FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  The Monarchs men's lacrosse team came out firing in the third quarter to break a tie and jump out to an 8-5 lead, but visiting Virginia Wesleyan rallied in the fourth to defeat the Monarchs 9-8 in a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon.

Methodist started off each half with a flurry of goals, opening the first and third quarters on 3-0 runs but Virginia Wesleyan scored four unanswered goals, spanning the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, to steal the win. Greg Gaetano scored the game-tying goal and two minutes later, the game-winning goal in the fourth quarter for the Marlins.

That tally was the Marlins' first lead of the game, though the score was tied three times.

The Monarchs' offense was powered by four goals from Matt Pemberton and three from Connor Glenn. Mark Chatt had four assists for Methodist.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Virginia Wesleyan def. Methodist, 9-8
Records: Methodist 1-2, Va. Wesleyan 2-0
Location: Monarch Stadium; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With five minutes and fourteen seconds remaining in the game, Gaetano scored the eventual game-winner. The Monarchs were rewarded an extra-man opportunity in the final minute but AJ Mejia's shot was blocked with 16 seconds left and the Marlins were able to run out the clock.
• Methodist has to be lamenting the missed extra-man opportunities. Methodist was one-of-seven when playing with the man advantage, including zero-of-four in the second half in the favorable situation. Although each team scored once in that style of opportunity, the Marlins scored a crucial goal while down a player in the third quarter.
• With around nine minutes remaining, the Monarchs thought they had a goal to take a two-point lead but Jackson Bingham's goal was waived off. Two minutes later, Gaetano scored the equalizer.
• The Monarchs' first three goals in the third quarter came within less than two minutes of each other. Chatt assisted on each goal with Pemberton scoring the first two goals and Glenn notching the last. Pemberton scored the fourth and final goal off the quarter as a response to a Marlins' goal.
• Glenn set the tone for the game with two goals in the first two minutes of the game. His goals were 13 seconds apart and Pemberton notched the third goal more than a minute left.
• The Marlins countered the 3-0 deficit with three unanswered goals to end the first quarter.
• The second quarter was all defense as each team only scored one goal on a combined 13 shots. Halfway through the quarter, the Monarchs' Jack Bryan scored the first goal to break the 3-3 tie but Jon Onia would later tie the game again with a goal with 51 seconds remaining before halftime.

STAT FACTS

• The Marlins outpaced the Monarchs in shots, 43-34, outshooting Methodist in each quarter. Especially in the first and last quarters, owning the shot differential 26-17. Initially, the shot difference did not show up on the scoreboard.
• The Marlins had better luck putting shots on goal, as well. Liam Von Hoene was busy and under duress at times, earning 16 saves, including six in the final frame, trying to stave off a Virginia Wesleyan offensive, while Kyle Leeming, the Marlins' goalie only had nine saves.
• Glenn led the Monarchs in shots taken with ten and Pemberton took eight shots.
• AJ Mejia and Andrew Mayefskie scooped up a team-high nine ground balls and Chatt picked up seven ground balls to go with his four assists.
• The 10-10 draw in faceoffs and the slight advantage the Monarchs held in ground balls (46 to 44) reflected the tight score. Nick Lemieux was involved in all 20 faceoffs in Methodist.
• Gaetano led Virginia Wesleyan with four goals and Nathan Sheirburn had two goals and an assist. Five other Marlins earned points. Gaetano and Cole Maguire led their team with seven shots.

UP NEXT

• The Monarchs return to the field Thursday at 7 p.m. against Guilford in Greensboro, N.C.
• The Marlins will be traveling to Savannah, Georgia, to play Piedmont on March 2 at 11 a.m.