MISENHEIMER, N.C. - Over a week since their last regular season game, the Southern Virginia University men's lacrosse team showed no rust in the conference semifinal against Piedmont.
After jumping out to an early lead, the Knights outscored the Lions 8-2 in the second half to ensure their ticket to the USA South Championship game for the third time in five seasons.
Myles Nielson, the recently named conference Rookie of the Year, got the ball rolling just over a minute after the opening faceoff with the game's first goal. It sparked three more Southern Virginia tallies in the first five minutes to snatch control of the game.
Piedmont battled back in the second, trimming the deficit to just one by the end of the first half.
With the season on the line, the Knights shut the door in the final two quarters and put on a defensive clinic. Two rookie defenders, Fierce Miller and Britton Tidwell, were a nightmare for the Lions attackers. They combined to cause 8 turnovers as Piedmont found themselves with double-digit turnovers in each of the final two quarters.
Grant Davis and Garrett Zollinger produced three goals at the beginning of the fourth to stretch the lead to 15-8, seemingly putting the nail in the coffin. River Jackson scored the final goal in a 16-9 victory, marking the return of the Knights to the conference title game.
Looking Ahead
Southern Virginia will do battle with Pfeiffer, the three-time defending champs, on Saturday, May 2nd at 11:00 AM at Lefko-Mills Field.
The Knights are the last team to have defeated the Falcons in tournament play, dating back to their lone conference title in 2022.
For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_mlax on Instagram.
