Lafayette Hill, Pa. – (3/9/2021) – Chestnut Hill College put themselves back on even ground today, earning their first win of the season with an 18-8 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC). The Griffins opened with four goals in the first five minutes and outscored the Spartans to a 10-5 halftime spread before securing the 10-goal win. On attack, junior J.R. Howell (East Meadow, N.Y.) (2 goals, 6 assists) and senior Carson Rees (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) (6 goals, 2 assists) kept Chestnut Hill College on their torrid pace as each totaled eight points for the Scarlet and Gold.

Howell and Rees opened the scoring just 54 seconds after the opening faceoff with the former locating the latter at 14:06 (1-0). A man-up tally from Rees extended the Chestnut Hill College (1-1) lead a minute later (2-0, 13:08, Melnick) and from there the tone was set. Graduate Zachary Ornstein (Howell, N.J.) kept the sharp-shooting Griffin offense in possession of the ball by dominating the faceoff circle (17-of-21, .810). Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Jake Miller (Castle Rock, Colo.) (1-1) anchored the Scarlet and Gold defense, with seven saves, a pair of ground balls, and a caused turnover in 42:48 minutes.

STAC (0-1) was led by senior attack Tyler Senatore (West Haverstraw, N.Y.) who offered four goals, an assist, a ground balls, and 13 of the Spartans' 32 shots. Sophomore midfielder Thomas Chiapperino (Blauvelt, N.Y.) was his top supporter with two goal, an assist, a ground ball, and a caused turnover. In goal, graduate Ryan Guild (New Windsor, N.Y.) played a majority of the minutes for the Spartans as he took the loss (0-1) while making 18 saves in the opening 49:38.

In addition to Howell and Rees, Chestnut Hill College received solid performances from freshman midfielder Jackson Melnick (Milford, Pa.) (2 goals, 2 assists, 9 shots, 1 ground ball), senior midfielder Ben Revak (Aston, Pa.) (3 goals, 6 shots, 1 ground ball), senior midfielder Scott Wilden (Wexford, Pa.) (1 goal, 2 assists, 4 shots), and senior midfielder Billy DiMaio (Holmdel, N.J.) (2 goals, 2 shots, 5 ground balls, two caused turnovers). Ornstein also recorded his first goal as a member of the Scarlet and Gold, taking the ball straight to goal after winning sixth faceoff of the affair (5-1, 9:30, 1QTR).

Chestnut Hill College continues their 2021 schedule on Saturday, March 13, when they visit Molloy College for a 12:00 p.m. contest.