WASHINGTON, D.C.- Caldwell University men's lacrosse junior Kevin Albright (Mays Landing, N.J.) and sophomore Jayden Paladino (Hawthorne, N.J.) each tallied five points as the Cougars fell short to the University of the District of Columbia 14-12 in a non-conference contest.
 
The Cougars fall to 1-3 overall, while the Firebirds improve to 1-2.
 
The teams traded goals through the first quarter as Paladino and Albright scored for Caldwell to keep the score even at 2-2.
 
Albright, junior Michael Brown (Glenolden, Pa.) and freshman Ben Taylor (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) added goals for the Cougars in the second quarter as the Firebirds built a 10-5 lead heading into halftime.
 
The Cougars rallied back in the third quarter as Paladino scored twice, while sophomore Jason Staudte (Sound Beach, N.Y.) and junior Owen Healey (Washington, N.J.) each scored one goal to close the gap to 12-9.
 
The Firebirds kept the Cougars at bay despite three man-up goals by Albright in the fourth quarter, including the final one with 34 seconds left in the game.  
 
Albright led the Cougars with five goals, while Paladino netted three goals and two assists. Staudte finished with one goal and three assists in the game.
 
Sophomore Shane Murphy (Middletown, N.J.) played all 60 minutes in net, recording seven saves.
 
The Cougars return home to face St. Thomas Aquinas College in a non-conference game on Saturday, March 19 at 4 pm at Essex Valley Field in West Caldwell.