Site: High Point, N.C. (Vert Stadium)
Score: High Point 16, Jacksonville 11
Records: High Point (5-5, 4-1), Jacksonville (7-6, 4-2)
Next HPU Event: SoCon Semifinal, Wednesday, May 5th vs Jacksonville (Richmond, Va, 8:00 PM)
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s lacrosse team defeated Jacksonville 16-11 on Saturday afternoon, as seven Panthers scored in the win. Brayden Mayea was again the team’s leading scorer with five goals in the win. Mayea has scored 11 goals in his last two times out for the Purple & White. Hunter Vines and Kevin Rogers each ended the day with hat tricks scoring three goals in the winning effort. While the Panthers won, Richmond lost to Air Force which gave HPU a share of the SoCon regular-season title.
“Proud of the effort, that’s our seniors’ last home game so it is always a special time for them,” Coach Jon Torpey said after the 16-11 win over JU. “I thought the guys played well today, definitely some things we need to clean up.”
After a six-goal performance in his last time out Mayea again got the scoring started. The freshman scored less than four minutes in to put HPU up 1-0. With 9:29 left in the first quarter, Rogers added to the Panther lead making it 2-0. It quickly became 3-0 as Jack Vanoverbeke picked a ball off of a shot and was able to finish. With 3:54 to play Clayton Krol made it two games in a row with a goal as the starting defender scored from the restraining line to make it 4-0. Rogers fired a hard shot and scored to give HPU a five-goal lead to start the game. JU scored late in the first quarter, but the Panthers ended the quarter on a high note as Vanoverbeke scored a behind-the-back goal on the run to make it 6-1 heading to the second quarter.
Jacksonville opened up the second quarter with a goal, but the Panthers answered with one of their own, moments later as Henry Mudlaff scored his first goal in an HPU uniform. The Panther ride generated the goal, Asher Nolting made the stop, scooped it up, and found Mudlaff for the seventh goal of the game. The Panthers again answered the goal with one from Rogers which made it 8-3 with 10:30 to play in the second quarter. A little over two minutes later Sean Coughlin fired a rocket of a pass to Mayea who scored to give HPU nine goals and a six-goal lead with 8:10 to play in the second quarter. The Dolphins scored two in the last eight minutes of the quarter. High Point took a 9-5 lead into the break.
Mayea continued his day of hot shooting in the second half as opened the third up with a Panther goal. Koby Russell found Mayea. Vines got on the board with 11:08 to play to make it 11-5. Mayea scored his fourth of the day giving the Purple & White a 12-5 lead with 9:46 in the third. JU scored two goals to end the quarter which made it a 12-7 game heading into the fourth quarter.
50 seconds in Vines added the first goal of the fourth quarter pushing the High Point total to 13 goals, Vines created space and was able to score on the run. Tyler Stinson found Dalton Sulver as the seniors connected for the Panthers’ 14th goal of the day. After a JU goal, HPU would score its last two goals of the day. Mayea and Vines each scored to give High Point a final total of 16 goals. Jacksonville scored four goals in the fourth. HPU would go on to win 16-11 in the SoCon regular-season finale.
Up Next: High Point will face Jacksonville again, in the SoCon Semifinals on Wednesday, May 5th at 8:00 PM in Richmond, Va.