It only lasted for a little more than two minutes, but Muhlenberg men’s lacrosse goalie James Fasola admitted he felt the proverbial butterflies in his stomach before the season opener against Montclair State.

Not only was it the first start of the junior’s career, but it was also his first action since his freshman season. So he wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he took his spot between the pipes.

But as soon as the first shot traveling upwards of 70 miles per hour found the netting of his stick a mere 2:03 in to the game, he said his nerves vanished on the spot.

“The first save is such a big thing, because when you stop that first shot it gets you in a positive mindset,” Fasola said. “You really don’t want to give up a goal right away, because then things can get out of control. So once I made that first save, I knew I’d be OK.”

He helped the Mules hold the Red Hawks scoreless in their five man-up opportunities, but even more importantly, he stepped when he was most needed.

After holding Montclair State to just one goal in the opening 30 minutes, Fasola saved his best for last. He stopped four of the Red Hawks’ five shots on goal in the fourth quarter to help Muhlenberg keep a comfortable cushion en route to a 9-5 win.

The result was an impressive start to his career as the Mules’ starter. But according to junior defenseman Ian de Ruiter, it was just what he and his fellow defenders have come to expect after seeing Fasola in practice for the past three weeks.

“He played great, especially for his first game,” de Ruiter said. “He definitely stepped up, especially considering we were in man-down a lot. He made a lot of great saves and showed just how good he is.”

It was a far cry from Fasola’s Mule debut when he gave up three goals on three shots against Moravian as a freshman. But he has spent the past two seasons learning and improving, while also biding his time, waiting for his chance.

While getting his first win felt great, Fasola said it was more the product of a total team effort than his effort. And with four upperclassmen playing in front of him on defense, he said he is confident they will make his job as easy as possible.

“I was really nervous coming in, but I knew with this defense in front of me, they’ve all played a lot, so I knew they wouldn’t give them many good shots,” he said. “All I had to do was make the saves that any goalie needs to make. It was a good start, but I can’t wait to get back out here and do it all again.”