Hartford, Conn. – The Trinity College men's lacrosse team began its 2021 season in record-breaking fashion, upending Castleton University 31-2 on the turf of Jesse/Miller Field. The game marked Trinity's first athletic competition in over a year, with the program's last competition played March 11, 2020. Trinity's offense was firing on all cylinders from the opening whistle, shattering the program's previous single-game goal record of 23 at the midway point of the third quarter. The Bantams also set a new program record for total shots (76), ground balls (59), and number of players to score a goal in a single game (18). Leading the way offensively was first-year Tyler DeSimone (St. James, N.Y.), who scored six goals in his collegiate debut. Junior Connor McCulloch (Alexandria, Va.) also dazzled; he scored five goals on five shots, including two goals in the first 1:30 of the first quarter before rounding out his hat trick by the end of the first frame. The Bantams opened up play with four goals in the first five minutes of action, scoring twice in the same minute on three separate occasions in the first quarter. After a 12 goal first quarter, six more goals were scored before halftime to give Trinity an 18-1 lead. A combined 13 goals in the final two frames allowed Trinity to coast to its first win of the 2021 season. Castleton Freshman Cam Frankenhoff scored the Spartans' lone two goals, netting a first quarter tally before finding the back of the net once more in the game's final five minutes. Trinity's 18 different goal scorers featured two other first-years earning their first collegiate goals in Matt Pecora (Congers, N.Y.) and Andrew Bailey (Madison, N.J.). First-year Dane Crowley (Pelham, N.Y.) led the team with seven ground balls, and dominated the faceoff circle, winning 11-14. The Bantams as a team went 27-35 in the faceoff circle; in the net, the trio of Junior Liam Tucker (Falmouth, ME), and first-years Cooper Yaccino (Kenilworth, Ill.) and Spencer Beakey (Dedham, Mass.) combined for 10 saves, with Tucker making seven. The Bantams jump right back into competition Tuesday, March 23, playing host to Endicott College. Game time is slated for 5 p.m.