CALDWELL, New Jersey - It was an up-and-down game, but the American International College men's lacrosse team had more ups in an 18-11 win over Caldwell University on Monday, March 10.

AIC is now 2-2 on the season.

The Yellow Jackets roared out to a 5-0 lead in a dominant first quarter. Jacob Ligor and Cole Gaudet scored twice in a 58-second span, assisted by Seven Gillingham and Tyler Goode respectively. Later in the frame, Carter Linkletter scored twice, bookending an Aiden Moscarello goal. Jordan Boyenko set up the Moscarello goal, while Gaudet assisted Linkletter's second strike.

Late in the first, AIC took a two-minute non-releaseable penalty, and Caldwell was able to get some momentum. They scored three goals in the first 4:05 of the period, all man-up as AIC took several more penalties, and tied the game with 8:26 left in the half. Linkletter won the subsequent draw and set up Gillingham for a fast-break goal to put AIC back up one, but the Cougars scored the next three to lead 8-6. Gillingham and Hunter Terlik scored on AIC's next two possessions, tying the game again, but the Cougars struck on a last-second shot, and led 9-8 at halftime.

AIC regrouped at the break, and quickly restored their lead as Goode found Gillingham to tie the game, and Ligor and Gillingham scored back-to-back man-up goals for a two-goal AIC lead. Caldwell scored a man-down goal to keep close briefly, but AIC scored five more times down the stretch, with two each by Gaudet and Linkletter as well as a Boyenko tally, to lead 16-10 after three.

The Yellow Jackets finished the game off with two early goals in the fourth. Goode set up Jett Bogart for his first career tally, and Gaudet finished a Luke Hawrish-Blight dish 20 seconds later. The Cougars scored one late goal, but AIC earned the 18-11 win.

Nicholas Kendall earned the win, his first collegiate victory, with eight second-half saves after Logan Dobrowski stopped five shots in the first half. Boyenko, Goode, Ligor, Linkletter, Gillingham, and Gaudet each had at least four points, and Ryan Levis led AIC with four caused turnovers. Linkletter, in addition to his five-point showing, scooped eight ground balls and forced three takeaways.

AIC returns to action Wednesday, March 12 at the University of Bridgeport.