FREDERICK, Md. – Three Pride players netted hat tricks as the Widener University men's lacrosse team defeated Hood to advance to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the MAC Commonwealth.

GAME NOTES

• Nick DiCicco led all Widener players with five points off three goals and two helpers, marking his first career hat trick.
• Matt Buckley and Nick DiIorio picked up their second hat tricks of the season with three scores and an assist each in the match. Both players recorded their first in the previous game against Lebanon Valley.
• Connor Ball topped the Blue and Gold in ground balls with eight. He also added a goal and an assist.
• On defense, Aegean Cuylan led all players on the field with four caused turnovers.
• Kenneth Watts won 13-of-19 face-offs. The senior has come away with 68.9 percent of his battles through the last two games.
• The win moves the Blue and Gold to 8-0 all-time against Hood.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blazers struck first with a score 30 seconds in, but the Pride responded with three straight of its own from DiCicco, DiIorio, and Buckley. Hood tacked on one more in the quarter to give Widener a 3-2 advantage after one.

The Blazers retook the lead by the 9:43 mark in the second off a pair of early goals, but it was short lived as DiCicco and DiIorio each found rope for the second time of the day. Hood was able to get one more past the Pride in the half's final minutes as both teams headed to the locker room with the score locked at five.

The third saw the Blue and Gold pull away as it netted seven straight in seven minutes including man-up conversions by Heisman and Connor Ball. Four more unanswered goals in the fourth gave the Pride the cushion it needed to close out the win.

UP NEXT
Widener takes on Delaware Valley in its second non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, March 31. Opening face-off from Doylestown, Pa. is scheduled for 7 p.m.