MADISON, NJ – John Wink (Glenside, PA/Abington) scored three goals and Garrett Armstrong (Hampton, NJ/Kittatinny) had nine ground balls but the Wilkes University men's lacrosse team fell to FDU-Florham 11-7 in both team's first Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) game of the season Saturday afternoon.

Wilkes trailed by four goals three times in the first half but were able to close the margin to one goal three different times in the second half before the Devils scored the final three goals to secure the home victory and hand the Colonels their first road loss of the season.

Wilkes dropped to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in MAC Freedom games while FDU-Florham improved to 3-5 overall and to 1-0 in the conference.

The Devils scored the first four goals of the game within the first eight minutes of the first quarter. Nicholas Ruggiero (Califon, NJ/Voorhees) put Wilkes on the board with 4:12 left in the quarter on his 22^nd goal of the season to bring his goal scoring streak to nine games. Jeremy Kachel (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) scored with 13 seconds left in the first quarter to make the score 5-2.

After a goal by the Devils Wink struck for consecutive goals to cut the Colonels deficit to two goals at 6-4 heading into halftime. James Peaney (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Twp.) and Kiernan Quinn (Lacey, NJ/Lacey Twp.) provided the assists on the Wink goals.

Kachel scored with 8:36 left in the third quarter for his second goal of the game and the tenth time on the season to pull Wilkes within one goal for the first time in the second half. After a FDU-Florham answer Wink completed his sixth hat trick of the season with 4:50 left in the third off an assist from Nico Lorenzo (Howell, NJ/Howell). The goal brought his season goal total to 25.

Quinn scored his third goal of the season to bring Wilkes back within one goal at 8-7 with 13:15 left in the fourth quarter but the Devils finished off the game with three-straight goals.

Wilkes led the game in shots 43-33 and shots on goal 31-21. The Colonels were also successful on 16 of 21 clear attempts to just 13 of 22 for the Devils and held the advantage in ground balls 41-33.

Armstrong caused a career-high seven turnovers and tied his career-high with nine ground balls. Kachel and Jack O'Connell (Linwood, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) each had five ground balls.

Carter Whittemore (Rochester, NY/West Irondequoit) made 10 saves for the Colonels while his counterpart Adam Reifer made 24 saves.

Will Charbonneau scored four goals for FDU-Florham and John Belanger added three.

The Colonels return to action with a home MAC Freedom game at Schmidt Stadium under the lights against crosstown rival King's College on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.