High Point 13, Robert Morris 10
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men's lacrosse team picked up its second straight win after dispatching of visiting Robert Morris, 13-10, on Saturday inside Vert Stadium.
HPU trailed by two (9-7) with 7:45 to go in the third quarter, but from there, the Panthers surged ahead with a 5-0 run to built a three goal lead (12-9) it would not relinquish.
The second-half dominance was sparked by junior Jamie Piluso's play in the face-off circle. The Ridgewood, N.J. native went 19-of-27 on face-offs and won 10-of-12 after the break. He also led the Panthers with a season high 11 ground balls.
Redshirt-junior Brad James and junior Matt Thistle led the HPU attack with four points apiece. James had a steal and an assist and Thistle posted three goals and an assist.
The team once again showed their depth as 10 players tallied at least one point. Sophomore Michael LeClair chipped in with two goals and one assist as Levine registered his first multi-point game of his career with a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Seal posted his first goal and assist of the year.
Seal also came up big in the ground ball game picking up four ground balls as the Panthers won the ground ball battle 33-22. Likewise, the Purple & White earned a +4 (36-32) margin in shots.
Nine different Panthers caused a turnover with junior Zack Price causing a pair. Redshirt-senior Austin Geisler made 11 stops in goal and grabbed three ground balls to earn his third win of the year.
High Point opened the scoring at the 12:56 mark of the first quarter when Thistle found the back of the net to post his 10th score of the season. RMU tied it up at 1-1 two minutes later and took a 2-1 lead on a goal from James Rahe with 7:07 to go in the opening half. Sophomore Cole Carns notched his 10th goal of the season to tie the game up at 2-2 and HPU surged in front by one (3-2) after a goal from freshman T Moyer with 10:50 to go in the second quarter. But the Colonials once again converted an equalizer to tie the score at 3-3 with 7:20 to play in the opening half.
After RMU built a 4-3 lead, a punishing check from Piluso led to a RMU turnover and a transition offensive opportunity for the Panthers. Levine found LeClair in the top left portion of the attack box, and the sophomore rifled a shot into the back of the RMU cage to tie the score back up at 4-4 with 5:35 to play in the half.
Piluso, then, found Seal on the break on the ensuing possession and the junior fired home a goal that put HPU up 5-4. RMU scored the next three goals to go up 7-5, but Brad James added a goal off a good feed from Thistle late in the quarter to send HPU into the break trailing by one (7-6).
HPU won the opening faceoff of the second half and capitalized, as Thistle blizted a shot past the RMU keeper to tie it at 7 after a perfect set up from LeClair. RMU scored the next two goals of the game to go up 9-7, but LeClair once again answered the call for HPU with a goal to make it 9-8 with 6:33 to play in the third. Robinson's goal at the 4:26 mark proved to be an equalizer after James found him to tie the score at 9-9.
Then, James found the back of the net with 13:40 to go in the fourth quarter to put HPU back up one at 10-9. HPU's run reached 5-0 after goals from redshirt-junior Spencer Wichert and Levine made it 12-9 with 10:49 remaining. RMU posted a score with 2:51 left in the game, but Thistle added a score with 1:46 to go to ice the 13-10 win for the Panthers.
HPU returns to action next Saturday (March 7) with a game at Marist. Game time is scheduled for noon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Air Force 6, Furman 4
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Despite allowing just six goals, Furman lacrosse couldn’t overcome a two-goal fourth quarter lead, falling to Air Force, 6-4, on Saturday. The loss drops the Paladins to 1-4 on the season, while the win moves the Falcons to 2-3.
Furman was led by Robbie Betchley III, with two goals, while Scott Primeau and Kenny Meinsen each added one. Jonah Moore, Primeau and Trevor Atkins each tallied an assist, while Joe Stone picked up a team-high three ground balls. Goalie Reilly McDermott added six saves for the Paladins.
Air Force was led by Nick Hruby with two goals, while Keith Dreyer, Chris Walsch, James Burke and Nate Hruby each added one. Chris Carr picked up a game-high six ground balls and goalie Doug Gouchoe added eight saves.
The Paladins grabbed the early lead as Betchley scored just 46-seconds into the game. Furman added to its lead with 12:22 remaining in the first on a goal from Kenny Meinsen, but Air Force scored with just 1:01 remaining in the period to cut the lead in half at 2-1.
Both teams were strong on the defensive end, not allowing a goal until Air Force scored with 9:24 remaining in the period to tie the game at two. Furman then used an unassisted goal from Scott Primeau with 5:51 remaining in the period to take a 3-2 lead into halftime.
Air Force came out on the attack in the third, taking a 4-3 lead with 4:54 remaining in the period. Betchley then netted his second goal of the day on an assist from Primeau, drawing the game even at four heading into the fourth period.
Air Force scored two goals in the first five minutes of the fourth period to take a 6-4 lead that it would not relinquish, handing the Paladins their fourth loss of the season.
Furman in back in action Saturday, March 7, hosting Mt. St. Mary’s in Paladin Stadium at 2:00 p.m.
UMBC 9, Richmond 5
RICHMOND, Va. - In a battle of two strong defensive-minded men’s lacrosse squads, the Richmond Spiders were stymied by the visiting UMBC Retrievers 9-5 at Robins Stadium Saturday afternoon in non-conference action. Both squads left the stadium with 2-2 records.
Richmond was held to a season-low total of goals after averaging a little more than 11 per game in the first three weeks.
Sophomore midfielder and UR leading scorer Mitch Goldberg scored the game’s first goal just 90 seconds into the game, but the Retrievers posted the next five goals over the next 18 minutes of game play and Richmond never got closer than three goals the rest of the way.
UMBC’s Jack Gannon had the game-high total of three goals, scoring all three in a row during the 5-0 scoring run, with Pat Young and Max Maxwell adding two more.
Redshirt senior Alex Hatem led the Spiders with two goals, while Goldberg added an assist. Attackman Dan Ginestro dished out a pair of assists in the contest.
Both teams had 22 turnovers, and Richmond generated eight more shots (35-27) than the Retrievers, but goalie Connor Gordon was up to the task, saving at least three shots in every quarter and collecting 13 on the day. He got the win, improving his record to 2-2.
Richmond goalie Benny Pugh collected four saves and freshman Dan Katzman came in during a penalty to make his first two collegiate saves.
Defenders Brendan Hynes and Jackson Cabot caused three turnovers each to tie the season high total, previously set by Cabot. Cabot also grabbed eight ground balls to set a new season high for UR.
The Spiders will open up their Southern Conference schedule next Saturday at 1 p.m., when they host VMI at Robins Stadium.