CASTINE, Maine -- Maine Maritime Academy men's lacrosse fell to Castleton University 19-4 on Saturday afternoon in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action on Ritchie Field.

Christopher Flaherty (Scarborough, Maine) put the Mariners on the board with 8:50 to play in the first quarter, but the Spartans responded just eight seconds later when Sam Siegel found teammate Ryan Stone to tie the game at 1-1. Chase Whittemore (Skowhegan, Maine) added his first goal of the game to give the Mariners a 2-1 advantage but Castleton scored 17-answered goals to take an 18-2 lead late in the four quarter. Michael Martel (Biddeford, Maine) and Whittemore added goals for the Mariners in the fourth quarter, but the Spartans claimed the 19-4 victory.

Whittemore led the Mariners with two goals, two ground balls, and a caused turnover, while Alex Grant-Roy (Biddeford, Maine) dished out two assists, scooped up five ground balls, and caused a turnover. Alec Grant (Hollis, N.H.) led the Mariners' defense with six ground balls, and both Grant and Nikko Pappas (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) added three caused turnovers.

Siegel led the Spartans with five goals and two assists, Tyler Crowningshield added a hat trick, and Stone, Isaac Devoid, and Connor Balestra chipped in with two goals each. Joshua Gosselin led the Spartans with a game-high 18 ground balls, and Crowningshield and Mack O'Connell led the team with three caused turnovers.

John Stolz (Scarborough, Maine) tallied six saves for the Mariners in the loss, while Brandon Myron earned the victory for the Spartans stopping four shots in 45 minutes of play. Dakota Jones tallied three saves in net for Castleton in the final quarter.

The Mariners fall to 0-5 on the season and 0-2 in the NAC, while the Spartans improve to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Maine Maritime returns to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Norwich for a non-conference matchup at 3:00 pm.