SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior Walker Popko led all players with five goals and seven points and the Union College special teams combined to go 9-for-10 to lead the Garnet Chargers to a 16-10 victory over Vassar College in Liberty League men's lacrosse action on Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
Popko led the way for Union (4-10, 2-2 Liberty League) with his seven-point afternoon and also grabbed four ground balls. First-year Luke Allen chipped in a season-best six points with three goals and three helpers, while classmate Hayden Caulkins netted a season-high four goals with an assist. Sophomores Bo Bensley and Brendan Powers and first-years Garrett Salit and Jack Roycroft all scored once each as well for the home team.
 
The Union special teams units were nearly perfect on the afternoon, as the man-up offense went a perfect 5-for-5 while the man-down defense was successful on 4-of-5 opportunities. The five man-up tallies are tied for the most in a game since Union scored six on 14 chances against Western New England College on March 3, 2007.
 
Union outshot Vassar (5-7, 1-4 Liberty League) by a 17-6 margin in the opening 15 minutes, scoring four of the game's first five goals to take control early. Salit and Caulkins scored 30 seconds apart to give Union a 2-0 lead, and the home team got two more from Allen and Powers exactly three minutes apart to take a 4-1 advantage.
 
Heading into the second quarter up by two, the Garnet Chargers scored five of the next seven goals to take a 9-4 lead into halftime. The home team went 3-for-3 on the man-advantage in the frame, with Popko scoring once while man-up and twice at even strength to push the advantage to five at the midway point.
 
The Brewers started the third quarter on a 4-1 run to get back within a pair at 10-8, but Union scored the final two goals of the third and the first four of the fourth to close the door. Popko started the run with another man-up goal and Roycroft slung home his second of the year later in the quarter. Allen started the fourth with the team's final man-up tally before Caulkins scored twice in 2:42 and Bensley finished off the run with a long-range missile with 2:23 to go.
 
The Garnet Chargers finished the day with an impressive 51 shots, their second-highest output of the season, and senior Nick Lynch made 13 saves. As a team, Union won 19-of-28 faceoffs, led by senior Luke Tranter with an 18-of-27 mark and a game-high eight ground balls.  
 
Union will be back in action on Wednesday with a key conference clash against Skidmore College beginning at 5 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.