PITTSBURGH, Pa. – April 15, 2022 – The Chatham men's lacrosse team snapped a four-game losing skid and set multiple season-highs in its 20-10 win over Washington & Jefferson Friday night. The win improves the Cougars' record to 3-9 overall and 1-2 in PAC play.
 
The raucous crowd at UPMC Graham Field bared witness to a stellar offensive output in the middle quarter. To start things out, however, first-year Rei O'Brien and senior Nicholas Guaglione scored the first two goals of the game to go up 2-1 after one. Seniors Adam Bleess and Patrick Brunner had helpers in each goal.
 
In the second, W&J would tie the game on two separate occasions. In between, first-year Paul Freyre tallied his first collegiate goal with O'Brien assisting. After a 3-3 tie, Chatham went on to score the next nine goals, including the final five of the first half. O'Brien, junior Riley Lewis, and Bleess each scored to put the Cougars up 8-3 at the break.
 
The momentum only continued for the Cougars with Chatham opening the third on a 4-0 run. Bleess, Lewis, and Guaglione combined for the run. Lewis added another while first-years Justin Cook and Ethan Rinker cracked the score sheet prior to the end of the third, in which Chatham held a 15-5 advantage.
 
Both teams scored five goals in the fourth, but the outcome was at this point set. Senior Dillon Dugan and Brunner also scored goals in the frame, with Freyre, Bleess, and Rinker adding additional scores.
 
Chatham set a season-high 60 shots in the win, including 35 on goal, 32 of which came in the final 45 minutes. Chatham also ate up 52 ground balls and won 24 of the 33 faceoffs. The big difference came in extra man opportunities. Chatham had seven such chances, cashing in on three of them. W&J only had two chances.
 
Bleess led all players with seven points on five goals. Rinker and Lewis attributed five points apiece, with Lewis setting a career high in goals (4) and points (5). Guaglione, O'Brien and Freyre scored twice while Brunner, Dugan and Cook added a goal each. Senior Kyle Rullan handed out two helpers.
 
First-year Zen Smith made nine saves in net for a save percentage of .529. Seniors Shane Gaglione and Gregory Hensley played the final 5:06 of the contest.
 
Chatham looks to keep the newfound momentum going into the rest of PAC play, beginning on Wednesday, April 20 with a 7:00 start at Franciscan.