NEW LONDON, Conn. – Thirteen players scored at least one goal as the Union College men's lacrosse team picked up a second straight victory with a dominating 17-5 win over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday evening at Cadet Memorial Field.
 
Senior Walker Popko led the way for Union (3-9) with six points, scoring a game-high three goals and adding three assists. First-year Garrett Salit had three points all via assist, while junior Joe Hennessey and first-year Luke Allen added two goals apiece. Ten other Garnet Chargers recorded one goal each, including the first collegiate tallies for sophomore Charlie Kantaros and first-year Evan Finkle, and 16 players picked up at least one point.
 
The visitors controlled the game in all aspects, with senior Luke Tranter winning 17-of-20 faceoffs to lead a unit that went 20-for-26 on the night. The team also grabbed 41 ground balls to Coast Guard's 16, led by senior John Sula with a game-high seven – all coming in the first 30-plus minutes of the game.
 
The Garnet Chargers got off to a great start on Tuesday, with three straight faceoff wins by Tranter resulting in three goals in the first 151 seconds. Popko did the honors on the first two goals, followed by Kantaros' first collegiate goal. After a turnover, Union scored on their next two possessions as well, with goals from Allen and junior Mike Wall adding to the lead before the midway point of the first quarter. Union added one more later in the frame on Finkle's first career score and took a 6-1 lead into the second thanks to a 15-4 edge in shots.
 
The offense could not find the net for the entirety of the second stanza despite an 11-6 shot advantage, with five shots stopped by USCGA goalie Dustin Miller and six turnovers limiting the offensive opportunities. Despite that, the visitors still took a 6-3 lead into the half thanks to two saves from Lynch.
 
Union got back its offensive spark in the third, keeping Coast Guard (3-6) from touching the ball for over six minutes to start and scoring four times. The scoreless stretch ended on the first possession via Popko's third of the game, then added three more from sophomore Bo Bensley, junior Mekhi Taylor and Allen to build the lead up to seven. Following a Bears tally, the Garnet Chargers came back with four in a row once again to make the score 14-4 after three quarters, with goals going to senior Emmett Lyne, sophomores Brendan Powers and Mac McGovern, and first-year Hayden Caulkins.
 
Hennessey scored twice and first-year Drew Laubenstein added one goal as well for the visitors in the fourth quarter to finish off the scoring.
 
Lynch earned the win in goal for the visitors, making four saves on eight shots over the first three quarters before ceding the net to senior Gavin Trahan, who made three saves on four shots in the fourth frame. Union finished the game with a 53-22 advantage in shots.
 
Union will play only Liberty League games the rest of the way, with four of its final five games of the year coming at home. The Garnet Chargers begin the homestretch on Saturday with a noon matchup against Ithaca College at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.