NEWBERRY — In a top-10 South Atlantic Conference matchup, the No. 6 Newberry College men’s lacrosse team mounted a second-half push but came up short in a 16-12 loss to No. 4 Wingate on Saturday evening at Setzler Field. The Wolves move to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in SAC play.
Wingate came out fast, scoring the first four goals of the contest to take an early lead in the opening quarter. Newberry got on the board late in the period with an unassisted goal from Matthew Burt, but still trailed 4-1 after one. Newberry cut into the deficit early in the second quarter on a goal from Liam Vollans, but Wingate responded with a dominant stretch, scoring six unanswered goals to take a 10-2 advantage into halftime.
Despite the deficit, Newberry remained composed and efficient in transition, finishing the game 18-of-20 on clears while also applying defensive pressure that resulted in 15 forced turnovers. The Wolves came alive in the third quarter, putting together their best stretch of the night. Newberry erupted for six goals in the period, sparked by Vollans, who netted four in the quarter, to trim the deficit to 11-8 heading into the final frame.
Wingate answered early in the fourth quarter with three quick goals to regain control, but Newberry continued to battle. Goals from Vollans and Derek Caiazzo helped bring the Wolves within four, and late scores from Mason Carfello and Burt cut the margin to 15-12 with under a minute remaining. However, Wingate added a late insurance goal to secure the 16-12 result. Vollans led all scorers with a career-high six goals, while Scott Williams added four points on two goals and two assists. Burt contributed two goals, and Carfello finished with a goal and an assist in the effort. In goal, Ben McMullen recorded 13 saves to anchor the defensive unit.
Newberry returns to action on Saturday, April 11, traveling to face Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference play. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Harrogate, Tenn.
Leave a Reply