Sparks, MD - The Southern Virginia University men's lacrosse team packed their bags and paid a visit to the USA Lacrosse Headquarters, just north of Baltimore. While it was an exciting atmosphere, the Knights came out on the wrong end of the result, dropping their first game of the season to Stockton, 21-5.
Stockton got off to a quick start, opening the scoring less than a minute into the contest. They would add to their lead a few minutes later with a man-up, but the Knights managed to stave off their vaunted attack well for the remaining ten minutes of the first quarter. Southern Virginia goalkeeper Jace Lightfoot stood tall during seven minutes of no scoring before Peyton Merwin potted his seventh goal of the season to give his team some life.
Stockton won the ensuing faceoff and scored next to regain their two-goal lead, but a couple of Southern Virginia freshmen combined to bring Southern Virginia back within one before the end of the first. A turnover caused by Hunter Jones turned into an attack the other way and Abe Salmon found himself in the right place at the right time to score his second goal of the season. While Stockton had controlled the play, the Knights left themselves in an excellent position leading into the second quarter.
The remaining three-quarters were not as friendly to the Knights. Jace Lightfoot continued to be peppered by shots, forcing him to make save after save. Stockton would score the next ten goals before Abe Salmon found the back of the net for the first multi-goal game of his collegiate career. Peyton Merwin also added another and JC Winterton was the last scorer for the Knights before the final buzzer sounded.
Lightfoot finished with a season-high of 17 saves and Tyson Mauri, the reigning USA South offensive player of the week, led the team in assists with three. After two straight wins to open the season, the Knights record dips to 2-1. They'll visit Roanoke College next Tuesday, February 18th, to continue their non-conference slate. For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_mlax on Instagram.
