THE BASICS:

RESULT: Hartford 9, UMass Lowell 8 (3ot)
RECORDS: Hartford (4-3, 1-0 AE); UMass Lowell (2-6, 0-1 AE)
LOCATION: Cushing Field (Lowell, Mass.)
ATTENDANCE: 209

THE LEAD:

Junior midfielder Alec Brown scored with 2:50 remaining in the third overtime period to propel the University of Hartford men's lacrosse team to a 9-8 victory over UMass Lowell in both teams' America East opener at Cushing Field on Saturday. Brown and sophomore linemate Griffin Feiner combined for six of the Hawks' scores, as they each netted a hat trick to pace the offense. Defensively, sophomore Ryan Vanderford recorded 15 saves in goal, including two during the first two overtime sessions, to Hartford to its second-straight victory and a 1-0 start in America East action.

Sean Tyrrell netted three goals for the River Hawks, adding two assists for a game-best five points. His two goals and two assists in the fourth quarter fueled a 4-0 UMass Lowell run that pulled the home team out of an 8-4 deficit and forced overtime between the two squads.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Hawks, who never trailed in the contest, got off to a quick start and led, 2-0, behind scores from Feiner and Brown within the first 3:15 of action. That lead would be cut to one before the end of the first as UMass Lowell reached the scoreboard with 1:40 left, but two more unanswered scores from the Hawks provided the visitors with a 4-1 lead with 10:57 remaining in the half.
• Hartford, which held a 5-3 edge at the half, held at least a two-goal advantage for the entire third quarter. The lead grew to three at 6-3 on a goal from sophomore Justin Huggins, and after UMass Lowell closed the gap back to two, Brown pushed the lead back to three and made it a 7-4 game with 7:30 left in the stanza. 
• That score held for the remainder of the third quarter, as both teams were held off the scoreboard for more than nine minutes. With 12:48 left in the fourth quarter, freshman Dylan Jinks, who had three points on the afternoon, ended the scoring drought and provided the Hawks with what seemed to be a comfortable, 8-4 advantage with his first goal of the game. But UMass Lowell chipped away at its deficit, as it recorded four unanswered scores throughout the end of regulation to tie up the game and force overtime.
• Tyrrell sparked that rally with a goal at the 12:13 mark. Despite neither team scoring for the next eight-plus minutes, the River Hawks completed the comeback in the final 3:27, with Tyrrell having a hand in each of his team's final three scores during that stretch. Making it an 8-6 game with his third goal of the game, the sophomore assisted on two goals over a 13-second span, connecting with Will Puduski on the latter for the game-tying tally with 63 seconds left to force overtime.
• The scoring opportunities were limited in the first overtime period, as Vanderford came up with the save on the lone shot attempt, which came from William Russo with three seconds left. Both sides had chances to end the game in the second overtime session, but each goalie was up to the challenge. Vanderford came up with his 15th save of the afternoon on a Nicholas Pino shot with 91 seconds left before Grant Lardieri preserved the tie by rejecting sophomore Jaedon Henderson's shot within the final 20 seconds.
• Momentum favored UMass Lowell in the first minute of what proved to be the final overtime. A win by William Russo on the stanza's first faceoff allowed the River Hawks to gain possession and call a timeout. But the home team would never get a stab at the potential game-winning tally, as junior Conor Daley forced a turnover that would eventually translate into the game-winner. After senior defender Chris Duffy picked up the ground ball, Hartford called for timeout, setting the scene for Brown's golden goal, which was delivered 14 seconds after of the stoppage.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Sophomore Dylan Protesto, who contributed a goal, won 16-of-22 faceoffs for a conversion rate of .727. He picked up seven ground balls while freshman Zach Elkinson collected eight, a career high, from the wing.
• Daley, who forced the River Hawks into a costly turnover in the third overtime, recorded a career-high three caused turnovers.
• Leading the Hawks with three goals, Feiner improved his hat trick total to four this season.
• Brown tied a career high in goals with three while Henderson, who finished with three points (1g/2a), improved his scoring streak to seven games in Saturday's win. 
• Hartford has faced overtime in two of its last three games, recently falling to Quinnipiacat home, 11-10, last weekend.
• The three overtime sessions marks the most for the Hawks since battling Siena for four overtimes in West Hartford on March 8, 2014.
• Vanderford's 15 saves are a season-high for the sophomore goalkeeper. His counterpart, Lardieri, recorded 11 stops for the River Hawks in the contest.
• As a team, the Hawks held advantages in shots (23-20), faceoff wins (16-6) and ground balls (42-40).

UP NEXT:                                                                     
Hartford opens up its longest homestand of the season – a three-game stretch – on Saturday, March 26, as it hosts UAlbany in conference action. Opening faceoff between the Hawks and the three-time defending champion Great Danes is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium.