HIGH POINT, N.C. // The Navy men's lacrosse team (3-2, 0-0 Patriot League) scored four of the game's final five goals, but it would not be enough as High Point (3-1) defeated the Midshipmen 14-13 Saturday afternoon at Vert Stadium in High Point, N.C. It marked the second-consecutive year the Panthers defeated Navy by the same score.

In a game that saw Navy lead just twice and all-square four times, it was a typical game of runs. Each team had runs of three-consecutive goals three times in the contest, including High Point who put together a pair of three-goal runs in the second quarter to give the Panthers a 9-6 lead at the half. Both Jack VanOverbeke (A / Jr) and Colin Cooke (M / Jr) provided a boost for the Panthers during those runs. VanOverbeke scored 2 goals and added an assist on the first run that put the Panthers up 6-4, while Cooke punched in a pair of unassisted goals including one with just five ticks remaining in the half as he skimmed the crease and beat Navy keeper Pat Ryan (Sr / Groton, Mass.) to give the Panthers a three-goal cushion.

High Point would take its largest lead of the game at 10-6 when Jaxson Lamb (M / Gr) sent his sidewinder into the back of the net from eight yards out just over a minute into the second half.

Despite Navy answering by scoring three of the next four goals, the Panthers once again extended their lead to four (13-9) with a goal by Cooke to close out the third quarter and an unassisted strike by Nick Rizzo (M / Jr) to start the fourth frame.

And that is when Navy made its move.

The Mids scored three goals by three different players in just 66 seconds to cut the deficit to just one with 7:15 remaining in the contest. Anthony Ghobriel (FO / So / Dallas, Texas) kicked things off by winning the faceoff, however, a scramble ensued after the ball was checked out of his stick. Teammate Mac Haley (A / Fr / Shady Side, Md.) scooped up the loose ball and tossed it back to Ghobriel who found a wide-open Chad Connolly (DM / Fr / Huntingtown, Md.) for the goal. The second short-stick defensive midfielder to a score a goal for the Mids this season, it was Connolly's first of his career.

Ghobriel won the ensuing faceoff and used Ryan to begin Navy's offense from the defensive end of the field. Ryan threw a long outlet pass to Patrick Skalniak (M / Sr / Dallas, Texas) at mid-field and the Mids were off to the races. Skalniak sent his pass to Max Hewitt (M / Jr / Denver, Colo.) on the right wing who then found Haley for a low to low goal with 7:55 to go.

Ghobriel once again was victorious on the faceoff and after an Xavier Arline (A / Jr / Wading River, N.Y.) shot went wide, Navy was able to reset. The Mids worked the ball around and Skalniak threaded the needle with his short pass to Henry Tolker (A / So / Catonsville, Md.) at the crease, whose only option was a behind the back beauty that brought the Mids to within one (13-12) with 7:15 remaining.

High Point briefly interupted the Navy run when VanOverbeke scored his fourth of the day, a worm burner that made its way past Ryan to put the Panthers back up by two.

Haley made a spectacular play less than a minute later as he intercepted a clearing pass by defenseman Grant Ammann. Haley quickly noticed goalkeeper Parker Green was out of the goal and fired in a shot from the top right side of the box to again trim the High Point lead to just one (14-13) with 5:16 to go.

The Panthers would take four shots to Navy's one over the next three minutes before Navy head coach Joe Amplo called timeout with 1:40 to play. The Mids had two good looks with under a minute to play - an Arline shot that sailed just wide and a Skalniak shot that was stopped by Green - but Navy's comeback bid would fall short.

Eight different players scored for the Midshipmen, including Haley who paced the Mids with a career-best 3-goal, 2-assist performance, while Arline, Hewitt and Dane Swanson (M / Jr / St. Mary's City, Md.) each contributed a pair of goals. After being held without a point for the first time in his career last week by Manhattan, Skalniak dealt out 3 assists against the Panthers.

As a team, Navy had its best faceoff performance of the season, winning 21 of the 31 draws (67.7). Ghobriel was sensational, winning 19 of the 26 faceoffs he took which was just 2 shy of the school record (21 / three times / last by Joe Varello vs. Loyola, 3.17.2018). Ghobriel also picked up a career-best 7 ground balls and dealt out his second-career assist.

Junior attackman Jack Vanoverbeke led the way for the Panthers with 4 goals and 2 assists, while 8 other players punched in goals in the High Point victory.

Navy returns to action next Saturday when it plays host to Lehigh in both teams' Patriot League opener. Faceoff is slated for 12:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller calling the action on ESPN+ and 1430 AM / 99.9 FM WNAV.


### Go Navy ###