Edwardsville, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's lacrosse team returned to action for the second contest in program history on Saturday, falling at Wilkes 18-1.

The Panthers struggled to find their footing off the bat and fell behind after 33 seconds. The hosts maintained control after the opener and scored four goals before the Panthers were able to take their first shot of the game with just under 6 minutes left in the first. The Colonels added two more before the end of the period to lead the Panthers 6-0 after 15 minutes.

In the 2nd, the Panthers turned the Colonels over shortly after the opening faceoff but lost control and saw Wilkes add to their lead after a minute of play. Nick Fischer was able to get a shot off shortly after the goal, but the hosts maintained control after the save and added their 8th goal at the 9:37 mark. They scored three more times in the period and trailed 11-0 at halftime.

Pitt-Bradford was able to break through to begin the 2nd half, despite being a man down. After a Panther penalty with 11:49 on the clock, Hunter Shank made a save and then converted a successful clearance. Evan Hawley took possession for Pitt-Bradford and fired past the Colonel goalie for his first goal of the season. The Panthers could not maintain momentum after the goal, and the hosts continued to add to their lead with 4 more goals in the third. 

The hosts scored three more times in the first 3 and a half minutes of the final period, but the Panther defense stiffened up for the last 11:29, keeping the Colonels off the board. Shank made three saves in the stretch.

Evan Hawley scored the lone goal for the Panthers don't he day, the first of his season and career. He totaled 3 shots, with 2 of them finishing on target. Nick Fischer and Ben Byers each took 6 shots in the loss. Fischer forced saves on 5 of them, while Byers put 3 on net. Hunter Shank made 23 saves in the Panther goal. 

Pitt-Bradford drops to 0-2 with the loss. They will head south for Spring Break and will play 4 games over an 8-day stretch. They will begin the trip with a matchup against Warren Wilson in North Carolina. The game is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start on Saturday, Mar. 1.