Box Score HENNIKER, N.H. –New England College senior attacker Henri Pfeifle (Darien, Conn.) scored five goals as the NEC men's lacrosse team won 12-9 over visiting Curry College in non-conference action on Thursday afternoon at Don Melander Field in Henniker, New Hampshire to open their 2025 season.

THE BASICS
Score:                  Curry 9, NEC 12
Records:              Pilgrims 1-0 | Colonels 0-3

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Down 2-0 in the opening minutes of the game, the Pilgrims scored their first goal of the season with 7:56 to go in the first quarter when Pfeifle – last season's leading scorer and a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) First Team honoree – took a pass from junior midfielder Daniel Varga (Hampton, N.J.) and beat the keeper for his first goal of the season, pulling NEC to within one. Just 20 seconds later, it would be Pfeifle finding NEC senior attacker Matt Daley (Plymouth, Mass.) lurking on the right side of the Curry goal for the finish as the 'Grims tied it up 2-2 going into the second quarter.
• In the second quarter, Curry senior attacker Brody Dalzell (Wrentham, Mass.) took over the game, scoring three goals in the space of 1:06 to give the Colonels a 5-2 lead with 9:29 left in the half. Now trailing by three, NEC finally got one back with 1:49 remaining in the quarter when Varga took a pass from sophomore midfielder Brody McGonigle (Concord, N.H.) and blasted it home. Just 42 seconds later, NEC senior attacker Thomas Norton (Mansfield, Mass.) – the youngest man on the Pilgrims' 100 career goal list – recovered a ground ball off a Curry save and launched it back in himself for his first score of the season as the game went into halftime with the Colonels leading 5-4.
• The 'Grims came out of the gate storming to open the second half. Daley capitalized on a man-up advantage just 42 seconds into the third quarter to score his second goal of the game to tie it up at 5-5. Just 18 seconds later, Pfeifle would take a pass from Varga and scored to give NEC their first lead of the game, up 6-5.
• The Colonels would answer, however, scoring back-to-back goals to go up by one. With 6:55 left in the third, a failed clear attempt off an interception by NEC sophomore midfielder Matt O'Rourke (Concord, N.H.) gave possession to NEC deep in Curry's zone as Daley hit Pfeifle for his third goal of the day to tie it up again at seven all. That would spark a surge by the Pilgrims as Daley and Pfeifle would follow up with goals to put the hosts up 9-7 going into the final quarter.
• Once again, the Pilgrims opened aggressively as Varga busted a move and scored just 36 seconds in. With 12:43 left in the game, Varga would again find Pfeifle for his fifth goal of the game, giving NEC an 11-7 lead. The visitors would never threaten again as the hosts pulled away down the stretch.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Pfeifle would finish with five goals and one assist for the day while Varga added three and two.
• NEC sophomore goalkeeper Logan Stroud (Belmont, N.H.), getting his first career start in net for the Pilgrims, tallied ten saves on the day for his first career win.
• Curry junior goalkeeper CJ Veader (Bristol, R.I.) finished with 15 stops for the Colonels.
• Curry senior attacker Mac Kline (Essex, Conn.) totaled two goals and one assists.
• NEC sophomore defender Nick McCarthy (Merrimack, N.H.) tallied three ground balls and a game-high four caused turnovers in a strong defensive effort.
• It was the 100^th career win for NEC head coach Jedd Brown.
• It was NEC's first win in a season opener since 2022, a 10-6 win at Anna Maria College.

UP NEXT

• NEC is back on the field on Saturday when they travel up to Gorham to face to the University of Southern Maine in a 1:00 p.m. game.
• Curry plays their next game at home against Eastern Connecticut State, that coming on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.