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Bellarmine University Athletics

DellaRocco
John Sommers II
5
Bellarmine BELL 2-9, 0-3
13
Winner High Point HPU 3-5, 2-1
Bellarmine BELL
2-9, 0-3
5
Final
13
High Point HPU
3-5, 2-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Bellarmine BELL 0 2 2 1 5
High Point HPU 4 1 0 8 13

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse | | by Tanner Demling, Lacrosse Bucket

Knights mount comeback but High Point finishes strong to post 13-5 victory

HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Bellarmine Knights fell to the High Point Panthers 13-5 on the road on Saturday in their third Southern Conference contest of the season.

High Point took a 4-0 at the end of the first quarter and added another one early in the second to push their lead to 5-0. Griffin Bowie finally broke the seal for the Knights and put one past Panthers goalie Parker Green at the 6:09 mark in the second. Kyle Playsted ended the half with a behind-the-back goal in the dying seconds of the quarter to get Bellarmine their second of the day.

Playsted's highlight-reel goal to end the half proved to be the spark the Knights needed on offense. James Whiteford and Benny O'Rourk scored the game's only two third-quarter goals to cut the Panthers lead to 5-4 heading into the final stanza and give Bellarmine a shot of momentum. However, that didn't last long as the Panthers exploded for six straight goals to start the fourth quarter and seal the deal. Playsted scored the final goal for Bellarmine while Tyler Stinson and Michael Ippolito had the final two tallies for High Point.

The Knights had two shots early in the fourth, including an open look from Eric Rubak from up top, but weren't able to convert on either. The Knights only got five more shots the remainder of the final quarter.

"I think the game turned on the play where Eric Rubak got his hands free from the top center of the goal at 5-4 early in the 4th and the goalie never saw it," Bellarmine Coach Andy Whitley said. "They corralled the ball and scored on the ensuing possession. The momentum swung on that sequence and we couldn't get it back in our favor."

Bellarmine saw four different goal scorers with Playsted finding the back of the net twice while O'Rourk, Whiteford, and Bowie, each scored once. Landon Trout and Christian Della Rocco each dished out two assists.

Eric Rubak and Brendan Fennell led the Knights' close defensive unit with Rubak causing two turnovers and scooping up three ground balls while Fennell had two ground balls and one caused turnover. Additionally, Jon Robbins caused one turnover and scooped up two ground balls.

Robbins' one caused turnover puts him at 26 on the season, tying Bobby Schmitt's single-season record. Rubak's two caused turnovers moves to second all-time in the record book with 23 on the season. 

JC Higginbotham made four saves on the day in cage for the Knights.

Asher Nolting had eight assists to lead the High Point offense while Brayden Mayea and Kevin Rogers each had three goals and one assist for four points.

Parker Green made 12 saves to anchor the Panthers' defense.

Bellarmine and High point broke even on shots (33-33) and shots on goal (17-17), as well as clears with each going 17-for-20. Bellarmine held an edge on turnovers with the Panthers committing 21 while the Knights committed 11. Six of those High Point turnovers were caused. High Point held an edge in the ground ball battle, scooping up 36 to Bellarmine's 20.

"I think our ability to shoot the ball in pressure situations is still a work in progress", Whitley said "We're starting two freshmen at attack and have two freshmen and a sophomore in our top seven midfielders. Those guys are learning how to execute in pressure situations at a young age and sometimes we get the shot we're looking for, but don't execute it well."

Bellarmine (2-9) will be back in action next week on the road where they will face VMI in their fourth SoCon contest of the season.

 

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