FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist men's lacrosse team secured a berth in the USA South Conference Tournament with a 6-5 win over Ferrum on a soggy Saturday afternoon at Monarch Stadium.
 
The Monarchs (5-8, 3-3 USA South) scored the last three goals of the game to overcome a 5-3 deficit in the fourth quarter. Methodist earned the No. 3 seed with its 3-3 mark in league play. Greensboro, which also finished at 3-3, will be the No. 4 seed by virtue of MU's 10-7 win over the Pride earlier this season. Huntingdon and Piedmont will serve as the No. 1 and 2 seeds. Ferrum finishes the season with a mark of 5-12 and 2-4 in league play.
 
Tied 3-3 entering the fourth quarter, the Panthers scored the first two goals of the period 18 seconds apart to take a 5-3 lead on Mackoy Bodmer's goal with 7:20 to play. Nick Lemieux, who won 5 of 6 faceoffs in the fourth quarter for MU, secured possession for the Monarchs and Cade Crews promptly made it 5-4 with 6:44 to play with an unassisted tally.
 
Lemieux won the ensuing faceoff once again, bur Ferrum's Koby McMahon turned away a shot from Bryce Kephart and Ferrum took possession up 5-4 with 5:34 to play. As the clock ticked below four minutes to play, the Panthers were hit with a shot clock warning and Andrew Mayefskie forced a key turnover, coming up with the ground ball himself, and give the Monarchs possession back with 3:30 on the clock.
 
McMahon turned crews' potential game-tying shot with 2:38 to play away, but AJ Mejia secured the ground ball for the Monarchs, keeping possession with the home team. With 1:54 to play, Mejia tied the game at 5-5 with an unassisted goal as the Green & Gold found new life.
 
Lemieux won the following faceoff, his fifth successive win in the quarter, and Mejia fed Michael Bradley for the game-winning goal with 1:22 on the clock.
 
The Panthers had one final chance to win, forcing an MU turnover with 35 seconds remaining and calling timeout with 29 ticks left. Bodmer got a shot off that was saved easily by Clay Stevenson and Methodist ran out the clock for the win.
 
Ferrum outshot Methodist 35-20 and held a 27-22 lead in ground balls. The Panthers also held the Monarchs to an 0 for 5 with a man advantage, killing off four penalties in the second quarter alone.
 
Bradley scored three goals for MU, and Mejia and Kephart finished with a goal and an assist apiece. Mayefskie had three caused turnovers for MU and Lemieux finished 6 for 9 at the faceoff X with four ground balls. Bradley and Mejia added three ground ball apiece, as did Stevenson, who finished with 15 saves.
 
Jacob Boswell and Chas Tallon each scored twice for the Panthers, and McMahon finished with 11 saves.
 
Methodist will now play in the semifinal round of the USA South Tournament on Saturday at 7:30 pm against second-seeded Piedmont beginning at 7:30 pm. All tournament games will be played in LaGrange, Ga.