GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - Southwestern University Men's Lacrosse fell inches short on Friday night against a Sewanee squad who sits at the top of the SAA standings, 9-7. The Pirates fall to 0-2 in conference play, while the Tigers move to 3-0. 

The Southwestern faithful showed out in numbers on Friday night for Grub and Gameday as Pirate Dining catered the night for over 350 Pirate fans. Southwestern looked to earn their first SAA victory against a Sewanee squad who received national ranking votes. 

The Tigers showed were dominant to start the game with two goals in the first four minutes. However, junior Trey Pena took over against the ninth ranked face-off player in the nation according to percentage. Pena won all five face-offs in the first quarter as senior Matthew Houtz scored the Pirates first goal. Sophomore Keaten Cox found the back of the net to knot the game up at 2-2. 

Sophomore Sam Stillwell was incredible defensively in the first half with four caused turnovers. Sophomore Marshall Mohun brought the house down with two straight goals that gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead as Varsity Field was buzzing. Houtz received the assist on his second goal. However, Sewanee responded in a big way with three goals within 70 seconds that marked a crucial swinging point of the game. Southwestern trailed 5-4 at halftime as the statistics were even. 

The Pirates played a poor third quarter as the Tigers took a 8-4 lead, manufacturing only three shots on goal. However, the Pirates found life in the fourth as senior Jackson Strauser scored on an assist from Abram Gareis. One minute later, senior Matthew Swandal scored to pull within two goals with 13 minutes remaining. The Tigers responded one minute later to build a three-goal lead. Houtz scored his second of the night with five minutes remaining to keep the Pirates within two. Despite the strong fourth quarter, Southwestern could not convert in the final five minutes as the Tigers escaped with the 9-7 win. 

GAME NOTES

• Southwestern recognized the Chunch Brunch crew before the game on Friday for their continued support of Pirate Athletics, helping making our University a true community. 
• Strauser notched his 95th career goal. 
• Sophomore Dante Avicolli collected 12 saves, notching 125 on the season. 
• Pena finished 13 for 19, proving he is one of the top face-off players in the nation. 
• The junior also collected nine ground balls, surpassing 200 for his career at 94 this season. 
• Stillwell finished with four caused turnovers and four ground balls. 
• Houtz flagged down a career-high seven ground balls. 
• Southwestern drops their sixth straight game, losing five games by two or less goals this year. 

UP NEXT
Southwestern stays at home to battle non-conference foe Colorado College on Sunday at 1 p.m.