The Hobart lacrosse team rallied from a four-goal deficit to tie High Point at 7 late in the fourth quarter, but the host Panthers scored twice in the final three minutes to take the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams 9-7.
Sophomore goalie Jackson Faiola made 12 saves for the Statesmen. Sophomore defenseman Brady Comella logged a team-high three caused turnovers and grabbed four ground balls. Faceoffs were even in the game, but graduate student Cole Emmanuel went 9-of-15 with a game-high six ground balls. Offensively, the Statesmen got points from nine different players with senior Will Delano the only one with a multipoint game, scoring a pair of goals.
The Panthers got a game-high five points on a goal and four assists from sophomore Justin Wixted. First-year Owen Bunten, who came into the game second in the A10 in goals per game (3.0), was limited to two goals. Junior Luca Accardo was 10-of-20 on faceoffs, grabbed a team-high five ground balls and scored what proved to be the game-winning goal. First-year long-stick midfielder James Westbrooks recorded a team-high three caused turnovers. Junior Zack Overend made 14 saves to earn the win in goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Panthers pounced on the Statesmen early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Tye Steenhuis got Hobart on the board with 41 seconds left in the opening quarter.
- The defenses ruled the second quarter as each team managed to score just one. First-year Daniel Cano tallied for the Statesmen, who trailed 4-2 at the half.
- High Point scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half, stretching its lead to four.
- Hobart started to rally with two goals in the final three minutes of the third. Senior John Jude Considine’s unassisted strike was followed by Delano’s team-leading fifth extra-man goal of the season.
- Bunten made it a 7-4 game early in the fourth quarter, but the Statesmen responded with three straight to tie the game.
- Junior Cade Dino used a split dodge to get to the front of the goal and scored his 13th goal of the season with just over eight minutes left.
- First-year Bryce Johnson made it a one-goal game, scoring an extra-man goal off an assist from senior Alex Rosa at the 3:20 mark.
- Fourteen seconds later, Delano fired home his 16th goal of the year, assisted by junior defenseman Michael Schafer, tying the game at 7.
- Accardo won the ensuing faceoff and took it straight to the cage, putting the Panthers back in front.
- HPU added an insurance goal with under two minutes left.
GAME NOTES
- Hobart was 2-for-4 with the extra-man. It’s the first time the Statesmen have scored more than one extra-man goal in a game since scoring two against Michigan on Feb. 15.
- Comella’s three caused turnovers are tied for the most by a Statesman in a game this season. He leads the team with 11 caused turnovers this season.
FOR THE RECORD
- Hobart dropped to 3-7 overall, 0-1 in the A10.
- High Point improved to 4-6, 1-0.
HEADING HOME
- Today marked the final game of a four-game road trip for the Statesmen. Hobart will return to Urick Stadium to host nationally-ranked Richmond (7-3, 1-0) at noon on Saturday, April 5.
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