CHESTERTOWN, Md. – No. 5 Washington (Md.) had the final say in a back-and-forth affair, topping McDaniel 14-12 in the Centennial Conference (CC) men's lacrosse opener for both teams on Saturday.

Zach Monzo (Collegeville, Pa./Spring-Ford) and Skippy Clary (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) led the offense for the Green Terror (3-6, 0-1 CC) with three goals each. Christian Dallmus (Acton, Mass./The Rivers School) backstopped a defense that saw a barrage of 53 shots, making a career-high 22 saves. McDaniel had 40 shots of its own.

Jim Cusick netted five goals to pace the Shoremen (7-0, 1-0 CC), who got three goals and three assists from Bennett Cord.

Tied at 6-all, Cord put home a Stephen Luck feed with 2:52 to play in the first half to give the hosts a 7-6 edge at the break.

Kodie Englehart stretched that lead to 8-6 just 1:13 into the second half before Pat Bivons (Cockeysville, Md./Loyola Blakefield) returned it to a one-goal margin 2:10 later.

Three straight Washington tallies, including a JD Campbell man-up goal made it an 11-7 game with 6:18 showing in the third quarter before the Green Terror responded with a three-goal run of its own.

Clary and Monzo scored unassisted goals before Bivons hit Sean Brett (Hamilton, N.J./Notre Dame) with 2:13 to play, making it an 11-10 game after three quarters.

Cord found Matt Lewis and Cusick seven minutes apart to stretch the Shoremen lead to 13-10 with 6:15 to play.

Pat Woglom (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) and Clary closed the deficit to one just two minutes later but Hunter Nowicki finished a solo run with 1:28 remaining to set the final margin.

Cusick and Cord staked Washington to a 2-0 lead off two Campbell assists in the first 4:45 of the game.

Goals from Ryan Weiss (Easton, Pa./Easton Area), Clary and Jason Lawrence (Fallston, Md./Fallston) turned the 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead with 2:35 to play in the opening stanza before Cusick and Monzo traded markers in the final 1:28 of the period. Mike Marks (Ellicott City, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) recorded his first assist of the season on Monzo's tally.

Lawrecne stretched the advantage to 5-3 just 1:16 into the second quarter before Cusick and Cord reeled off three straight goals for a 6-5 lead with 5:32 shwoing.

Monzo knotted the game 2:19 later with a solo run.

Weiss and Ryan Hennessy (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) led the defense with four ground balls each.

McDaniel returns to action at home against Dickinson on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m.

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