FREDERICK, Md. – Freshman Cole Hinds scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to lift the Albright Lions men's lacrosse team to an 8-7 win against Hood in their MAC Commonwealth opener on Wednesday afternoon.
 
With the win, the Lions improve to 3-5 on the season and 1-0 in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Blazers have their six-game winning streak snapped as they fall to 6-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. This is the second straight season that the Lions have defeated the Blazers in overtime.
 
Freshman Ethan Gain started the scoring for the Lions at the 11:27-mark of the first quarter in what became a back and forth contest throughout. Hood responded to tie the game at one at the 7:30-mark, and it remained tied until the Blazers broke the tie at the 10:55-mark of the second quarter. Hood then came back just under two minutes later with another goal to make it 3-1 with 9:20 left before halftime.  The Lions would respond with back-to-back goals within 14 seconds of each other to tie the game at three at the 3:56-mark of the second quarter. Senior Nick Tonno scored the first of the two goals at the 4:10-mark, and classmate JJ Boliaux tied it just after a Lions faceoff win.
 
In the third quarter, the teams would score a combined four goals in a 2:37 span which left the game tied at five. Hood started the scoring at the 9:40-mark before freshman James Gorman answered just over a minute later to tie the game at four. Albright once again responded following a Hood goal just 12 seconds after Gorman's goal as freshman Cole Hinds scored off an assist from Gorman. The Blazers once again took the lead at 6-5 with 13:11 left in the fourth quarter, and held that advantage for most of the quarter. The Lions then tied the game at the 3:48-mark on the second goal of the game from Tonno, and would take a 7-6 lead off Gain's second goal of the game with 1:13 left in regulation. Albright would win the following faceoff on a Hood to seemingly put the game on ice. However, a turnover would give the Blazers one last chance to tie it, and they cashed in with 20 seconds left to force overtime.
 
Each team had fairly good chances to win the game in the first overtime, but neither team was able to break the stalemate. The Blazers had the first shot of overtime saved before the Lions had three shots on one possession all not find the back of the net. Hood had the initial shot of the second overtime go wide, and would have another chance following an Albright turnover. The Lions forced a Blazer turnover and Hinds would score the game winner with 42 seconds left in the second overtime.
 
The Lions held a 39-32 shot advantage for the game and each team had 20 shots go on goal for the game. Albright held a 30-23 ground ball advantage, and a dominant 13-6 advantage in faceoff wins. Gain, Hinds, and Tonno all posted two goals with Gain tallying a team best three points on the afternoon. Gorman posted two points, and sophomore Jack Bobel posted two assists in the win. Senior goalkeeper Ryan Aler made a season-high 13 saves to earn the win, while the Blazers used a pair of goalkeepers in the loss.
 
Albright will return to action on Saturday, March 31^st when they will host Stevenson in MAC Commonwealth play at 1 p.m.