MIDDLEBURY, VT. -- Jake Bennett had two goals and two assists for the #14 Amherst College men's lacrosse team Saturday in its season opener, but it wasn't enough as the Mammoths fell to sixth-ranked Middlebury College, 17-11, in a game played at Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium.

Amherst is 0-1 overall, 0-1 in conference play. Middlebury is 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the NESCAC.  Amherst is at Springfield College Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths started in a quick hole Saturday as Middlebury scored four times in the first sox minutes and two seconds of the game. 

* After a Cooper DeMallie goal made it 4-0, the Mammoths answered with their first goal of the season 37 seconds later when Brendan Reilly scooped up a ground ball and fired a shot over the shoulder of Panther goalie Hayden Kern.

* Middlebury led 5-1 after the first quarter. Second-period goals from Mammoths Alex Giacobbe and Reilly again kept Amherst within six at 9-3 by the halftime break. 

* It was 10-3 when Giacobbe scored a man-up goal with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter to take it a 10-4 score. With 7:15 remaining in the third stanza, Bennett scored a goal to bring the Mammoths within five at 10-5. 

* Middlebury led 13-5 with 12:32 remaining in the game. Goals by Matthew Steinberg, Bob Gross and Thompson Lau over a 3:06 span brought the Mammoths back within five once again at 13-8. 

* Middlebury pulled away once again at 17-9 before goals by Bennett and Gross (man-up) provided the final 17-11 margin. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Middlebury too 28 shots on goal compared to Amherst's 24. 

* The Mammoths won 23 of the game's 32 face-offs and also grabbed 38 groundballs to just 32 for the Panthers.

* Nicholas Kopp won 22 of 31 face-offs for the Mammoths. He also led Amherst with 11 groundballs. Ben Bruno was second with 7.,

* Mammoth goalkeeper Mitch Likins made 11 saves in the loss. 

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