Jupiter Christian alum Keegan Southard 1G/2GBs, Jupiter Christian alum Caleb Southard 2GBs, King’s Academy alum Brad Wharton 1GB/1CTO for PBA. Dwyer alum Reid Kerr 10 saves, Hagerty alum Christian Hofer 3G for ERAU.

via the school press releases/websites

BOX SCORE

Men’s Lacrosse Victorious in Final Game of 2024 Season

by Simeon Strauss, Athletic Communications Assistant

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Palm Beach Atlantic men’s lacrosse team were victorious in their final game of the season against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Both teams played physically, as there was a potential playoff spot on the line for the winner.

In the first quarter, both teams came out hungry, as each needed a win to secure a playoff spot in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. Embry-Riddle scored first with only a little over two minutes played, but PBA responded quickly after Cooper Porter nodded it up at one apiece at the 11-minute mark. Porter wasn’t finished, as he put the ‘Fish up 2-1 on an assist from Henry Sloyan. About a minute later, Sarver Adams got in on the scoring action to give PBA a 3-1 lead. The Eagles finally caught fire and went on a 3-0 run to give them their second lead of the evening at 4-3 with only 30 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Keegan Southard got the Sailfish going right away to even up the score early in the period. A few minutes later, an Embry-Riddle player got a penalty due to unnecessary roughness, which gave the ‘Fish a man-up opportunity. That led to Henry Sloyan being able to slice through the Eagle defense easily and give PBA the lead back at 5-4. Shortly after, Embry-Riddle tied up the game once again, but Sloyan put the ‘Fish back up 6-5 with just under eight minutes remaining in the half. The Eagles responded fast with a 2-0 run to change the lead to their favor at 7-6. With a minute remaining in the half, Porter scored again to make it 7-7 going into the break.

To open up the second half, Hunter Hopman finally got going after missing his first few shots to put the Sailfish back up. Embry-Riddle would just not go away, as they went on another quick 2-0 that occurred within 37 seconds. Thankfully, Porter was feeling himself, as he responded with two more goals of his own to put the ‘Fish up 10-9. There was even more back-and-forth action to follow after the Eagles tied up the game at 10. Porter scored again with four minutes remaining in the period. Embry-Riddle did manage to even the score before the quarter concluded, making it 11-11 going into the fourth. 

Hopman established PBA dominance early, after opening up another quarter with a score within eight seconds of play. The Sailfish led 12-11, but no more than 50 seconds later, the Eagles responded again to tie it up at 12. With 11 minutes remaining, Sloyan scored his second goal to put the ‘Fish up 13-12, and after both teams went scoreless for six minutes, Porter put the seal in the coffin with his seventh goal of the evening, which gave PBA their largest lead since being up 3-1 early in the first at 14-12. Embry-Riddle did manage to score one more goal, but the ‘Fish played outstanding physical defense to take home the victory. Unfortunately, the Sailfish thought that secured them a playoff spot, but were saddened to find out that an upset by Saint Leo University over No. 5 Rollins ultimately would conclude their season.

Porter was the most notable performer for the ‘Fish, scoring seven goals on nine shots. Sloyan also came to play, as he scored three goals, had one assist, and hit two ground balls. Hopman had two goals himself in the second half alone and had four ground balls to go with his stat sheet. Brendan Pedisich started as goalie and played the entire game. He had 17 saves on 13 goal attempts.

PBA wants to extend its gratitude to the seniors who gave it their all throughout their entire careers and this season. We wish you the best of luck in your next chapter of life.

*****

Eagles Drop Season Finale at PBA, 14-13

by Michael Black

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men’s lacrosse team dropped a thrilling regular season finale on Wednesday night at Palm Beach Atlantic, 14-13. The Eagles close out the 2024 year at 6-8, going 2-5 in SSC play. An overall successful season for head coach John Jez in his inaugural year, ERAU took down two top-20 teams for the first time in program history.
 
Wednesday’s game was one of the more back-and-forth games the Eagles played this season as the Sailfish eked out the one-point win. Pete Abbes paced the Eagles on the attack, registering five points on four goals and an assist, while Coleman Jacobs also picked up yet another hat trick with three tallies. Christian Hofer also potted three goals for a hatty, while Isaiah Hines added two more scores and Christopher Harper scored his eighth on the year as well.
 
In net, Reid Kerr put together an outstanding night with 10 saves in just under 50 minutes of play. Carter Groezinger added three saves to just one goal allowed in the game’s final 10:29.
 
Hofer kicked things off, netting the game’s first goal at 12:47, but PBA raced out to a 3-1 lead within the next four minutes with three unanswered goals. Abbes broke the streak, however, with an unassisted goal at 5:22. Marcus Needham found Harper at 4:14 to tie things back up at 3-3, before Abbes gave the Eagles a 4-3 advantage with a score with just 37 seconds left in the first.
 
The Sailfish scored the first two goals of the second frame to take the lead however, but with 9:20 left in the half, Hofer notched his second goal, an unassisted effort to knot it back up at 5-5. Hines and Jacobs went back-to-back, the latter of which came at 2:30 from Abbes. But PBA tallied the last goal of the half at 1:41 and the first goal of the second half at 14:05 to go up 8-7. Once again, however, Jacobs and Abbes went back-to-back over within 30 seconds of each other to regain an 9-8 lead for the Blue & Gold.
 
The Fish repaid the favor with two scores of their own from Cooper Porter, but Abbes notched another to tie it once more at 10-10. After falling behind another goal, the Eagles once again tied it back up with a shot from Hines at 1:11 to make it 11-11 heading into the final frame.
 
PBA netted an early fourth-quarter goal, but Hofer completed his hat trick at 14:03 to make it 12-12. But over the course of the next six minutes, there was limited action, minus two more goals from PBA as the Sailfish took the largest lead for either side since the first quarter at 14-12. Jacobs finished his hat trick at 3:47 to bring the Eagles back within a score, but PBA was able to run out the clock to secure the win, ultimately.