The Pilgrim boys lacrosse team topped rival Toll Gate 8-3 in the season opener on Monday afternoon.

The Pats – who are coming off a state championship appearance last year – roared out the gate to take a 7-0 lead into the halftime break.

The Toll Gate defense would shut down the Pilgrim attack throughout much of the second half and would get back into the game when the Titans picked up three goals in the third quarter. However, the Pats would seal the deal down the stretch to pick up their first win and handing Toll Gate its first defeat.

“These guys are really buying into the program and believe in themselves. From the starters to the end of the bench, they believe that this is their team. They have bought in 100 percent and they fight for each other,” said Pilgrim coach Alex Gregson.

Sophomore Braxton Bragg is looking to build on his breakout freshman campaign and led Pilgrim with three goals and two assists in the win. Ethan Pezzullo added two goals, while Tyler Fuller scored a goal to go along with three assists. Ryan Barlow and Dylan Rodrigues each scored a goal as well. Pilgrim goalie Jacob Brennan stopped 10 shots.

Brady Martin recorded a goal and an assist for Toll Gate while teammates Sean Mullaney and Nate O’Keefe scored goals. Jacob Pickering recorded a pair of assists. Goalie Christopher Schifino finished with eight saves in the cage.

Gregson felt that Pilgrim’s second half struggles stemmed from the team getting too comfortable with the early lead. Pilgrim finished with just two shots on goal in the second half.

“I think we just got out hustled, we got complacent. We went up 5, 6-0 and thought the game was in hand. You can’t, especially against a crosstown rival, take that position. You have to act like it’s 0-0, that it’s tied and that you haven’t proven anything. They were getting beat to ground balls, getting beat to the cage, the defense wasn’t getting back, the offense wasn’t holding onto the ball. It was a combination of things; we need to learn how to finish games,” Gregson said.

After coming up just short against Burrillville in the state championship last year, the Pilgrim returners are eyeing another deep run and hoping to finish the job this spring.

“It’s not a successful season unless we get to and win the state championship. With the way things ended last year, running into an amazing team like Burrillville that had a hot goalie, to come within one (point), we knew that we had something special,” said Gregson. “Our hope is to get back there this year and get to the ultimate goal.