MISENHEIMER, N.C.– The Guilford College men's lacrosse team (1-3, 0-0 ODAC) struggled to contain a high-powered Pfeiffer University (2-2, 0-0 USAS) offense, falling 19-6 in a road matchup at Lefko-Mills Field on Wednesday evening.
As a force, Guilford earned seven points on six goals and one assists, while dishing out 24 shots with 12 of those on target, and 34 ground balls.
Darius Safavi-Abbassi (Culver City, Calif.) got the nod in net, saving 15 shots against 19 goals, with a .441 save percentage, dropping to 1-2 on the season. Korbin Hamilton got the start in goal for the Falcons, saving six shots against six goals, with a .500 save percentage, earning his first win moving to 1-2 on the season.
Davis Palombo (Greensboro, N.C.) continued his scoring streak to three games, dropping a brace on three shots, and collecting two ground balls.
Bashwyn Fitch (Charleston, S.C.),
Gavin Brown (Charleston, S.C.),
Drew Sizemore (Greensboro, N.C.), and
Jacob Mills (Culpepper, Va.), each contributed one goal, rounding out Guilford's scoring effort.
Guilford and Pfeiffer exchanged early goals, with Palombo striking first for the Quakers at the 12:01 mark of the first quarter. However, Pfeiffer quickly seized control, scoring five consecutive goals to build a 6-1 advantage. Fitch provided a much-needed response for GC with late first-quarter goal, but Pfeiffer's Mason Tardiff found the back of the net in the closing seconds, providing the Falcons with a 7-2 lead after one.
The second quarter saw Pfeiffer continue their offensive onslaught, netting six unanswered goals to extend their lead to 13-2. The Quakers finally broke the scoring drought when Sizemore converted a man-up opportunity at 2:17, cutting the deficit to 13-3.
Guilford's defense tightened up in the third quarter, limiting Pfeiffer to just two goals, but the Quakers were unable to generate consistent offensive momentum, failing to score in the period. Pfeiffer added goals from Trent Orr and Dylan Sullivan to extend their lead to 15-3 entering the final frame.
In the final quarter, the Quakers found some offensive rhythm, with Brown scoring off a helper from
Sam Newton (Greensboro, N.C.). Pfeiffer, however, remained in control, adding four more goals down the stretch. Mills and Palombo each found the back of the net late, but the deficit was too large to overcome as Pfeiffer secured the 19-6 victory.
The Men's Lacrosse team looks to return home Saturday, March 1, as they host Oglethorpe University. First face-off is set for 1 PM.
#GoQuakes
