UNION, N.J. (3/11/15) – Goaltender Maxwell Fields made 11 saves and the Kean University men's lacrosse defense allowed just four goals in the Cougars' 6-4 victory over Lebanon Valley College on Wednesday night.

Both teams came out playing splendidly in their own zone. Though the two sides possessed the ball well, combining for just five turnovers, goaltenders Kevin Masterson and Fields (pictured left) allowed just one goal each in the first.

Mike Singer and Mason Hoff were the ones who got through the defense in the opening period. Hoff scored at 5:38 for Leb Val and Singer hit for the Cougars two minutes later with an assist from Anthony Carpenter.

In the second period, a great individual effort by Anthony Rybek in traffic in the middle tied the game at two after the Dutchmen had gone ahead again.

Late in the second quarter, Matt Speciale sniped a goal from 15 yards out for the go-ahead score, and he set up Tom Kelly for a tally with just six seconds on the clock to give Kean a 4-2 halftime lead. Fields made six first-half saves and Masterson had four while facing 30 combined shots. Ed Adams did a fine job at faceoffs for Kean as well, going 3-for-3 in the first 30 minutes. Mike Criscitello was 3-for-5 and both players had three ground balls.

Leb Val scored twice in the third, but Kean was able to stay ahead thanks to a sizzling shot by Eric Talbot that hit home. The Cougars were nursing a one-goal lead as the fourth began.

In the final period, Matt Brodley fed Carpenter for a running, sprawling one-time goal that proved to be the only tally in the quarter. Kean did a great job of playing keep-away, was 6-for-6 on clears in the fourth (17-18 overall) and came up with eight ground balls in the fourth.

Ground balls were the story of the game. Kean held a 39-19 edge in that column, led by Kelly and Criscitello with five each. The Cougars also won faceoffs 8-5, with Criscitello, Adams and Jamar Thigpen all winning draws for Kean.

Other defensive stars were Mike Cestaro and Tyler Randolph, who forced two turnovers each.

The Cougars will wrap up their homestand with a Friday night matchup at 7 p.m. against Fairleigh Dickinson University – Florham at Kean Alumni Stadium.