Syracuse, N.Y. – Senior attackman Justin Kesselring (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) registered five points to lead the second-ranked Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team to a 12-3 season-opening win over 13th-ranked Mercy College on Saturday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.

Mercy started the game's scoring just 1:07 into the contest. Following a Le Moyne turnover, Erik Badger scored his first goal of the season in transition.

The Dolphins evened the score at one apiece with 6:56 remaining in the first quarter. Off a feed from Kesselring, a second team Inside Lacrosse preseason All-America selection, sophomore attackman Sean Emerson (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy/Siena) tallied his first goal of the year and fourth in two career games against the Mavericks.

The Mavericks regained the lead just 70 seconds later as Bobby Chillianis scored off a pass from Ryan MacSpadyen, a third team Inside Lacrosse preseason All-America selection.

Le Moyne scored twice in 1:23 to take the lead. In an extra-man situation, Kesselring finished off a feed from junior midfielder Josh Slowinski (Williamsville, N.Y./Clarence) with 4:08 to go in the opening quarter. Sophomore attackman Jake Lewis (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia/Cleveland State) followed with his first goal as a Dolphin off a pass from sophomore midfielder Riley Larson (Fairfield, Conn./Ludlowe).

The Dolphins extended their run to four straight goals with the first two of the second quarter. Lewis put his team up 4-2 with 6:31 remaining with an extra-man tally off a feed from sophomore midfielder Matt Hutchings (Marcellus, N.Y./Marcellus). Just over one minute later, Kesselring scooped up the loose ball after a shot hit the post and fired a shot into the back of the net.

Mercy cut its deficit back to two with 1:30 remaining in the half on Chillianis' second goal of the contest, but that would mark the final goal of the game for the Mavericks.

Le Moyne tallied four goals in the third quarter to extend its lead to 9-3. Slowinski started the run just 39 seconds into the half with an unassisted tally. With the 30-second timer set to expire, Larson found the back of the net with 7:32 remaining with his 12th career goal. Slowinski picked up his second goal of the quarter with 3:54 to go. Kesselring completed the quarter's scoring with an unassisted goal with 2:25 left.

The Dolphins scored the only three goals of the fourth quarter to close out the game. Following a save by redshirt junior goalkeeper Jack Sweeney (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Onondaga C.C.), two-time USILA All-America defenseman Brendon Entenmann (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) cleared the ball up field, cut to the crease from the left sideline and slipped a shot into the back of the net for his second career goal with 8:08 to play. Kesselring collected his fourth goal of the contest with 4:16 left after taking a pass in transition from senior two-way midfielder Bailey Wilkinson (Black River, N.Y./Carthage). Larson completed the game's scoring with 2:52 remaining with another unassisted tally.

Sweeney earned his 15th victory as a Dolphin between the pipes after registering a career-best 16 saves, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. Sweeney's 16 saves are tied for the most by a Dolphin against a non-conference opponent over the last 16 seasons (Alex Krawec, Mercyhurst, March 7, 2015). Ryan Gibbons made nine saves in the loss for the Mavericks.

Le Moyne (1-0), which has won 19 straight season-openers, returns to action on Saturday at Chestnut Hill College at 12:00 p.m.