BEVERLY, Mass.—Five different Springfield College players scored two goals, as the 19^th-ranked Pride handed Gordon an 11-7 loss in the season opener for both teams at Endicott College on Thursday afternoon. Springfield senior Dylan Sheehan (Massapequa, N.Y.) led all scorers with two goals and two assists, while Gordon's Ryan Utz (Rocheters, N.Y.) picked up a goal and three assists.
 
The favored Pride scored the game's first goal just four minutes into the opening quarter, when Tony Laguerre (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) beat Gordon keeper Brian Lane (Rochester, N.Y.) down low. Sheehan notched his first assists of the day on the man-up score. Less than two minutes later the Pride were at it again, but this time it was Bryce Serriello (Cape Cod, Mass.) with the tally. The senior midfielder beat his man on the right side on a long pass from Laguerre and finished by Lane.
 
The two teams traded opportunities over the next nine minutes to no avail until Serriello struck gold for the second time in the opening frame with 26 ticks to go. Gordon freshman Nico Manganiello (Peabody, Mass.) brought the Scots back within two goals with a desperate attempt from just outside the crease as the horn sounded on the clock.
 
The Fighting Scots got another one back at the 12:26 mark of the second quarter when junior Ryan Utz bounced a shot into the Springfield net, but the momentum was short-lived with the Pride answer just over a minute later. Local product Dom Abate (Beverly, Mass.) made a nifty move to get some space and laced a screamer into the top of the twine for a 4-2 lead.
 
Once again the Scots responded with Manganiello's second career goal with 8:37 on the clock—his second unassisted score of the game. Springfield kept pace with another tally just 30 seconds later on a nice give-and-go by Maxwell Abendroth (Sunapee, N.H.) off the assist from Sheehan.
 
Gordon scored its third goal of the period with 3:22 to go before halftime on a Roger Evans (Oxford, Pa.) score, but the Pride spoiled the changing of the tide with Abate's second goal just before the break.
 
At halftime Springfield held a 16-12 advantage in shots and Gordon turned the ball over four more times than its adversaries.
 
The third quarter was all Springfield, as the Pride scored the only three goals of the period. Brendan Boss (West Springfield, Mass.) added back-to-back scores within three minutes of each other midway through the period to double the Springfield lead at 8-4. Sheehan added his first netted attempt of the game with 5:21 to play in the third to make it a 9-4 score entering the final period.
 
Gordon outshot the Pride 9-5 in the period, but only put three on net—all of which were saved. Springfield converted on three of its four attempts on net in the frame.
 
After a goal by Gordon's Jordan Heckelmann (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to close the gap to four, Springfield put some distance between the two squads with two goals in 49^th minute. Laguerre and Sheehan each picked up scores during the stretch to put Gordon in a six-goal hole with 10 minutes to play.
 
Jake Martin (Watertown, Conn.) added his first goal of the game in a man-up situation with just under five minutes to go on a feed from Utz. Martin scored again with just two seconds to go in regulation to close the final gap to four.
 
Springfield's Kevin Ostrom (Cape Cod, Mass.) made nine saves for the victors, earning his first win. Lane took the loss in his first career start, but had a six-stop effort.
 
Gordon is back in action next Wednesday when they host Emmanuel at the Brigham Athletic Complex at 4 p.m.