UNION, N.J. (2/27/16) – A trio of Cougar stars – one in each third of the field – propelled the Kean University men's lacrosse team to a 14-7 season-opening victory over Emmanuel College at home on Saturday.

Eric Talbot scored four goals for Kean, Ed Adams won 19-of-21 face-offs and goaltender Maxwell Fields made 14 saves on 21 shots on goal for the Cougars.

The action started hot: Emmanuel scored first - just six seconds into the season. But the Cougars adjusted and scored the game's next seven goals, aided by a three-minute non-releasable penalty where Kean scored three times. Adams (pictured left) won 12-of-14 face-offs in the first 30 minutes and Mike Snellen earned a first-half hat trick for the Cougars.

The second half was much more quiet: Emmanuel scored the only goal of the entire third period after more than 12 scoreless minutes had passed. But the Cougars got back-to-back goals from Talbot early in the fourth quarter to put the game on ice.

The game was perhaps most disparate on special teams: Kean was 4-for-4 on man-up opportunities, including that three-goal burst on the long Saint penalty due to an illegal crosse. EC was 0-for-4 with the man advantage thanks to Fields and the Cougar defense.

Kean finished with 43 shots to the Saints' 27. Overall, the Cougars won 20 of the afternoon's 23 faceoffs. Both teams committed 20 turnovers.

Matt Speciale (1g,3a) and Anthony Perrotta (2g,2a) both had four points to join Talbot for the team lead. Speciale also paced the team with three caused turnovers, while Adams unsurpisingly led the squad with a dozen ground balls.

Chris Curtis had two goals and an assist in the losing cause for the Saints (0-2).

The Cougars will remain home and take on Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday at 7 p.m.