GREENSBORO, N.C. -- In the first game of a lacrosse doubleheader at Armfield, the men's lacrosse team kicked the day off with a morning matinee against Messiah University. The Quakers kept pace with the Falcons through the half, but eventually slid through the last two quarters, losing 19-9.
Guilford levels out at 4-4, while Messiah improves to 6-2.
Darius Safavi-Abbassi (Culver City, Calif.) struggled more between the sticks in today's outing, but made 10 saves, with a percentage of .345. Opposing goalkeeper Jourdain Algarin saved 12 shots with a percentage of .571.
Jax Atkins (Mechanicsville, Va.) manned every faceoff for the Quakers, winning 17 in the circle, also having six ground balls. Drew Sizemore (Greensboro, N.C.) had the same amount, and Jason Campbell (Fairfax, Va.) scooped up five of his own.
Bashwyn Fitch (Charleston, S.C.) led all GC players with three scores, while Atkins had his first multi-goal outing of the season with two. On the other side, offensive threat Mike McKnelly had a game-high five scores.
Penalties and turnovers defined the first few minutes of play, and Messiah was the first to take advantage of a Guilford mistake. Seth Libby got the visitors on the board, and shortly doubled their lead after a similar sequence just a minute later. Messiah were on fire at this point, playing clinical defense and getting down the field for their third goal in the first nine minutes. After holding firm through another Falcon offensive possession, Fitch ended the drought for Guilford, getting them on the scoreboard. The moment was short-lived, however, as MU replied with three straight goals to; dominating the contest up 6-1. Atkins would give the Quakers some life as the quarter approached its end, taking the next faceoff directly down the field for a solo effort.
GC took advantage of a man-up opportunity to start the second stanza, as Gavin Brown (Charleston, N.C.) brought them back within three. Fitch was that man yet again later on, scoring solo to put Guilford only down 6-4. Messiah took a timeout to regroup, and wisely it was, as they ended their slight drought with their seventh of the day. Fitch reduced Guilford's lead right back to two, and completed his hat-trick with under nine minutes in the half. GC would get as close as one goal with the Falcons, as Brown capitalized on the man-up opportunity once more, netting his second to make the scoreline 7-6. However, Messiah fueled themselves heading into intermission, netting three scores in succession to go up 10-6.
MU got their fourth straight to begin the second half, but Seth Woods (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) found his way onto the scoreboard to end Guilford's own scoring drought; now only down 11-7. Both teams kept matching pace, scoring right after one another, Gabe Alvarez (Cary, N.C.) and Chad Teresky for the visitors, as the score became 12-8. The conditions of the contest turned fully in the visitors' favor, as two more scores went their way later on. Deja vu from the first, Atkins took a faceoff the length of the field, giving Guilford a slimmer of momentum as the third stanza came to a close. Messiah led by the 14-9 margin.
Heading towards the games' close, the Falcons were truly in the drivers' seat. Guilford was outclassed, going scoreless; as Messiah scored five to denounce the Quakers to the loss.
Now over a month into their spring slate, Guilford opens up conference play next Saturday, trekking up to Lexington, Virginia to battle Washington and Lee. First faceoff on March 23 is set for 1:00 p.m.
