CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University men's lacrosse team got back in the win column at Dave Wolk Stadium on Wednesday evening, topping SUNY Canton by a final score of 12-4 in non-conference action.
 
The Spartans (2-6) led 4-1 after 15 minutes and never trailed in the contest, winning handily over the now 2-7 'Roos. The Spartans led 30-13 in shots on goal and 34-31 in ground balls while Canton had an 11-8 edge in face-off wins. The Spartans converted 13-of-16 clears and committed only 17 turnovers. The 'Roos had 27 turnovers and were 15-of-22 clearing.
 
Xavier McKenna had three goals on the night, marking his first career hat-trick. He also had two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Casey Meczywor and Ian Edgar had two goals apiece, while Cam Frankenhoff chipped in a goal and two assists. Chris LaBonte, Dawson Nalette, Ethan Esposito and Hunter Sarro added goals of their own to the scoresheet as well. Asa Forbes and Matt Gregoire were credited with assists in the win. Six players had four ground balls in the contest with four Spartans causing a pair of turnovers each. Christopher Dindino made nine saves, stopping 69.2 percent of the shots he faced in the victory.
 
Alex Jacobs accounted for half of Canton's goals in the game, scoring twice. Logan McCarger and Austin Mesler had the other goals, with Mesler adding two assists in the contest. Noel Abreau had seven ground balls thanks to an 11-for-19 day at the face-off dot, and Sam Servati stopped 18 shots in goal.
 
Edgar scored just 48 seconds into play, collecting the rebound from a shot by LaBonte and tossing it behind his back for the opening salvo. Meczywor then doubled the lead to 2-0 three minutes later before Canton got on the board for a 2-1 score. Edgar netted his second score of the quarter to extend the gap back to two goals before McKenna's first of the game made it 4-1 late in the opening quarter.
 
Canton scored the only goal of the second quarter to make it 4-2 at halftime, but Frankenhoff made it 5-2 just more than two minutes into the third quarter with a goal of his own. Canton stayed close, with Jacobs' second goal making it 5-3, but the Spartans rattled off three in a row to end the third quarter—two of them coming from McKenna to complete the hat-trick.
 
Leading 8-3 with 15 minutes to play, Castleton conceded an early-fourth-quarter goal to McCargar before four different Spartans scored on the way out. Sarro made it 9-4 before Esposito, LaBonte and Nalette finished the scoring in the 12-4 victory.
 
Castleton is back in action with its third home game in a row on Saturday, hosting New England College at 3 p.m.