MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – The Salve Regina men's lacrosse team held off a late fourth quarter surge from Clark (Mass.) to defeat the Cougars, 8-7, on a chilly first day of spring at Gaudet Field. 

With just 4:29 to play in the final quarter, freshman Luke Dunn (Amherst, Mass.) scored his third of three goals in the quarter to bring the visiting Cougars within one goal, 8-7, but Salve Regina fought hard on defense to capture the victory and halt Clark's scoring. 

After Dunn's final goal, the Cougars took their final four shots of the game, two missing wide while one just missed hitting the post and one saved by freshman goalie Brian Farina (Jenkintown, Pa.). With 1:57 showing on the clock, junior Dan Parks (Nesconset, N.Y.) checked the ball out of the stick of sophomore Peter Christiansen (Seattle, Wash.) for freshman James Fee (Massapequa, N.Y.) to pick up and take into the box for Salve Regina. After running almost a minute off the clock, senior Taylor Braun (Commack, N.Y.)  took the final shot of the game, but was denied by Cougar goalie junior Kevin Ranta (Beverly, Mass.). Clark tried to clear the ball in the final 30 seconds, but Salve Regina's defense stayed strong once again and did not allow the Cougars to clear the ball as time expired. 

Clark struck first as freshman Rob Holden (Longmeadow, N.Y.) gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead 13:36 into the opening quarter. Salve Regina answered in a big way, however, and rattled off three-straight to take a 3-1 lead into the first break. Fee scored back-to-back goals for the Seahawks before Braun scored with just 1:27 to go in the first.

Parks netted his third goal of the season to give the Seahawks a 4-1 lead to open the second quarter. Junior Jeffery Wasson (Buckhorn, Ontario) cut into Salve Regina's lead with his first of the game, but once again the Seahawks answered with a pair of goals from junior Chad Hollenshade (Luthervilla, Md.) to put the hosts up, 6-2, going into half time. 

Hollenshade and Wasson traded goals in a relatively quiet third quarter as Salve Regina lead, 7-3, with just 15 minutes left to play. 

The Cougars opened the final quarter with a pair of goals from senior Nick Figliola (Weston, Conn.) and Dunn to cut the Seahawk lead to two goals, 7-5, before Hollenshade scored his fourth of the day to push the lead back to three, 8-5, with 10:09 to play. After Dunn's final two goals, the Seahawks were able to kill off a final man-up chance for Clark and held on for the 8-7 victory. 

Junior Curtis McKeon (West Haven, Conn.) was stellar once again at the "X" for Salve Regina, winning 12-of-17 face offs and picking up a season-high 12 ground balls. McKeon pushed his career total to 289, 71 on the season, and is now just seven shy of tying the program's all-time career record of 296. 

Farina made seven saves in the cage for his third win of the season while Ranta made 11 stops in the loss. 

Salve Regina returns to the field when the Seahawks travel to Salem, Mass. to face Salem State on Saturday, March 23. The opening face off is set for 1 p.m.