The High Point University men's lacrosse team travels to VMI on Friday night to continue non-conference play. There will be no broadcast or live stats available on Friday night. Follow the Panthers on Twitter and Instagram (@HPUmenslax) for updates.
 

"The journey is the reward." -Steve Jobs#GoHPU x #A10MLAX pic.twitter.com/hqYBsVJIM1

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 16, 2023

 
GAME INFORMATION
High Point at VMI | Friday, February 17^th | 7:00 PM
Drill Field #2 | Lexington, Va.
Game Notes
 
Last Time Out
High Point picked up its first win last Saturday in Vert Stadium with a 17-2 triumph over Detroit Mercy. In a game that featured 11 different HPU goal-scorers, Jack VanOverbeke led the Panthers with four winners while Jaxson Lamb, Jack Sawyer, and Nick Rizzo added two goals apiece. Parker Green made eight saves in goal while Grant Ammann tallied four caused turnovers.
 

Sawyer again ??#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/xyk4THdhuV

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 11, 2023

 
ACROSS THE BENCH
High Point vs. VMI

• High Point is 8-0 against VMI dating back to the first matchup during the 2014 season.
• HPU captured a 16-5 win a season ago with goals from nine different Panthers.
• Brayden Mayea tallied three goals while Jack VanOverbeke and Jack Sawyer added two apiece.
• The Panthers have only allowed the Keydets to score double-digit goals in one of their eight contests, giving up 12 goals to HPU's 20 in the 2021 season.
• In four contests played in Lexington, High Point has outscored VMI, 67-31.
• Hartley Jordan led the Keydets in last year's contest, scoring two of the team's five goals.

 
About the Keydets

• VMI is 2-0 on the season after picking up wins over Detroit Mercy, 14-11, and Queens (N.C.), 10-9 (2OT).
• Scout Ripley leads VMI with nine goals on 20 shots while Luke Rusterucci has posted a team-high six assists.
• Adam Norris has started both games in goal for the Keydets and tallied 32 saves.
• VMI was picked ninth in the 2023 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Head coach James Purpura is in his third season as head coach of the Keydets.

 
Panthers Trending Up in Home Openers
Over the past five years, High Point has claimed victory in four of its first home games of the season. HPU is 7-4 all-time in home openers through its first 11 seasons as an NCAA Division I program. The Panthers have faced two ranked opponents to open the season at home in the last five years and have only hosted the same opponent for a home opener once (Delaware; 2013, 2015).
HPU All-Time Home Openers
W, 17-2 vs. Detroit Mercy – Saturday, February 11, 2023
W, 11-10 vs. Colgate – Friday, February 11, 2022
W, 21-15 vs. Robert Morris – Saturday, February 13, 2021
L, 8-17 vs. #7 Duke – Saturday, February 8, 2020
W, 13-0 vs. St. Bonaventure – Saturday, February 2, 2019
L, 14-16 vs. #2 Maryland – Saturday, February 17, 2018
W, 9-3 vs. Georgetown – Tuesday, February 14, 2017
L, 10-13 vs. Boston – Tuesday, February 16, 2016
W, 15-10 vs. Delaware – Sunday, February 1, 2015
W, 9-7 vs. St. Joseph's – Sunday, February 16, 2014
L, 10-12 vs. Delaware – Saturday, February 2, 2013
 

LAMB!!#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/xdWdQyQJKc

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 11, 2023

 
Green Making Mark with Career Numbers
Senior Parker Green has played 35 career games in four years between the pipes for HPU, the third most among Panther goalies behind Austin Geisler (2013-15) and Tim Troutner Jr. (2016-2019). His 389 career saves are 12^th among NCAA Division I goalies and his 35 games are tied for the eight-fewest among goalies in the top-15 for career saves. Green's 388 saves also rank 19^th across all divisions of NCAA men's lacrosse. In NCAA DI, he is 10^th for minutes played in-goal (113,271) and 15^th across all divisions. Green also ranks 16^th in NCAA DI for saves per game, averaging 11.11 over his career.
 

Defense ?? Offense ??

FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON TO VAN O!!!! ??@vano13_ x #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/dAOZC7Qt9D

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 8, 2023

 
Mayea Nears 100 Career Points
Junior attackman Brayden Mayea is nearing triple digits in career points. In his first three seasons at HPU, Mayea has tallied 94 career points with 42 points as a freshman and 49 points in his sophomore season. He is also one of just eight juniors in the top-50 for career points in NCAA Division I active career players. Mayea would become fifth Panther to reach 100 career points. Senior midfielder Hunter Vines is also nearing 100 points. Vines has tallied 80 points over a four-year career at HPU. Last season he posted 22 points, and he added 26 points as a junior.
High Point Men's Lacrosse Career Leaders (Points)
1.Asher Nolting (2018-22) – 344
2.Matt Thistle (2013-16) – 201
3.Dan Lomas (2013-16) – 183
4.Michael LeClair (2014-17) – 162
5.Brayden Mayea (2021-pres.) – 94
6.Chris Young (2017-19) – 94
7.Conor Robinson (2015-18) – 93
8.Dalton Sulver (2017-2021) – 82
9.Hunter Vines (2019-pres.) – 80
10.Koby Russell (2018-2022) – 73
 

Mayea in transition ??#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/mQiHL5EaIG

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 11, 2023

 
Hoben, Lazasz, Accardo Score First Career Goals in Home Opener
Senior Collin Hoben, sophomore Mason Lazasz, and freshman Luca Accardo scored their first career goals on Saturday in Vert Stadium against Detroit Mercy. Accardo scored in the second quarter for the Panthers' first face-off goal of the season. Hoben opened the second half with a win at the face-off X and ran the ball down the field for his first score. In the fourth quarter, Lazasz saw action and picked up a loose ball just outside the crease for a quick score.
 

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Cooke Posts Career-Highs in Season Opener
Prior to Tuesday night's game at Duke, junior Colin Cooke had recorded two goals total, both in the 2022 season. Cooke scored against North Carolina before he tallied his second goal against Richmond in the SoCon semifinal. He also posted a career-high in points (3) as he tallied an assist on Tuesday as well.
 

Cooke again!!#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/m3DyEHsWFx

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) February 8, 2023

 
High Point Joins Atlantic 10 in 2023
After spending eight seasons as a SoCon affiliate member, High Point University joined the Atlantic 10, announced at the end of last May as the conference added men's lacrosse to its list of sponsored sports. High Point and Hobart joined A-10 institutions UMass, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, and Saint Joseph's to make up the six-team league and fulfill the NCAA requirement for an automatic bid for postseason eligibility. The Atlantic 10 will be the third conference (Atlantic Sun, Southern Conference) HPU has played in for men's lacrosse as the program continues to reach new heights.
 
Mayea Named Preseason All-Conference Member
Junior attackman Brayden Mayea finished the 2022 season as a First Team All-SoCon honoree while claiming a pair of Player of the Week awards from the conference throughout the season. Mayea led HPU with 40 goals to go along with nine assists while tallying 35 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers. Ahead of the inaugural season of A-10 men's lacrosse, Mayea was listed as a Preseason All-Conference attackman.
 
High Point Picked Fourth in Inaugural A-10 Preseason Poll
In the Preseason Atlantic 10 Coaches Poll, High Point was slated to finish fourth among the six conference members as announced by the conference office on February 1^st. Richmond got the nod as the preseason favorite after winning the SoCon Tournament a season ago over Jacksonville.
 
1.Richmond – 33 (4)
2.Saint Joseph's – 29 (2)
3.Massachusetts – 20
4.High Point – 19
5.Hobart – 18
6.St. Bonaventure – 7
 
Pair of Panthers Selected in 2022 NLL Draft
Two current members of the High Point University men's lacrosse team were selected in the 2022 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft on Saturday, September 10^th. Hunter Vines was selected by the Vancouver Warriors while Michael Ippolito was selected by the Panther City Lacrosse Club, both selected in the sixth round. In four years for HPU, Vines started 31 games for the Purple & White while making 53 appearances. In 2022, he scored 16 goals and dished out six assists while starting all 15 games. Ippolito enters as a fifth-year senior and started 14 games in 2022, scoring 17 goals and tallying two assists. In High Point's 11 seasons of NCAA Division I lacrosse, 17 Panthers have been drafted in either the MLL, NLL, or PLL.
 
Torpey Leads Panthers into Second Decade of Lacrosse
As the first head coach in High Point University men's lacrosse history, Jon Torpey has seen the program through its first decade of NCAA Division I lacrosse while compiling a 71-73 record with two NCAA Tournament appearances (2015, 2021).
 
Every Panther Who Scored the First Goal of the Season
Jack VanOverbeke at #7 Duke – Feb. 7, 2023
Nick Rizzo at #2 Maryland – Feb. 5, 2022
Kevin Rogers vs. Robert Morris – Feb. 13, 2021
Hunter Vines at #4 Maryland – Feb. 1, 2020
Chris Young vs. St. Bonaventure – Feb. 2, 2019
Chris Young at #1 Duke – Feb. 8, 2018
Jason Ashwood at #7 Duke – Feb. 10, 2017
Dan Lomas at #3 Duke – Feb. 12, 2016
Cole Carns vs. Delaware – Feb. 1, 2015
Brad James at Delaware – Feb. 1, 2014
Brendan Montrello vs. Delaware – Feb. 2, 2013