EDWARDSVILLE – Five different Wilkes University players scored at least two goals as the Colonels pushed their win streak to three games after a 16-12 victory over Neumann University Monday afternoon at Schmidt Stadium.
 
Wilkes moved to 3-1 overall following the victory while Neumann dropped to 1-4 on the season.
 
After Neumann scored the game's first goal, Wilkes answered back with a strike from Matthew Bush (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.) at the 8:08 mark. Two more Neumann goals pushed the Knights lead to 3-1 before Nicholas Ruggiero (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) scored off an assist from Jeremy Kachel (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) with 6:12 on the clock. Connor Daly (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) added a goal just two minutes later before Bush gave Wilkes its first advantage at 4-3 with 1:02 left in the first frame. Neumann responded with a goal with :11 remaining to tie the game at four to end the first quarter scoring.
 
Bush added his third goal of the game in the first six minutes of the second quarter to give the Colonels the lead back up 5-4 with 9:23 left in the half. It proved to be the only goal scored in the second stanza.
 
Neumann struck first in the third quarter tying the game for a second time before Bush came through again dodging through the Knights defense for his fourth goal to give the Colonels a 6-5 advantage with 12:57 left in the frame. John Wink (Glenside, Pa./Abington) extended the lead to 7-5 one minute later sweeping up a rebound off his own shot and putting it home through the empty cage. Two straight Neumann goals with the second being on a man-up advantage, tied the game for the third time at 7-7 with 10:00 remaining in the third quarter.
 
JT Weitzel (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) put Wilkes ahead 8-7 with a transition score beating the keeper to the left side with 8:36 on the clock. Daly notched his second goal of the contest pushing the Colonel lead back to two goals at 9-7 with 7:30 remaining in the third. Weitzel found Ruggiero at the top right of the circle where he fired it through beating the Neumann keeper to the right post as Wilkes took its largest lead of the game up 10-7 with 3:43 on the clock. Neumann answered back with a quick goal to end the Wilkes rally at 10-8. Wink added another Wilkes strike following a Neumann turnover and Colonel conversion in transition thanks to a nice pass from Kachel. Ruggiero continued the assault just thirty seconds later taking a Wink assist and finding the back of the cage to give the Colonels a 12-8 advantage.
 
The teams traded goals over the final minute of the third quarter as Wink notched his third tally of the contest with Wilkes leading 13-9.
 
Wilkes scored three straight goals to start the fourth quarter (Bush, Ruggiero and Weitzel) to put the game out of reach. Neumann made one last attempt at a comeback, but the Knights three goals later in the fourth was not enough as Wilkes claimed its third consecutive victory of the season.
 
Bush led the Wilkes attack with five goals while Ruggiero followed with four goals and one assist. Wink added three goals and one helper and Weitzel (two goals and two assists) and Daly (Two goals) rounded out the Wilkes scoring. Kachel finished with two assists in the win.
 
Carter Whittemore (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) recorded the win in net for Wilkes finishing with 19 saves.
 
Wilkes continues its home stretch Saturday hosting Wells College at 1:00 p.m. at Schmidt Stadium.