WEST CALDWELL, N.J.- The Caldwell University men's lacrosse team competed in the program's first conference game on Saturday and fell to Chestnut Hill College 23-9 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match-up.
 
The Cougars fall to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the CACC, while the Griffins improve to 4-2 and 1-0 in conference play.
 
Caldwell netted three of the game's first five goals sophomore Michael Brown (Glenolden, Pa.) scored the first goal of the game at the 13:36 mark. The Griffins answered with two straight goals to pull ahead 2-1. Sophomore Kevin Albright (Mays Landing, N.J.) netted back-to-back goals less than a minute apart to put the Cougars back in front 3-2.
 
Chestnut Hill pushed ahead 6-3 with four unanswered goals. The teams traded goals in the final minute of the opening quarter freshman Jason Staudte (Sound Beach, N.Y.) found the back of the net for Caldwell to cut the score to 7-4 after one quarter.
 
The Griffins added to their lead with a tally early in the second quarter. Sophomore Owen Healey (Washington, N.J.) added a goal for the Cougars with 11:32 left in the quarter to trim the score to 8-5. Chestnut Hill closed the half with seven goals to pull ahead 15-5 at halftime.
 
The Cougars were limited to four goals in the second half as Healey and Brown found the back of the net. Albright scored twice over the final 30 minutes for the Cougars.
 
Junior Wayne Safreed (Mt. Arlington, N.J.) recorded seven saves in the first half. Freshman Shane Murphy (Middletown, N.J.) posted six saves in 15 minutes of action, while sophomore Nicholas Mele (Albertson, N.Y.) finished with four saves in 15 minutes in net.
 
The Cougars host to Molloy College for a non-conference match on Thursday, April 15 at 4 pm at Essex Valley Field in West Caldwell.