SOUTH HAMILTON, Mass. - Middlesex Boys' Varsity Lacrosse began the 2026 campaign with a strong 12-8 come from behind victory on the road against a tough, well-coached Pingree team on Saturday afternoon. The game was typical of an early season matchup - sloppy stick skills, penalties galore, and a level of enthusiasm that contributed to both of those factors.

Once the nerves settled, and both teams started stringing together passes, the field began to tilt in the direction of the away team. Middlesex's defense, led by senior captain Emmett Goodrich (Winchester, Mass.) and sophomore goaltender Conor Fox (Hanover, N.H.), began to dictate the pace of the game. Tommy Callaghan (Boxboro, Mass.) and Luke Sardone (Winchester, Mass.) caused havoc in the middle of the field, and sophomore defenseman Anthony Billings (Stoneham, Mass.) picked up some crucial ground balls.

Transition offense, often started by sophomore midfielder Dominic Staffiere (Lunenburg, Mass.), who recorded the first points of his career with two assists, was dutifully finished by the attack line of senior captain Colin Hope (Barrington, R.I.), Isaiah Atherton (Hinesburg, Vt.) and Parker Boyce (Natick, Mass.), all of whom recorded hat tricks in the opener.

Middlesex will look to build upon its early season road success when they travel to face Phillips Andover on Wednesday at 4:00 PM.