THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: St. John's 14 Hartford 12
RECORDS: Hartford (0-1) St. John's (1-1)
LOCATION: DaSilva Field (Queens, N.Y.)
 
THE LEAD:
 
The University of Hartford men's lacrosse team battled back from a four-goal deficit, but the Hawks were unable to finish off the comeback as they fell, 14-12, in their season opener at St. John's on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks scored four of the game's final six goals, but the Red Storm held on to earn their first victory of the season.
 
Hartford senior Griffin Feiner and St. John's sophomore Joe Madsen led the scoring, recording seven points apiece (five goals and two assists).
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• A first-quarter hat trick from Feiner allowed the Hawks to build a 5-2 lead at the end of the first 15 minutes. Hartford rookie goalie Nicholas Ferraro had a big part in building Hartford's early lead with seven saves during that stretch.
• But St. John's wasted no time in mounting a comeback. Scoring three goals within a 27-second stretch, the Red Storm tied up the game with 13:28 remaining. Jason DeBenedictis scored back-to-back goals to extend the run and put St. John's in front for the first time at 7-5 with 6:27 remaining in the half.
• Huggins, Feiner and Jinks rallied for three goals over a two-minute stretch to put the lead back in the hands of the Hawks, but St. John's reclaimed a one-goal lead (9-8) at the break behind a Joey Madsen score and a man-up goal from Colin Duffy inside the final two minutes of the half.
• St. Johns picked up where it left off in the second half, netting three goals in a minute and a half span to take a 12-8 lead with 10:52 to go in the third quarter.
• Hartford wouldn't go away quietly, though, as Feiner and Huggins both hit a pair of goals as part of a 4-1 run that cut the Red Storm lead down to one at 13-12 with 10:35 remaining in the game.
• St. Johns defense held up down the stretch, keeping the Hawks off the board for the remainder of the game to take a 14-12 decision. 

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE & NOTES:
 

• Feiner recorded career highs in goals (5) and points (7) to pace the Hawks in the setback.
• Feiner's third and final goal of the first quarter on an extra-man opportunity marked the 17th man-up goal of his career.  He is now tied with Josh Wasson-McQuiggen for the program record in the category
• Huggins also netted a hat trick, finishing with a trio of goals.
• Ferraro was solid in his debut between the pipes, making a game-high 11 saves.
• Senior faceoff specialist Dylan Protesto went 21-of-29 at the X, coming one victory shy of matching a career high. He added a game-best 11 ground balls as the Hawks held a 37-29 advantage in the game.
• Turnovers plagued Hartford, as the Hawks committed 17 to St. John's nine.
• The Hawks went 2-of-3 on man-up opportunities while the Red Storm capitalized on 2-of-4.

 
NEXT ON TAP:
The Hawks make their home debut on Saturday, Feb. 24, when they host 2017 NCAA Tournament participant Bryant at 2 p.m. The tilt marks the first lacrosse doubleheader in Hartford history, as the Hawks' women's teams host Delaware State at 11 a.m. in the program's inaugural season opener. Admission for both games is free.

In celebration of women's lacrosse's  "First Flight" next Saturday, Hartford's Department of Athletics will be holding a pregame tailgate for all parents, fans, students, faculty, staff and local community members. The tailgate, which begins at 9 a.m., will be held in the parking lot adjacent to Alumni Stadium. Breakfast sandwiches will be provided by Lox, Stock & Bagel to the first 300 fans, while Thomas Hooker Brewery will also have beer for sale.