GREENSBORO, N.C. – Behind a brilliant showing in net by Darius Safavi-Abbassi (Culver City, Calif.), the Guilford College men's lacrosse team (2-6, 1-3 ODAC) picked up their first Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory of the spring and their first under Head Coach Dylan Neisler, shutting down Randolph College (3-8, 1-3 ODAC), 7-2, at Appenzeller Field in the Armfield Athletic Center on Wednesday night.

Locking down defensively, GC permitted just a tandem of WildCat goals in the game, their fewest allowed in a game since February 23^rd, 2013 when they blasted Piedmont University, 20-2. Individually, Safavi-Abbassi surpassed 500 career saves in the game.

On paper, Randolph had every reason to win the game in this tight defensive bout. They outshot their hosts 44-35 including 22-18 on-goal. Guilford committed 22 turnovers against RC's 17 while they found themselves on more man-advantage chances. However, the Quakers won the battle in the circle, 8-5, finished 28-32 on clears against the WildCats' 22-29 mark, and were more-efficient offensively in the win.

Safavi-Abbassi enjoyed a career-day posting a career-best .909 save rate making 20 stops against just two goals yielded in the contest. He got the win to improve to 2-6. Keegan Slider allowed seven goals while making 11 stops for RC, falling to 3-8 in goal.

Kenneth Crowley (Charlotte, N.C.) outscored Randolph himself, netting a trio of goals in the game while scooping two groundballs. Nick Ianonne (Wellington, Fla.) scored a pair of tallies, including the eventual game-winner, and controlled the circle with a 7-11 showing in the circle while leading field players with five groundballs. Jason Campbell (Fairfax, Va.) scored one goal and assisted on another while Brendon Bradford (King, N.C.) netted his first-career goal.

Jacob Bucceri scored both RC goals in the game with Noah Callahan assisting on one. Callahan also went 4-5 in on faceoffs. Chase Callan led the guests in shots, although only half were on-target. Britton Malcolm took nine shots with eight on-frame.

Guilford opened the scoring in this one at the 8:27 mark, backing out before Crowley got downhill to his right, shooting cross-crease to the bottom-right of the net for the icebreaker. They got another in under the wire of the half, this time from Campbell working across the field, fighting through contact and jarring a defender's stick free, and going bottom-left for the goal.

Iannone opened the second quarter scoring, navigating through the defense and getting to his left hand then bouncing a shot over the keepers' stick and into the left side of the net for a goal. Randolph got one back with Callahan working from behind the frame and passing to Bucceri as he got knocked down, but he got enough on the redirect for RC's first goal. Crowley got the lead back to three though, working behind the net and causing the defender to trip over the back of the goal. The junior swiftly changed directions, circled in front, and went short-side for the tally, bringing the score to 4-1 at the half.

Into the second stanza, Bucceri got one back unassisted at with 13:21 remaining but the Quakers locked down from there. GC added on at the 7:46 mark with Campbell hitting a driving Bradford, going bottom-left for his first-career goal. Later, Crowley took care of another tally himself, going short-side after working from behind the net.

In the fourth, Iannone iced things by shaking his defender near midfield, getting downhill and firing home his second of the game, bringing the tallies to their final, at 7-2.

Guilford hosts the other Randolph, Randolph-Macon, next on Saturday, April 4^th. First faceoff at Appenzeller is set for 2:00 PM.

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