March 2, 2008

Box Score

BABSON PARK, Mass. - Sophomore Matt Levesque (Duxbury, Mass.) recorded six points and junior Nick Coppola (Basking Ridge, N.J.) added five as the Skidmore College men's lacrosse team kicked off its 2008 season with a 15-5 victory over host Babson College in a non-conference tilt at MacDowell Field on Sunday afternoon. It was the season opener for both teams.

Levesque finished with three goals and three assists for the Thoroughbreds (1-0), while Coppola amassed three scores and two assists. Junior Tom Levesque (Duxbury, Mass.) also recorded a hat trick with three goals, and sophomore goalie John Capitani (Garden City, N.J.) made nine saves in just under 55 minutes in net.

Babson was paced by juniors R.J. Moulton (Manhasset, N.Y.) and E.J. Peterson (Framingham, Mass.), who netted two goals apiece, and senior tri-captain Jason Wellemeyer (Pembroke, Mass.), who added one goal and one assist. First-year goalie Mike Saucier (Nashua, N.H.) played 55 minutes and made 14 saves in his collegiate debut, while junior Max Owen (Hamilton, N.J.) made three stops in the final five minutes.

Skidmore jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind two first-quarter goals from sophomore Rob Lutin (Port Washington, N.Y.) before Wellemeyer struck with 47 seconds left in the period to cut Babson's deficit to 3-1 after one. However, the Thoroughbreds took control with five unanswered goals to start the second quarter - the first two by Tom Levesque and the last three by younger brother Matt. The Beavers cut it to 8-3 on back-to-back scores by Peterson in the final eight minutes of the half, but Skidmore put the game out of reach with a dominating third. The visitors posted six straight goals in the stanza, including three by Coppola, to hold a commanding 14-3 advantage. Moulton netted two late scores for the Beavers, but it would not be enough to prevent the eventual 15-3 Skidmore victory.