NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sophomore attack Bob Gross scored four goals to lead the Amherst College men's lacrosse team in a 14-8 win over Connecticut College in NESCAC action on Wednesday evening at Silfen Field.

The Mammoths, ranked 16th in the nation in the latest USILA Division III poll, improved to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in NESCAC play. The Camels fell to 3-6 with a 1-6 mark in the NESCAC.

The Mammoths are back in action on Saturday, hosting Bates for a NESCAC tilt at 1 p.m. on Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* After junior Aidan McAvoy opened the scoring for the Camels, senior Jake Bennett scored to even the score and first-year Brendan Reilly struck a minute later to give the Mammoths the lead.

* Sophomore Lorenzo Vogliano and junior Nick McLaughlin scored early in the second quarter to put Connecticut College back on top before Gross netted a man-up goal to level the score and Reilly scored with nine seconds left in the quarter to give the Mammoths a 4-3 halftime lead.

* After McLaughlin scored for the Camels to tie the game again early in the third quarter, the Mammoths scored three straight to take the lead for good. Gross gave Amherst the lead with 11:18 to go in the third and Bennett and Reilly followed with tallies to give Amherst a 7-4 lead.

* Sophomore Liam Horkan scored for the Camels to interrupt the run but the Mammoths put three more on the board to close the third quarter as Bennett scored another, followed by a man-up tally from junior Jack Murphy and a goal from junior Alex Giacobbe with 40 seconds left in the quarter. Gross scored a man-up goal to open the scoring in the fourth quarter and give Amherst an 11-5 lead.

* Junior J.J. Ford scored twice in the final frame for the Camels to cut the Amherst lead to 13-8 but his second goal was immediately answered by junior Nicholas Kopp, who quickly dispossessed the Camel who won the ensuing faceoff and scored to account for the 14-8 final score.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Gross tallied four goals and two assists for the Mammoths while Reilly added three goals. Both have scored in every game this season.

* Bennett notched three goals and four assists in his return to the field after missing a month due to injury.

* The Mammoths held a 43-42 edge in shots and a 25-23 advantage in shots on goal. Sophomore Brooks Catlin made a career-high 15 saves in goal for Amherst.

* Kopp won 15-of-26 faceoffs and picked up eight ground balls.