FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Led by a six-point effort by Richie LaCalandra and a three-goal game by Blake Behlen, the Long Island University men's lacrosse team opened Northeast Conference play with a 13-10 victory against Sacred Heart University on Saturday, March 6.
 
LaCalandra tallied two goals and dished out four assists to lead all players with six points, while Jake Gillis matched Behlen's hat trick with three goals of his own and Will Snelders added two goals. Ryan Blume collected eight ground balls for the Sharks and Will Mark was outstanding once again against the Pioneers, stopping 18 shots on the day.
 
LIU held a 31-28 edge in shots on goal and was a perfect 30-for-30 on clear attempts. The Blue and Gold outhustled Sacred Heart on loose balls, collecting 35 ground balls to just 23 for the Pioneers.
 
The home squad struck first but neither side would gain much of an advantage during the first half. The opening 30 minutes saw four ties and three lead changes, but it was LIU ultimately heading into the locker room with a 6-5 lead.
 
A late goal by the Pioneers leveled the scoring at 8-8 heading into the final quarter, though it was Behlen scoring a man-up goal at the 12:41 mark to ignite a three-goal burst for the Sharks to take an 11-8 advantage. LaCalandra and Snelders put the game out of reach for good with two goals during the final three minutes and the Sharks improved to 2-1 overall on the year and 1-0 in NEC play.
 
The Sharks will return to action on Saturday, March 13 when they host Hobart College at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium beginning at 12:00 p.m.