Richmond on four game winning streak with victory over High Point

The University of Richmond men’s lacrosse team ended the tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 as it stripped High Point University of its perfect conference record, beating the Panthers 11-6. 

The pressure was undeniable as the only two teams with 2-0 conference records faced each other. The Spiders have won seven straight games against High Point, but the last time the two met, Richmond narrowly won 11-10. 

Strong defense by the Panthers kept the first quarter close despite the Spiders having seven shots on goal while High Point only managed two. A technical foul on the Panthers gave the Spiders a man-up opportunity, allowing Richmond its first shot-on-goal. 

Despite numerous goal attempts on both sides, the Panthers continuously had wide shots while the Spiders faced a strong goalkeeper. High Point finally ended the scoring drought with a goal midway through the quarter, putting the first points on the board. 

The goal kicked Richmond into gear, as the Spiders retaliated with back-to-back goals. Struggling to widen the gap, both teams missed opportunities to score, giving the Spiders a tentative 2-1 lead at the buzzer.

Back-and-forth play was established early into the second quarter, and remained until the teams headed to the locker room for half time. Richmond halted scoring opportunities for the Panthers as High Point continued to suffer turnovers. While the Spiders offense excelled, the Panthers’ defense once again left Richmond with an unsteady lead.

The Spiders finally proved why they’re the No. 10 team in the nation in the third quarter. Opening play with a 2-0 run put Richmond four points ahead of the Panthers. Finally, with only three minutes on the clock, High Point managed a goal. However, Richmond took no pause, scoring two more goals and taking a 9-4 lead to tie-off the quarter. 

The Panthers had 15 minutes to close a five point gap, a nearly impossible task. High Point took the first goal of the quarter, four points now standing between them. Hope dwindled, however, when Richmond found the back of the goal twice. In one last push, the Panthers managed another goal, but the effort was futile as an 11-6 score loomed on the board in front of High Point, making them drop to second in the conference. 

Junior attacker Aidan O’Neil, senior attacker Lukas Olsson and sophomore attacker Lucas Littlejohn led the team, each recording two goals. On the other side of the field, graduate goalkeeper Zach Vigue tallied seven saves. 

Richmond will wrap-up home play on April 19 at noon with a matchup against University of Massachusetts Amherst. The two teams have only faced each other once, a game that the Spiders won 14-12. With only two regular games left, every game could change conference standings. 

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu