HIGH POINT, N.C. – On Tuesday evening, the High Point University men's lacrosse team welcomed No. 17 University of Virginia to Vert Stadium for the first time since 2018. The Panthers took on their third ranked opponent this season and after 60 minutes of action, HPU fell 14-7.
 
Site: Vert Stadium
Score: High Point 7, No 17 Virginia
Records: High Point (1-5), No. 17 Virginia (3-2)
 
The duo of Owen Bunten and Justin Wixted worked together to put points on the board for the Panthers. Bunten scored his first hat trick of the season after notching four goals on the night for HPU, three of the four coming from Wixted passes.
 
After tailing by four points early, Ryan Hynes netted a long shot from the perimeter before the end of the first quarter. HPU trailed 5-1 at the end of the first 15 minutes of action.
 
UVA extended its lead to five at 6-1 with just under 12 minutes to go in the second quarter. Off the next faceoff, Luca Accardo put in the work and won the challenge, scooping up the ground ball and taking off down field. Dodging the defense, he found an open gap and sent a hard shot into the goal to make it 6-2.
 
HPU scored one more goal before the half with Bunten's first of the game during a transition stretch. Hynes found Wixted open in the field who then found Bunten on the back side for an easy dump in. HPU trailed 8-3 at the half.
 
Bunten kept his momentum and scored two minutes into the second half to keep High Point within four of the Cavaliers. Down the stretch Carson Robins also kept HPU within four points after scoring his first goal of the game at the 7:28 mark in the third quarter.
 
By the end of the third quarter the Panthers trailed 12-5, its largest deficit thus far of the game. Bunten rallied in the fourth quarter and threw in a pair of goals but it was not enough to close the gap. High Point fell to Virginia, 14-7.
 
At the faceoff position, Accardo went 11-22 while freshman Michael Tauscher went 2-3. Accardo led on ground balls with eight while Zack Overend picked up four. Overend registered 11 saves in goal.
 
UP NEXT:
High Point will begin Atlantic 10 Conference play on March 14 at Vert Stadium as the Panthers welcome the University of Massachusetts for a 12:00 PM game.