HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va.- The Guilford College men's lacrosse team closed out its 2025 regular season with a 13-5 loss to Hampden-Sydney College on Wednesday afternoon at Lewis C. Everett Stadium. With the defeat, the Quakers finish with a 5-12 overall record and 3-7 record in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play. The Tigers move to 11-5 overall and 6-3 in ODAC play.
Statistically, Hampden-Sydney held a 50-29 edge in total shots, including a 27-17 advantage in shots on goal. The Tigers scooped up 37 ground balls to Guilford's 24 and finished 21-of-24 on clear attempts. Hampden-Sydney dominated the faceoff circle, winning 17-of-22, while the Quakers went 0-for-3 on extra-man opportunities. The Quakers forced 16 turnovers and committed 31 of their own in a game that featured several unforced errors and clearing struggles.
Guilford's goalkeeping duo held their own under heavy pressure.
Darius Safavi-Abbassi (Culver City, Calif.) played the opening three quarters and recorded 11 saves on 24 shots on goal, while conceding 13, moving his save percentage to .512. His overall record moves to 5-11 on the season.
Gavin Dellinger (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) took over for the final 15 minutes and was perfect between the pipes, stopping all three shots he faced to keep Hampden-Sydney scoreless in the fourth quarter, moving his save percentage to .408.
Davis Palombo (Greensboro, N.C) led the way with three goals, making it his sixth game in-a-row with a hat-trick while
Bashwyn Fitch (Charleston, S.C.) and
Cam Walters (Greensboro, N.C.) added one apiece.
Gavin Brown (Charleston, S.C.) was the only Quaker with a helper. Defensively,
Drew Sizemore (Greensboro, N.C.) and
Wyatt Dwyer (Seattle, Wash.) continued their dominant seasons', combining for six caused turnovers and ten ground balls.
Hampden-Sydney's offensive unit showcased depth and efficiency throughout the afternoon. Cole Palmer led the Tigers with five goals, while Broder Conley added a pair. Ten different players registered at least one point, and the hosts tallied 12 assists on their 13 goals.
Guilford showed early flashes of momentum in the first quarter. Palombo opened the scoring at the 8:29 mark, followed by a HS-C goal from Palmer, assisted by Hanes. One minute later Walters went coast-to-coast to secure the Quakers' second goal. However, Hampden-Sydney answered with three straight goals in the final two minutes of the quarter to grab a 4-2 advantage.
Fitch provided a momentary spark for Guilford with a goal at 12:04, followed less than a minute later by Palombo's second, assisted by Brown. The Tigers took no time to clap back with a continued surge in the second quarter, scoring six more goals behind a balanced attack that featured four different Tigers. Still, the hosts-controlled possession and finished the half on a 4-0 run to take a commanding 10-4 lead into the break.
In the third quarter, Guilford struggled to maintain offensive rhythm while Hampden-Sydney added three more goals, extending the lead to 13-4. Safavi-Abbassi made several key stops in net during the period, ending his day with 11 saves before giving way to Dellinger in the fourth, who posted three saves in a scoreless final quarter for the Tigers.
Palombo completed his hat trick with a solo goal at the 11:41 mark of the fourth, capping Guilford's scoring. Despite the Quakers generating nine shots in the final period.
The men's lacrosse team now looks to the rest of the ODAC schedule to determine its postseason positioning as the Quakers hope to earn a spot in the conference tournament.
#GoQuakes
