Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore midfield Troy Press (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) scored the game’s first goal, but number one Mercyhurst College responded with eight straight goals en route to a 10-3 men’s lacrosse victory over the Bulldogs Saturday at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field. The MC Lakers are the defending NCAA Division II national champions.
 
Mercyhurst wins its 2012 season opener, while Wingate falls to 1-2 overall. The Bulldogs host Deep South Conference foe Rollins (Fla.) College Saturday, March 3 at 2 p.m. Mercyhurst hosts Chestnut Hill (Pa.) College the same day at 1 p.m.
 
Laker sophomore attack Brady Heseltine (Elora, Ontario) led the visitors with three goals. MC senior attack Kyle Kallay (Orangeville, Ontario) had two goals and two assists, while junior attack Brian Scheetz (Canandaigua, N.Y.) topped the Laker charts with three assists. Wingate senior attack David Lee (Greensboro, N.C.) and sophomore midfield James Wells (Ashburn, Va.) joined Press in the goal-scoring column Saturday.
 
Press gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead at the 8:29 mark. Kallay tied the game three minutes later. He assisted junior midfield Zac Reid (St. Catharines, Ontario) on the game-winner 32 seconds into the second quarter. Kallay also helped Heseltine tally his first goal at the 12:02 mark to put the Lakers up 3-1.
 
Scheetz followed Kallay’s lead, assisting on goals by Heseltine and sophomore Deven Alves (Canandaigua, N.Y.) to give Mercyhurst a 5-1 lead at intermission. The Lakers outshot the Bulldogs 17-13 in the first half.
 
In the third quarter, Kallay posted an unassisted goal with 10:26 to go. Heseltine picked up his hat trick with help from Scheetz less than one minute later. Reid tallied his second score of the day at the 3:32 plateau. Lee answered for Wingate, posting his sixth goal of the season with 1:20 to go in the third frame.
 
Wingate’s Wells opened the fourth quarter with an unassisted tally at the 9:41 mark. Exactly one minute later, Mercyhurst sophomore midfield Matt Hummel (Kitchener, Ontario) scored his first career goal on a feed from Alves. Scheetz posted an unassisted goal with 7:58 remaining to conclude the scoring.
 
Mercyhurst outshot Wingate 37-25. The Lakers had 35 ground balls, compared to 26 for the Bulldogs. The MC Lakers won 12-of-17 face-offs. Wingate had eight extra-man opportunities, but converted only one (Lee’s third-quarter goal). Mercyhurst was zero-for-two on EMO plays.
 
Wingate senior goalkeeper Danny Dlugozima (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) played 57-plus minutes. He recorded 15 saves and allowed nine goals. Mercyhurst sophomore net minder Michael Grace (Warwick, N.Y.) won his Laker debut. In 60 minutes, Grace notched nine saves while surrendering three goals.