(Elizabethtown, Pa.) – The Dickinson men's lacrosse team opened the 2015 season on a chilly afternoon at Elizabethtown College. Turnovers plagued both teams throughout the game as the host Blue Jays came out on top, 8-6.

The Blue Jays struck first, scoring at the 9:57 mark of the first quarter. Senior midfielder Colin Farrell (Newtown Square, Pa./Malvern Prep) put the Red Devils on the board, picking up a missed shot and finding the net with 7:18 remaining in the quarter.

The Blue Jays answered with 5:19 to hold a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first. Elizabethtown won the face-off to open the second quarter but the Devils forced a turnover to gain possession. The Blue Jays came up with a loose ball and went on attack, sending a shot just wide of the cage.

Elizabethtown kept control and Jimmy Waters finished an assist from Cody Larkin to stretch the lead to 3-1, with 11:04 remaining in the half. Larkin added a goal of his own at the 4:05 mark.

Dickinson countered, just over a minute later as junior Chris Menard (South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley) split the pipes off an assist from senior captain Brett Parker (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's).

Greg Castro (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) won the ensuing face-off but the Devils were unable to capitalize. Classmate Ace Sudah (Franklin Park, N.J./St. Joseph) forced a turnover but could not clear, giving the ball back to the Blue Jays, with just under two minutes remaining.

The Red Devil defense held, causing another turnover and drawing a penalty with 42 seconds on the clock. Dickinson held the ball to assure possession to start the second half with the penalty carrying over into the third period.

Menard struck again, this time off an assist from classmate Rob Kendall (Sewickley, Pa./Sewickley Academy), just 24 seconds into the period to cut the deficit to 4-3.

The defense came up big again, forcing a turnover that would lead to another Red Devil goal. This time Kendall found sophomore Tyler Llewellyn (Cockeysville, Md./Loyola Blakefield) to knot the game, 4-4.

The hosts refused to let the Devils pull in front, taking a 5-4 lead with 6:50 on the clock. The score would hold for the remainder of the quarter. The Devils had a final shot as time expired but Chris Wenger was able to come up with the save.

Castro won the face-off to start the fourth quarter but both team struggled to keep possession. The Blue Jays found the handle and went up by two goals as Mike Specht scored his first of the season to make the score, 6-4, with 12:26 remaining in the game.

Specht dished off an assist to Russ LeClair to give Elizabethtown a 7-4 advantage with 7:02 left to play. Dickinson wasn't quite done yet however. Kendall found the back of the net off an assist from Parker with 4:13 on the clock.

The Devils won the face-off and senior Michael Smith (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) controlled the ground ball and fed Menard just 14 seconds later to cut the deficit to one goal.

The Blue Jays capitalized on a pair of penalties to run some time off the clock and Kevin Meakim tallied an insurance goal with 1:54 remaining in regulation. The Blue Jays were able to hold on for the final, 8-6.

Menard led the Devils with a hat-trick while Kendall scored once and handed out a pair of assists. Junior defenseman Graham Parsons (Wilton, Conn./Wilton) controlled five ground balls and caused three turnovers. Smith controlled five GBs and caused a pair of turnovers as well.

Junior Nick Baxter (Boxford, Mass./Governor's) made eight saves in the nets for Dickinson while Castro won 8-of-15 face-offs on the day.

Eight different players scored for Elizabethtown (1-0), led by Larkin and Specht with a goal and an assist. Wenger tallied eight saves in goal for the Blue Jays.

The Red Devils (0-1) are on the road again on Saturday, traveling to the St. Paul's School in Maryland to face St. Mary's College at 1:00 pm.