PORTLAND, ME – Saint Joseph's (0-1) fell to Salem State University (1-0), 10-6, in men's lacrosse action at Deering Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Junior midi Paul Dolewa (Saco, ME) netted two goals and an assist for the Monks in a losing effort. The contest marked the 2011 season-opener for both teams.

The Monks trailed 7-4 when sophomore attackman Spencer Hunt (Jeffersonville, VT) netted an unassisted goal at the 7:27 mark of the third quarter, but Vikings first-year attackman Greg Shidler (Peabody, MA) tallied three unanswered markers to put the game out of reach with 10 minutes remaining.

Shidler made his collegiate debut one to remember by recording four goals and a pair of assists and Robert Mulroy '11 (Swampscott, MA) added two goals, three assists and a team-high five ground balls for the Vikings. Salem State netminder Brendan Gill '11 (Chelmsford, MA), the 2010 LEC Defensive Player of the Year, was outstanding between the pipes with 17 saves on 23 shots faced.

For the Monks, Jonathan Horgan '12 (Hingham, MA) netted two goals on 18 shots – the third-highest single-game total in team history – while Elliot LaMarre '11 (Raymond, ME) won 12 of 16 face-off attempts and broke the Monks' record for ground balls in a contest with 15 in the loss.

SJC goalie Christopher Driscoll '13 (Saco, ME) also played well in net and recorded nine stops on the afternoon.

Salem State carried a 7-2 lead after James Cross '11 (Beverly, MA) beat Driscoll off a Mulroy pass at the 12:41 mark of the third quarter. Ninety seconds later, Robert Murtha '14 (North Kingstown, RI), a long-stick midi, picked up a ground ball at midfield, split a trio of Vikings defenders, and blasted a shot past Gill to cut the Monks' deficit to four goals and Hunt netted a man-down marker to make it a 7-4 game with 7:27 left in the third.

Unfortunately, the Monks would get no closer to the lead as Shidler put the Vikings back up by four just 16 seconds later and all but sealed the Vikings' victory with a pair of goals just 44 seconds apart early in the fourth stanza.

Saint Joseph's poured on the pressure and outshot Salem State by a 22-4 margin in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings hit pay-dirt on two of four attempts while many of the Monks' bids sailed wide. Gill stopped six of the eight shots the Monks managed to steer on target in the final 15 minutes.

Horgan was an offensive catalyst for the Royal Blue in the closing stanza and scored both of the Monks' fourth-quarter goals.

The Monks held advantages in ground balls (44-40), face-offs (12-6) and caused turnovers (12-10) in the setback.

St. Joe's takes small consolation in the loss as the team looks much-improved despite missing several key players in the season opener. This afternoon's meeting marks the smallest margin of victory for the Vikings in three meetings between the teams. Salem State topped Saint Joseph's last season by a 15-3 score and defeated the Monks, 16-7, in 2009.

With his offensive effort in today's loss, Dolewa became the Monks all-time leader in points (88) and goals (62). The junior midi surpassed Kody Peckham '11 (West Gardiner, ME), who is out for the season due to injury, in both career categories.

Saint Joseph's will face Southern Maine on Monday at Deering Memorial Stadium at 4:00 PM. Salem State will host Curry College on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.