HPU Men’s Lacrosse Takes Rainy Loss to Brown

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s lacrosse team took a 21-8 loss in rainy conditions to Brown on Sunday afternoon at Vert Stadium. Redshirt-junior Bucky Smith had one goal and two assists in the game and freshman Dan Lomas scored twice.

“We didn’t execute well in any facet of the game today,” said head coach Jon Torpey. “Brown in a top-20 program which is the level we want to be at. If nothing else, today was a good measuring stick for the work we have to do.”

Brown started the game with a 5-0 run and never trailed. HPU cut the lead to three, 9-6, in the second quarter before the Bears pulled away.

Henry Blynn led the Bears’ offense with five goals and Johnny DePeters added four goals and one assist. Jack Kelly picked up the win in goal with seven saves for Brown. Brown went 18-for-19 on clear attempts.

Seven different Panthers scored in the game led by Lomas with two goals. Freshman Michael Messenger picked up two points with one goal and one assists. Redshirt-freshman Adam Seal scored one goal and picked up three ground balls. Redshirt-sophomore Austin Geisler made nine saves in the losing effort. Redshirt-sophomore Anthony Porchetta played 17 minutes in the cage, making six saves. Freshman Matt Siegmund made his first appearance of the season, playing the final 10 minutes and making one save.

Brown opened up a 5-0 lead to start the game. Sam Hurster scored first for the Bears, taking the ball from the far corner around the cage to the near post and shooting the ball past Geisler with 12:37 on the clock. Blynn scored his first of the day with 11:39 on the clock, sending a bullet in to the top right corner from a tough angle for Geisler. Blynn followed with a goal just over a minute later to push the lead to 3-0. With 8:35 to go in the opening quarter DePeters found Nick Bellistri at the top of the crease and Bellistri caught the ball and shot in one motion for a score.

Lomas and redshirt-freshman Brendan Montrello scored back-to-back goals for the Panthers to make it a 5-2 Brown lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Panthers rattled off three straight goals in the second quarter by Lomas, Smith and freshman Christian Beith to cut Brown’s lead to 9-6 with 2:33 left in the half. Brown scored twice in the final two minutes of the half to take a 11-6 lead to the locker room.

The Bears controlled play in the second half, opening with a 5-0 run en route to a 21-8 victory.

Freshman Jamie Piluso went 10-for-25 at the faceoff X and freshman Danny Czerkawski went 3-for-7. High Point won 13-of-31 faceoffs in the game.

Redshirt-junior Garrett Swaim had two caused turnovers and one ground ball and redshirt-freshman Jeff Hale had two ground balls and one caused turnover.

The Panthers host Lafayette on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Vert Stadium. It will be the second game of a double-header, following HPU women’s lacrosse against Longwood in Big South Conferenc action.