EDWARDSVILLE – Visiting DeSales University raced out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back posting a 12-4 MAC Freedom victory over Wilkes University Wednesday night at Schmidt Stadium.
 
With the loss Wilkes slipped to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in MAC Freedom games. DeSales improved to 2-0 on the year and 1-0 in conference contests.
 
DeSales took a three goal lead after one quarter scoring at the 12:19, 10:30 and :8 mark of the stanza.
 
The Bulldogs advantage grew to 7-0 as Zach Bowen finished off a hat trick with two of his three goals in the second quarter. DeSales scored four goals in the frame including strikes at the 14:52, 13:47, 7:46 and 6:52 mark. Alex Myers (Cortland, NY/Cortland) put Wilkes on the board with 3:59 left in the first half as the Colonels trailed 7-1 at the break.
 
Wilkes continued to climb back into the game early in the third quarter as Luke Palladino (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) scored his first goal of the season at the 11:24 mark as the Colonels trailed by five. After Bowen notched his fourth tally of the game for DeSales two minutes later, Ethan Weaver (Olney, MD/James Hubert Blake) found the back of the net off an assist from Austin Seames (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional) to keep the deficit at 8-3 with 8:29 left in the third.
 
DeSales put the game out of reach in the final quarter as the Bulldogs scored three times in the first eight minutes of the frame then added another with under four minutes to push the lead to 12-3. Palladino closed out the Colonels scoring with his second of the game off an assist from Nico Lorenzo (Howell, NJ/Howell) with 1:18 remaining.
 
Palladino led all Wilkes scorers with two goals, while Myers and Weaver each notched one goal for Wilkes. Ryan Lasher (Warrenton, VA/Liberty) finished with 17 saves in net for Wilkes.
 
DeSales saw eight players reach the point column as Tom Connors paced the group with five points on three goals and two assists. Matt Motto added five points on two goals and three helpers while Bowen tallied four goals. Quinten Lyons made eight saves to record the win in net for the Bulldogs.
 
Wilkes is back in action Saturday with another MAC Freedom matchup at cross-town rival King's College starting at 1:00 p.m.