Staten Island, N.Y. – Senior attackman Joey Pezzimenti (Victor, N.Y./Victor/UAlbany) registered the second-most points in a season opener in the program's history to lead the Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team to a 17-6 victory over Wagner College in its Division I debut on Saturday afternoon at Hameline Field.

Pezzimenti recorded a career-high nine points on two goals and a career-best seven assists. His nine points tie Brandon Spillett '05 for the second-most points in a season opener as Spillett did it on three goals and six assists against Adelphi on March 13, 2004. Jeff Sanford '02 holds the record as he tallied 10 points against Adelphi to open the 2002 season. The last Dolphin to have nine points in a game is classmate Seth Benedict (Stanley, N.Y./Marcus Whitman), who did it at Southern New Hampshire March 25, 2023. Pezzimenti's seven assists are the most in a season opener in the program's history and are the third-most in any game and are the most since Ryan Spillett '03 had eight against Assumption on April 28, 2000, one year and 10 days after Jim Nee '99 also had eight against the Greyhounds.

Benedict tallied six points on four goals (on four shots) and two assists against the Seahawks as the Dolphins had five players with at least three points. Graduate student midfielder Jack Grooms (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill/Hobart) and redshirt junior midfielder Ethan Loun (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) each scored three goals on four shots, while redshirt freshman attackman Thomas Berry (Tully, N.Y./Tully) had two goals and one assist in his collegiate debut.

Berry started the game's scoring just 46 seconds into the contest off a feed from Benedict, who followed with an unassisted goal with 12:31 remaining.

The teams traded goals the remainder of the quarter. Carson Skinner got Wagner on the scoreboard with 9:35 remaining. Benedict answered back 54 seconds later after taking a pass from Pezzimenti. Following a penalty on the Dolphins, Nick Martini scored with 6:46 left off a feed from CJ Sweitzer. Junior midfielder Ryan Eisenmann (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton) made it a two-goal game for the third time 90 seconds later off a dish from Pezzimenti. Martini completed the quarter's scoring with 35 seconds left off a pass from Skinner.

Le Moyne outscored the Seahawks 6-1 in the second quarter. Grooms scored his first goal as a Dolphin just 21 seconds into the period. Freshman attackman Liam Burns (Warners, N.Y./West Genesee) fired in his first career goal at the 11:40 mark off a pass from Pezzimenti. James Rea scored Wagner's final goal of the half with 9:13 left. Berry scored his second of the game 30 seconds later following a pass from Pezzimenti, who scored in transition at the 7:35 mark off a dish from junior defenseman Maui Wilhelm (Saint Johns, Fla./Creekside). Loun registered his first goal of the day with 4:44 remaining in the half off a pass from senior midfielder Kyle Caves (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool). Pezzimenti completed the scoring in the half with 15 seconds left after receiving the ball from Berry.

The Seahawks scored the first and fifth goals of the third quarter as the Dolphins extended their lead. Sweitzer ended his team's drought of 10 and one-half minutes with an unassisted score at the 13:47 mark.

Le Moyne scored three times in less than five minutes to go up eight for the first time. Benedict scored his third goal of the contest with 10:12 left off a pass from Pezzimenti. Grooms followed 77 seconds later off a pass from Benedict, who then made it 13-5 with 5:20 left in the third with an unassisted tally.

The Seahawks scored the final goal of the game with 3:56 to go in the third off a pass from Sweitzer in an extra-man situation.

The Dolphins closed out the game with four goals in the fourth quarter. Loun scored in an extra-man opportunity off a pass from Pezzimenti with 11:28 left. Grooms completed his hat trick with 8:07 left for a 15-6 advantage. Loun scored off another Pezzimenti pass in an extra-man situation with 6:01 to play. Burns closed out the scoring with 1:27 to go.

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Carter Ruhm (Apalachin, N.Y./Vestal/Bridgton Academy/Robert Morris) registered 13 saves, including four in each of the first and third quarters, in 58:33 between the pipes in his Dolphin and collegiate debut. Junior faceoff specialist Sam Getty (Orchard Park, N.Y./Canisius HS) won 16-of-27 faceoffs and scooped up seven ground balls in his first career start. Nate Yi took the loss for the Seahawks after allowing 10 goals against one save in the first half.

Le Moyne (1-0) returns to action on Sunday, February 25 at Sacred Heart University at 12:00 p.m.