GREENVILLE, Pa. (March 8) -- The Thiel College Men's Lacrosse team dropped a non-conference battle with Hilbert College 14-4 Saturday afternoon at the Rissell-Schreyer Dome.

The Tomcats drop to 0-5 while the Hawks rise to 1-0 in their season opener.

The visitors jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first before Thadd Bell (Erie, Pa./McDowell) got Thiel on the board with his sixth goal of the year at the 3:44 mark. Zach Melin (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) followed with his eighth goal of the year 1:06 later to make it 4-2. The Hawks notched one more goal in the period as neither side scored in the second.

Bell logged his second goal of the game and seventh of the year at the 8:45 clip of the third quarter to make it 5-3. Hilbert answered with the next four goals before Melin scored his second of the day to make it 9-4 early in the fourth quarter. The visitors tallied the next five goals to spell the 14-4 final. 

Melin has posted at least one goal in all five games this season. He grabbed four ground balls in the defeat. Bell has totaled two goals in each of the last three games. He also corralled four ground balls.

Austin Parker (Titusville, Pa./Maplewood) won a career-high tying 13 face offs and grabbed a game-best-tying five ground balls. Quentin Cato (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) nabbed four ground balls while Justin Mason (Alden, N.Y./Alden Central) had three. Ethan Narby (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) made 12 saves in goal.

Men's Lacrosse returns to action Wednesday for a 6 p.m. non-conference tilt at Heidelberg.