GREENSBORO, N.C.– In a tightly contested battle, the Guilford College men's lacrosse team (2-5, 0-0 ODAC) mounted a furious comeback attempt but fell short against Lake Forest College, losing 14-11 on Friday afternoon at Appenzeller Field.
 
As a collective, GC had 15 points on 11 goals and four assists, amounting 34 shots with 16 on frame. The Foresters were leaders in many categories such as ground balls (43-26), faceoffs (20-8), and shots (45-34). The Quakers had the upper hand when it came to saves, having 14 compared to Lake Forest's five.  
 
In between the sticks for the Quakers was Darius Safavi-Abbassi (Culver City, Calif.) who experienced a busy day at the office making 14 saves, against 14 goals, while facing 28 total shots. The junior drops to a save percentage of .518 and 2-4 on the season. Lake Forest saw two keepers take action as the last line of defense. Andrew Widlar was the starting keeper, making four saves against nine goals, finishing with a save percentage of .308, and improving to an overall record of 2-4. Jacob Lipson saw some action after Widlar received a delay of game call in the third quarter. Lipson notched one save against two goals.
 
Seth Woods (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) led the Quaker's with yet another impressive showing, amounting a team-high four goals, making it his third consecutive game with three or more goals. Gavin Brown (Charleston, S.C.) continued to show his playmaking abilities, slotting two past the keeper while assisting in two goals. Davis Palombo (Greensboro, N.C.) and Jacob Mills (Culpepper, Va.) each contributed with a brace, while Bashwyn Fitch (Charleston, S.C.) added one goal and one assist while having a team-high three ground balls.
 
Lake Forest came out guns-blazing, netting six goals in the first quarter while Guilford found the back of the next twice. The Foresters wasted no time making an impact, striking just 49 seconds into the game with a goal from Chas Dean. Macklin Thomas followed with another tally less than a minute later, quickly putting Guilford on the back foot. Jackson Derosia added a third goal at the 11:31 mark before the Quakers responded. Fitch was able to put the Quakers on the board at 7:58 with an unassisted goal, temporarily halting the opponent's momentum. However, the Foresters responded within just ten seconds, as Ryan Dousevicz slotted one past the keeper. Brown struck for the Quakers at 6:34, but Lake Forest closed the quarter strong, adding two goals near the end of the quarter to hold a 6-2 advantage.
 
The second quarter saw a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to generate consistent offensive momentum. Lake Forest continued to apply pressure, as Brendan Herbert netted a man-up opportunity at 12:38. Woods managed to break through at 11:20 with an unassisted goal, giving the Quakers a much-needed lift but was unfortunately met with a strong response as the Foresters closed out the quarter with two of their own, making it a score of 9-3 heading into the second half.
 
Coming out of the break, Guilford found new life in the third, outscoring Lake Forest 5-3 in a much-needed offensive push. Woods ignited the comeback at the 10-minute mark, followed by a solo goal from Brown, bringing the crowd to life with his shifty play. Mills delivered with a tally of his own at 3:23, assisted by none other than Brown. Woods put yet another one past the keeper before Mills closed out their scoring efforts with a helper from Brown, helping GC trim the deficit to 12-8.
 
Guilford continued to press in the final period, capitalizing on a man-up chance as Palombo netted an unassisted goal just 18 seconds into the quarter. The Foresters answered with a crucial goal from Herbert at 13;22, halting Guilford's surge. Palombo struck again, notching his 14^th goal of the season, at 10:49, keeping the Quakers within striking distance at 13-10. As the intensity increased, Woods completed his four-goal frenzy off a feed from Fitch, making it a two-goal game at 13-11. The good guys relentlessly pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but Lake Forest's defense held firm. Herbert delivered the final blow with his fourth of the contest at 6:41, sealing the 14-11 victory. 
 
The Quakers will look to regroup as they remain at home for their next matchup as they open up their conference slate against Roanoke College on Wednesday, March 19. First face-off is set for 4 P.M.
 
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