, Cole won the remaining 18 face-off opportunities of the day and scrapped for 14 ground balls to lead the way for SJU. Senior attackman Matt Tufano (2g, 3a) led the offense with five points, followed by junior attackman Ryan Doran (1g, 2a) and a hat trick from sophomore attackman Levi Anderson. Sophomore attackman Matt Bohmer hit the back of the net twice while junior midfielder Tucker Brown added the other goal for the Crimson and Gray. Senior goalkeeper Tucker Almany made eight saves in the full 60:00 for his third collegiate win in net. More to follow.