WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford men's lacrosse team led wire-to-wire on Saturday as it coasted to a 14-9 victory in the first-ever meeting with NJIT on Al-Marzook Field. Sophomore Anthony Sericolo went off for a career-high seven points, scoring each of his game-high four goals during a decisive 5-2 run in the second quarter, while freshman Ethan Landymore also scored four times to lead the Hawks.
 
Scoring their second straight win, the Hawks (2-5 overall) improve to 2-5 in conference play. The Highlanders (1-8), who were led by a four-point effort from Collin Fogerty, fall to 1-6 in the America East. 
 



HARTFORD 14, NJIT 9
The Hawks opened up the game on a tear, netting the first three goals to take the early advantage. The Highlanders would get two of those scored back before the end of the opening quarter, but a dominant second quarter highlighted by four-straight tallies from Sericolo provided Hartford with a comfortable 8-4 cushion at the break.
 
Another Landymore score — his third of the contest — would push the Hawks ahead by five with 12:52 left in the third. Despite NJIT quickly slashing the deficit to 9-6 with a pair of goals within a 28-second stretch, Hartford held off the comeback and went up by six (12-6) with a 3-0 run fueled by markers from freshman Tommy Ramsey, senior Carter O'Connell and Landymore. 
 
Pushing ahead by as many as seven in the final quarter thanks to sophomore Pat Lanigan and Ramsey, who struck at the 6:36 and 3:12 marks, the Hawks conceded a pair of late goals to the Highlanders. But it was too little, too late for NJIT, as Hartford came away with the 14-9 decision.
 
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES

• Saturday's game marked the first-ever meeting between Hartford and NJIT, the newest member of the America East
• Sericolo's seven points are the most for a Hawk this season, and the most since Ty Thompson ('20) had seven against Marist on Feb. 26, 2019
• The four goals scored by Sericolo and Landymore also marked the most by a Hartford player this season
• The Hawks' 14 goals marked a season-best offensive outing
• Junior Chris Campbell, the reigning Defensive Player of the Week, tallied six ground balls and a career-high four caused turnovers
• O'Connell, who added four points, joined Ramsey with two goals apiece
• Lanigan's goal marked the first of his career
• Hartford received a strong performance from its man-down unit, as it held Highlanders to an 0-for-5 effort on extra-man opportunities
• Junior goalie Cam Logan finished with 11 saves for Hartford
• NJIT was solid at the X, going 17-of-26

 
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks return to Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium to face UMass Lowell in their final regular-season home game of the 2021 campaign. Prior to the 2 p.m. start, Hartford will honor its graduating class in a Senior Day Ceremony.

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