BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.— Montreat's men's lacrosse team hosted the (RV) Siena Heights University Saints at Pulliam Stadium on Thursday night. The chilly temperatures didn't phase the Michigan institution as the Saints beat the Cavs by a close score of 9-8. With the defeat, Montreat's record fell to 0-5.
The game was very close, with the largest lead being just two goals. In the opening quarter, each team scored three.
Gavin Mottram assisted the first two goals for Montreat. They were netted by
Conrad Stelzel and
Eli King, respectively. Mottram added the third point to the scoresheet himself when he found the net with a last-second shot. Goalkeeper
Jay Chance hurled a Hail Mary pass to Mottram down the field. Mottram fired a rocket into the goal as the horn sounded to end the quarter.
Each team added one to their totals in the second quarter, going into the half tied at four.
Garrett Thomson scored his second goal of the year to knot the contest before the break.
After the intermission, the visitors found some life. The Saints scored back-to-back strikes, taking the game's largest lead. Trailing 6-4,
Landon LaGro scored after another assist from Mottram.
In the concluding quarter,
Yasiel Sihombing scored his opening goal of the campaign when Thomson gave him a nice pass. The two teams traded goals back-and-forth the rest of the way. LaGro scored his second of the game with six-and-a-half minutes remaining. Trailing by two with under a minute to play, Mottram scored a solo goal, dodging four defenders in the process to bring the Cavs within one. Montreat won the ensuing faceoff and called a timeout to draw up a final play. After a Saints penalty with two seconds left, the Cavaliers could not get a shot on goal and fell in heartbreaking fashion, 9-8, to Siena Heights (3-0).
Between the sticks, Chance had an outstanding performance. He notched a season-high 21 saves in the contest. Chance tallied 11 saves in the first and continued his defensive prowess with 10 in the second half. It was clear that Chance's effort gave Montreat a chance to win the battle.
Individually for the Cavaliers, Mottram scored two goals and assisted three times. His five points led the Cavs. Thomson followed suit with three points thanks to a goal and two assists. Besides LaGro's two goals, no other Montreat player had more than one point.
Carlos Montoya led the hosts with nine ground balls. Mottram and Chance each had five. Montoya also had the most caused turnovers with three.
Collectively, Montreat took 31 shots to Siena Heights' 44. The Cavs outshot the Saints in the second quarter, 11-7. They lost 13 faceoffs while winning eight of their own. Montreat only had two fewer ground balls in the game than the visitors (49-47). When it came to clears, the Cavs went 20-for-26 while SHU converted 24 of their 28 attempts.
The Cavs will host again this weekend when the top team in the NAIA, the Keiser University Seahawks, fly north to face the Cavaliers in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) match. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Pulliam Stadium.
