EDWARDSVILLE – Visiting Marywood University built a 11-3 lead late into the third quarter and held on despite a furious fourth quarter Wilkes University rally to defeat the host Colonels 12-7 in non-league action Wednesday night at Schmidt Stadium.
 
Wilkes dropped to 0-2 overall on the season following the loss while Marywood earned its first victory of the season standing 1-1.
 
After Marywood scored to open the game, John Luna (Valley Center, CA/Valley Center) notched his first goal of the contest at the 12:24 mark off a pass from Jeremy Kachel (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata). The Pacers added back-to-back goals to end the first quarter to take a 3-1 advantage.
 
Nico Lorenzo (Howell, NJ/Howell) brought Wilkes back to within one with a strike off an assist from Luna early in the second quarter. Matthew Bush (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) added a goal three minutes later off a helper from JT Weitzel (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) to keep Wilkes close trailing 4-3 with 10:24 left in the first half.
 
From there it was all Marywood as the Pacers rattled off seven unanswered goals between the six minute mark of the second quarter until just under two minutes left in the third frame to take an 11-3 advantage.
 
Kachel found the back of the net to end the Marywood run before another Pacers score kept the visitors ahead 12-4 with 14:05 left in the game. Wilkes managed to gain momentum throughout the next ten minutes of the final quarter with goals from Luna, John Wink (Glenside, PA/Abington) and Nicholas Ruggiero (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) all two minutes apart to cut into the deficit down 12-7 with over nine minutes remaining. The Colonels were unable to mount the complete comeback as neither team scored the final nine minutes.
 
Both teams managed to total 31 shot attempts in the game with 14 coming on goal for Wilkes. Marywood was 19-of-27 on clears while the Colonels converted 11-of-18 clearing attempts. Wilkes held a 10 advantage in ground balls compiling 46 to Marywood's 36.
 
Evan Stolicker (Baldwinsville, NY/Charles W. Baker) was solid in the face-off circle finishing 14-for-23. Gerard Setteducato (Lake Hopatcong, NJ/Jefferson Twp.) led the bac kline with six ground balls. Cody Geidel (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) and Carter Whittemore (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) split time in the cage for Wilkes each playing 30 minutes. Geidel finished with three saves allowing eight goals while Whittemore made six saves yielding four goals.
 
Wilkes is back in action Saturday traveling to Keystone College for a game at 1:00 p.m.