BABSON PARK, Mass. – Junior Michael Shaw scored a team-leading four goals and senior Peter Burnes chipped in four assists as the #5/6 Union College men's lacrosse team started its 2023 season with a hard-fought 14-9 victory over Babson College on Sunday afternoon at MacDowell Field.
 
Shaw nearly matched his output from all of last season in the first game of the new year, netting four goals on eight shots. Despite being held scoreless for only the second time since the start of the 2021 campaign, Burnes still made an impact on the game with a career-high four assists. Junior Jake Mabardy led all players with five points on two goals and three assists, followed by senior Jake Titus with two goals on two shots. In all, nine different players had at least one goal and 12 different players recorded at least one point for Union (1-0).
 
Junior Matthew Paolatto won 14-of-22 faceoffs and led all players with nine ground balls. Defensively, senior Clint Gourdeau grabbed five ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers, while classmate Gray Humphrey had three ground balls and a game-high three caused turnovers. First-year John Sula added four ground balls in his collegiate debut as well.
 
Will Spangenberg challenged the Union defense all day long for Babson (1-1), leading all players with six goals and seven points.
 
Union outshot Babson 10-8 in the opening quarter and had most of the good opportunities on goal, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. Junior Zach Davis got the scoring started with an unassisted tally 1:18 into the contest, followed by two goals in 36 seconds from Mabardy and Shaw. Junior Nick DeNave added to the lead with his first collegiate tally, scoring in transition from Mabardy with 1:59 to go in the frame.
 
Spangenberg got the Beavers on the board late in the first period and then converted a man-up chance early in the second, part of a three-goal run that got the home team back within a goal. However, Union responded with the final two goals of the second stanza, with sophomore Patrick Reilly scoring his first collegiate goal in his debut and Shaw finding the net again with a behind-the-back tally to put Union up 6-3 at the half.
 
After Shaw opened the scoring in the third quarter, Babson scored three of the next four to get back within two at 8-6 with 6:59 to go in the period. But Union closed the frame strongly, with Mabardy and Shaw both finding the net again and sophomore Hazen Pike sweeping home a loose ball in the crease area to build up the largest lead of the game at 11-6.

The visitors were content to alternate goals in the fourth quarter, as Union had a response for every Babson goal on the way to the season-opening win. Titus, junior Justin Greene and sophomore Matt Blasi had the goals for Union in the final frame.
 
Union posted a slight 52-41 edge in shots, with junior Dan Donahue turning aside 11 shots to pick up the victory. Will Parducci made 16 saves to keep the Beavers in the game.
 
Union will kick off a four-game homestand on Wednesday, when the team welcomes Endicott College to Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium for its 2023 home opener beginning at 4 p.m.