O’Brien tallies seven goals and four assists for the nationally-ranked Golden Lions

Boxscore

BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (March 5, 2008) – The Franklin Pierce University men’s lacrosse team dropped an 18-3 decision to Dowling College, ranked fifth in this week’s United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Div. II poll, in the Ravens’ 2008 season-opener on Wednesday evening at Golden Lion Field.

Six different Golden Lions found the back of the net on the day, led by sophomore Kyle O’Brien (Whitby, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) with seven goals and four assists for 11 points. Classmate John McClure (Brampton, N.Y./Mayfield) added four goals and senior Kevin Rimmer (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connetquot) recorded six points on two goals and four assists.

A trio of Franklin Pierce players scored in the team’s season-opener, led by the first career goal in the first collegiate game for freshman Ken Stubbolo (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields). Senior Russell Hodson (Chillmark, Mass./Martha's Vineyard) and junior Jason Flanigan (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) also scored for the Ravens, while freshman Jack Scanlan (Great Neck, N.Y./Great Neck North) added a pair of assists for a team-high two points in his first career contest.

Dowling came out strong in the first quarter, outshooting Franklin Pierce, 13-4, and scoring six of the game’s first seven goals to take a 6-1 lead after one. O’Brien notched three tallies in the opening 15 minutes of play, including the opening goal of the game that sparked three Dowling goals in a 35-second span midway through the frame. Stubbolo put the Ravens on the board with 5:10 left in the period, notching an unassisted tally.

After Stubbolo’s goal, Dowling ran off 14 consecutive goals, including two more in the first period and four each in the final three quarters of play. O’Brien scored five goals and assisted on three in the span, while McClure notched all four of his tallies during the run.

Franklin Pierce held Dowling scoreless over the final 11:09 of the fourth quarter, however, and the team received even-strength goals from Hodson at 4:35 and Flanigan at 9:24 to account for the final score.

Dowling held a decisive 43-17 shot advantage on the afternoon and also picked up 69 groundballs to Franklin Pierce’s 37. Senior Frank Melhus (Levittown, N.Y./Levittown Division HS) made 10 saves in the first three quarters to earn the win for the Golden Lions before ceding the net for the final quarter. For the Ravens, freshman goaltender Shea Campbell (Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields) made his collegiate debut and took the loss despite turning away 14 of 28 shots. Junior Ryan Hulse (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) also took the field for 5:59, giving up four goals on five shots.

Franklin Pierce (0-1, 0-0 NE-10) will return to action on Saturday afternoon, when the Ravens face off with Dominican (N.Y.) College at 4 p.m. in Manchester, N.H. The game, originally scheduled to be played at Sodexho Field, will instead be played at Larkin Field on the campus of Southern New Hampshire University. Fifth-ranked Dowling (3-1, 0-0 ECC) will complete a three-game homestand a week from today at 4 p.m. against Pace University.