WILKES-BARRE – Host Marywood University spoiled three goals from Eric Ormsby (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) as the Pacers held on for an 11-6 non-conference victory Wednesday night in the Colonels season opener.
 
Wilkes dropped to 0-1 on the year while Marywood improved to 2-1 on the young season.
 
Luke Palladino (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) put Wilkes on the board first when he ripped a shot past the Pacers keeper on the man-up advantage two minutes into the first quarter. Marywood tied the game then took its first lead five minutes later on back-to-back goals. Ormsby knotted the score at two when he found the back of the net off a helper from Palladino for the Colonels second man-up strike with 4:40 left in the opening stanza.
 
Marywood then answered with a 4-0 run to take a 6-2 lead after the first fifteen minutes of play.
 
The teams traded goals in the second quarter as the Pacers kept its advantage leading 7-3 at the half. Ormsby scored his second goal on the man-up at the 1:40 mark of the frame.
 
The Pacers continued their scoring tear with a goal to start the third quarter before Tyler Knappenberger (Orefield, PA/Parkland) recorded a goal with another assist to Palladino as the Colonels trailed 8-4 with 6:08 left in the third quarter.
 
Marywood answered back with back-to-back goals at the 5:11 and 3:24 mark to push the hosts advantage to 10-4 at the end of the third.
 
Wilkes made things close midway through the final quarter as Cameron Krisko (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) scored off a helper from Alex Myers (Cortland, NY/Cortland) and Ormsby completed his hat trick thanks to a pass from Jacob Kudysch (Stratford, CT/Frank Scott Bunnell) to cut the advantage to 10-6 with 6:09.
 
Marywood used one more tally late with 2:12 remaining to seal the home non-conference victory.
 
The Pacers held a 50-33 shot advantage throughout the contest. Wilkes finished 19-for-27 in clear attempts while the Pacers went 16-of-21.
 
Ryan Lasher (Warrenton, VA/Liberty) finished with nine saves in net for Wilkes while Connor Reed picked up the victory for Marywood making 14 stops.
 
The Colonels return to play Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. non-conference matchup at Neumann University in Aston, Pa.