FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist men's lacrosse returned home Friday evening at Monarch Stadium but fell to Southwestern University, 14–6, in non-conference action.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Southwestern def. Methodist, 14–6
Records: Methodist 1-4, Southwestern 3-0
Location: Monarch Stadium; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Southwestern struck first, scoring at the 12:17 mark of the opening quarter, but Methodist answered less than two minutes later when senior RJ Breeden found the back of the net to even the contest at 1–1. The Pirates quickly seized momentum, however, rattling off four consecutive goals over the final 7:48 of the period to build a 5–1 advantage after one. Southwestern controlled possession early, winning key faceoffs and outshooting the Monarchs 6–2 in the frame.
- The second quarter featured a tighter defensive battle. Methodist capitalized on a man-up opportunity at the 12:27 mark, as senior J.R. Newman converted off a feed from Marcus Myers to cut the deficit to 5–2. The Monarch defense, anchored in goal by freshman Cole Rigsbee, weathered heavy pressure as Southwestern fired 14 shots in the quarter. Despite several key saves from Rigsbee, the Pirates added two late goals — including one in the closing seconds — to carry a 7–2 lead into halftime.
- Southwestern extended its advantage in the third quarter with a man-up goal and another score just over two minutes later, pushing the margin to 9–2. Methodist responded midway through the period when Owen Andrews finished a pass from Nick Spinola and freshman Logan Garrett later scored off an assist from Josh Crabtree to trim the deficit to 10–4 entering the fourth. While the Monarchs showed resilience offensively, the Pirates continued to generate quality looks, finishing the quarter with 17 shots.
- In the final period, Southwestern put the game out of reach with four unanswered goals in a seven-minute stretch, building a 14–4 cushion. Methodist continued to compete until the final whistle, as Garrett netted his second goal of the night and sophomore Jay Legg added a late score off a pass from LJ Oby in the closing minute to account for the 14–6 final.
FAST FACTS
- Garrett led Methodist with two goals, while Newman, Legg, Breeden, and Andrews each added one.
- Sophomores Spinola, Oby, Crabtree, Myers, and Logan Florio each recorded an assist.
- Rigsbee played all 60 minutes in goal, tallying 13 saves against 50 Southwestern shots (27 on goal).
UP NEXT
Methodist hits the road for its next two games, starting with a non-conference game at Averett University on Wednesday, March 4. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 6 PM.
