WEST POINT, Ga. — The Montreat College men's lacrosse team was on the road for its third straight match on Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers faced the Point University Skyhawks, falling short 15-12 in a tightly contested Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup. As a result, the Cavs now hold a 3-6 (0-3 AAC) record on the year, while the Skyhawks improve to a 6-4 (1-3 AAC) record.

The opening quarter saw the hosts apply quick offensive pressure, with Point grabbing an early 3-0 lead. Montreat responded to the Skyhawks with four unanswered goals. D'Andrae McKenzie scored at the 6:48 mark, sparking the momentum shift. Landon LaGro followed with another goal just 42 seconds later. Justin Holland scored off McKenzie assists merely 61 second apart, giving the Cavaliers a 4-3 lead with 3:03 remaining in the period. However, PU managed to equalize and then regain the lead with late tallies, concluding the first quarter with a 5-4 advantage over the Cavs.

Montreat capitalized on early opportunities in the second quarter, with Holland scoring a man-up goal to spark another 4-0 scoring run for the Cavaliers. That strike followed by goals from McKenzie and Owen Seamans. Holland polished off the run with another tally, pushing the Cavs' edge to 8-5 with just over six minutes left to play in the frame.

Garrett Thomson got in on the scoring fun, but the Skyhawks rallied to tie the game by the end of the half with successive strikes. As a result, the second quarter concluded with a 9-9 tie.

Scoring proved to be much more limited in the third period as both teams found the back of the net just once. The Cavaliers responded to Point's initial goal midway through the frame. Gavin Mottram scored off an assist from McKenzie, tying the game 10-10. Defense was the key for each squad down the stretch as neither team was able to convert their remaining chances into goals, leaving the score deadlocked at 10-10 heading into the final quarter of play.

The tie didn't last long as McKenzie opened the scoring in the fourth with a goal just 2:44 into the frame, assisted by Holland. Point quickly answered, evening the game up at 11-11. The Skyhawks did the same midway through the period in response to Thomson's go-ahead strike, leveling the showdown at 12-12. Despite the effort from Montreat, Point converted a total of four straight goals to finish the day with a 15-12 triumph.

The Skyhawks held the upper hand in shots (65-34), ground balls (31-18) and faceoffs (23-7). The Cavaliers owned the edge in saves (15-9) and successful clears (11-5), and they scored the day's only two extra man tallies.

Holland led the offensive effort with four goals and two assists, converting on five of his eight shots on target. McKenzie added to the scoring with three goals and three assists, contributing significantly to the team's performance. Jay Chance recorded 15 saves, matching the number of goals allowed, which helped maintain a competitive matchup. Thomson found the back of the net twice, with both of his shots on goal hitting their mark.

In their its game, Montreat faces No. 2 Keiser University at Pulliam Stadium in Black Mountain, N.C. The matchup is set for Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m.