LEXINGTON, Va. – The 12th-ranked High Point University men's lacrosse team defeated VMI, 18-9, Friday to open Southern Conference play.
High Point (7-1, 1-0) oushot VMI (3-3, 0-2) 47-35 with 26 of HPU's shots coming on goal and 21 of VMI's hitting the target. The Panthers went 27-3 at the face-off 'X' and recorded a .917 clearing percentage (22-24). The Purple & White picked up 46 ground balls to VMI's 28.
Sophomore Asher Nolting led the Panthers with a career-high five goals and one assist, while redshirt senior Chris Young added three goals and one assist. Sophomore Koby Russell logged a team and career-high three assists. Junior Davis Sampere was the leader at the face-off 'X' for HPU going 17-for-19 and picking a up a team-high 12 ground balls.
The Panthers opened the game with a 4-0 run with goals from Nolting, Young and freshmen Adam Ritter and Hunter Vines. The Keydets scored their first goal with 5:55 left in the first quarter on Aidan Riley’s third of the year. HPU responded with two goals from Young and led 6-1 after the first quarter.
Nolting opened the second-quarter scoring with a goal at the 11:44 mark. VMI scored its second goal with 10:04 left in the half, getting Donald Proper’s third of the season. Nolting added four and sophomore Sean Coughlin scored a goal for HPU to stretch the High Point lead to 11-2 at halftime. Russell dished out two assists, while senior Jake Schleppy, Nolting, Young and sophomore Tyler Stinson all pitched in one assist for High Point in the first half.
The Panthers put 14 shots on goal, grabbed 26 ground balls and went 13-for-13 on clears in the first half. HPU was 13-for-15 at the face-off 'X' in the first half.
The Purple & White added six goals in the third quarter with Vines, seniors Griff Caligiuri and Brandon Savoie and juniors Ben Baker and Dalton Sulver scoring for HPU. Sulver scored the lone goal for the Purple & White in the fourth quarter.
The Keydets matched High Point's play in the second half as the teams scored seven goals apiece over the final two periods. Johnny Daniel and Josh Bass led the way with two goals each and Proper added another late in the game. Ryan Perouty and Jon Fant were also credited with goals during the match, while Daniel, John O'Donnell and Timothy Barile each had an assist.
Savoie and sophomore Jack Cook combined to go 9-for-9 at the face-off 'X' for HPU. Baker, Sulver and Vines all scored two goals for the Purple & White. Senior Tim Troutner Jr. made a team-high eight saves in the cage for the Panthers. Redshirt sophomore Griffin Basile saved a career-high four shots for HPU.
Up next, the Panthers will continue conference play in Jacksonville, Florida, as they take on Jacksonville on March 23. The opening face-off is set for 12 p.m.
The Keydets return to action next Saturday with a Southern Conference home game against Mercer slated for a noon at Drill Field No. 2.