Flagler Men’s Lacrosse Wins Peach Belt Division Title

GREENWOOD, SC — The Flagler College Saints defeated the Lander Bearcats 11-10 in the final of the Peach Belt Division in the conference men’s lacrosse tournament on Saturday in Greenwood. With the win, the Saints will host the Rocky Mountain Division champion Colorado Mesa for the conference championship and the first-ever NCAA automatic bid next Friday, May 2, in St. Augustine, Fla.

Flagler (14-2) avenges a loss at Lander to end the regular season and had fallen to Lander in the championship games of the last two PBC Tournaments. Flagler has not won a PBC Tournament title.

Saturday’s start was also not good for the Saints, who surrendered four goals to the Bearcats (9-7) in the first quarter, three in the first three minutes. Bradley Brown, Levi Roest, Michael Mattaliano and Carter Wilcox all scored for the Bearcats in succession. Flagler was able to get on the board at the 7:00 minute mark of the first as Brandon Grusholt found the net, followed by a score from Dylan Wilson.

Lander scored again at the end of the quarter and led 5-2 before Flagler answered with three straight goals to start the second, two of them from Trace McDonald including a game-tying effort with 9:15 left in the half.

Lander scored the final goal of the second quarter to lead 6-5 at the break, then the first two goals of the third quarter as Dalpe and Chase Hanson gave the Bearcats an 8-5 lead. Flagler answered again as Tyler Douglass scored back-to-back goals followed by another from McDonald to knot the score at eight.

Lander led 9-8 with a Bradley Brown goal, but Douglass found the net just as the buzzer sounded on the third quarter to even the score at nine.

Flagler took their first lead of the game five minutes into the fourth quarter as Douglass continued his tear, scoring three straight including the buzzer-beater in the third as Flagler went up 11-9. Wilcox answered for Lander and the Bearcats trailed 11-10 as time was winding down.

With under two minutes to play, Lander gained possession after keeper Nicholas Paige made a save on a Griffin Moore shot. Following a timeout with 27 seconds left, Lander had one last chance, but the final shot sailed high and Flagler claimed the division crown.

Douglass led the Saints with five goals on 10 shots with a caused turnover. McDonald added three goals and an assist while Ben Nyberg and Dylan Wilson had three assists each. Jonah Smith played the last three quarters in goal for Flagler, making 13 saves with five goals allowed.

Wilcox, Roest and Brown all led Lander with two goals while Jeremy Wudrick led with three assists.

Flagler is tentatively scheduled to host the Championship Game on Friday at 7:00 pm at the Flagler Lacrosse Field.