MISENHEIMER, N.C. – Piedmont men’s lacrosse surrendered a late lead, falling against No. 3 seed Methodist in the USA South Tournament Semifinals on Thursday night in North Carolina.
The Lions and Monarchs went back-and-forth in the early going until Piedmont looked like it had taken control with a 7-3 advantage early in the second half. However, Methodist was undeterred, slowly erasing its four-goal deficit across the second half, eventually overtaking the Lions with a man-up goal in the game’s final minute.
Zach Avila, Jacob Hasbrouck and Noah McGriff paced Piedmont offensively, scoring two goals apiece.
Defensively, goalie Mike Eisele stood tall with 13 saves, marking the second time this season he has reached double digit saves against the Monarchs.
This marks the second time in the last three seasons the Lions have lost by one goal in the semifinal round.
The season concludes for the Lions with a 10-5 record, the fourth straight season in which they have won 10 or more games.
TURNING POINT:
– After a 4-0 scoring run culminated with back-to-back goals from Avila to give Piedmont a 7-3 lead at the 10:57 mark of the third quarter, the Lions were only able to score once more the rest of the way.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
– Despite Methodist’s advantage in shots on goal, Eisele helped the Lions build a lead with a 13 save performance.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
– Methodist held the advantage in faceoffs, winning 14-of-20 on the evening.
