Piluso Leads HPU MLAX Panthers To 13-10 Win Over Robert Morris

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s lacrosse team picked up its second straight win after dispatching of visiting Robert Morris, 13-10, on Saturday inside Vert Stadium.

HPU trailed by two (9-7) with 7:45 to go in the third quarter, but from there, the Panthers surged ahead with a 5-0 run to built a three goal lead (12-9) it would not relinquish.

The second-half dominance was sparked by junior Jamie Piluso’s play in the face-off circle. The Ridgewood, N.J. native went 19-of-27 on face-offs and won 10-of-12 after the break. He also led the Panthers with a season high 11 ground balls.

“I thought Jamie played really well, but I also think [redshirt-junior] Harris Levine and [junior] Adam Seal played really well on the wings,” head coach Jon Torpey said. “When we really needed possession in the second half those guys got it for us.”

Redshirt-junior Brad James and junior Matt Thistle led the HPU attack with four points apiece. James had a steal and an assist and Thistle posted three goals and an assist.

“Those guys really stepped up and provided leadership today,” Torpey said. “I was really proud of our effort and communication today.”

The team once again showed their depth as 10 players tallied at least one point. Sophomore Michael LeClair chipped in with two goals and one assist as Levine registered his first multi-point game of his career with a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, Seal posted his first goal and assist of the year.

Seal also came up big in the ground ball game picking up four ground balls as the Panthers won the ground ball battle 33-22. Likewise, the Purple & White earned a +4 (36-32) margin in shots.

Nine different Panthers caused a turnover with junior Zack Price causing a pair. Redshirt-senior Austin Geisler made 11 stops in goal and grabbed three ground balls to earn his third win of the year.

High Point opened the scoring at the 12:56 mark of the first quarter when Thistle found the back of the net to post his 10th score of the season. RMU tied it up at 1-1 two minutes later and took a 2-1 lead on a goal from James Rahe with 7:07 to go in the opening half. Sophomore Cole Carns notched his 10th goal of the season to tie the game up at 2-2 and HPU surged in front by one (3-2) after a goal from freshman T Moyer with 10:50 to go in the second quarter. But the Colonials once again converted an equalizer to tie the score at 3-3 with 7:20 to play in the opening half.

After RMU built a 4-3 lead, a punishing check from Piluso led to a RMU turnover and a transition offensive opportunity for the Panthers. Levine found LeClair in the top left portion of the attack box, and the sophomore rifled a shot into the back of the RMU cage to tie the score back up at 4-4 with 5:35 to play in the half.

Piluso, then, found Seal on the break on the ensuing possession and the junior fired home a goal that put HPU up 5-4. RMU scored the next three goals to go up 7-5, but Brad James added a goal off a good feed from Thistle late in the quarter to send HPU into the break trailing by one (7-6).

HPU won the opening faceoff of the second half and capitalized, as Thistle blizted a shot past the RMU keeper to tie it at 7 after a perfect set up from LeClair. RMU scored the next two goals of the game to go up 9-7, but LeClair once again answered the call for HPU with a goal to make it 9-8 with 6:33 to play in the third. Robinson’s goal at the 4:26 mark proved to be an equalizer after James found him to tie the score at 9-9.

Then, James found the back of the net with 13:40 to go in the fourth quarter to put HPU back up one at 10-9. HPU’s run reached 5-0 after goals from redshirt-junior Spencer Wichert and Levine made it 12-9 with 10:49 remaining. RMU posted a score with 2:51 left in the game, but Thistle added a score with 1:46 to go to ice the 13-10 win for the Panthers.

HPU returns to action next Saturday (March 7) with a game at Marist. Game time is scheduled for noon in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.