STANDISH, Maine -- The Bates men's lacrosse team turned a close game into a rout in the first game of its abbreviated 2021 season on Saturday, rolling to a 24-7 non-conference victory at Saint Joseph's College of Maine.

Bates set a program record with 79 shots in the game, breaking the former mark of 73 set in the 2017 NCAA Tournament against Amherst.

Junior Oliver Allen (Portsmouth, N.H.) and sophomore Will Schinabeck (Shaker Heights, Ohio) scored four goals apiece for the Bobcats, whose last game occurred more than a year ago, on March 10, 2020. Senior Chris Costello (Ridgefield, Conn.) dominated faceoffs, winning 13-of-15 with 14 ground balls, while adding a career-high three points with a goal and two assists.

A pair of first-year players had big days in the scoring column as well. Anders Corey (Yarmouth, Maine) contributed two goals and three assists, while Alex Horowitz (Los Angeles, Calif.) dished out a game-high four assists and scored once.

Bates exploded with five straight goals in the opening seven minutes of the game. Junior Jack Lousararian (Mansfield, Mass.) netted the first score of the season unassisted, and sophomore Navaar Naimie (Cape Neddick, Maine) assisted on two succeeding goals within 48 seconds of each other, by junior Andrew Lowman (Somers, N.Y.) and Costello. Horowitz then fed junior Max Kim (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and junior Dylan Williams (Sharon, Mass.) on back-to-back goals for a 5-0 lead.

The Monks answered, however, with a 6-1 run over an 11-minute stretch, tying the game at 6-6 with 11:28 to go in the half.

Bates regrouped and regained the lead with 8:40 to go, as senior Steven Canale (North Andover, Mass.) connected with a man-up goal. The Bobcats scored again off the ensuing faceoff, with Costello feeding Schinabeck to make it 8-6, where the score remained until the second half. 

Costello fed Allen to make it 9-6 in the opening seconds of the third quarter, extending Bates' run to three straight goals. 

The Bobcats made it a more than decisive 17-0 run, interrupted only by the Monks' last goal with 1:11 left in the game.

Bates outshot St. Joe's 79-22, including a 38-8 margin in the second half. They won 24 of 33 faceoffs 

Shane Puleo scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Monks (2-1). Max Lacy added two goals and an assist. Brannon Gilbert made 21 saves in 45 minutes of action, allowing 15 goals. Michael Janocha allowed nine goals against three saves.

Senior Spencer Fox (East Lansing, Mich.) made his first collegiate start in goal for Bates and collected four saves while allowing six goals. Sophomore Garrett FitzSimons (Garden City, N.Y.) played in his first college game and made three saves against one goal allowed in 28 minutes of action.

Bates (1-0) has four more games currently scheduled, all against NESCAC opponents. Their next game is slated for Connecticut College on April 10, followed by home conference games against Colby (Apr. 17) and Tufts (Apr. 24), the results of which will determine whether the Bobcats can play postseason games. Bates also has a second, non-conference game scheduled at Colby for May 1.