via JU press release   HIGH POINT, N.C. – A strong start against Southern Conference opponents for Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse hit an obstacle Saturday afternoon as the Dolphins’ late rally came up short at High Point. Down two in the final three minutes, the Dolphins peppered six shots on the Panthers – three of which were saved and another that hit the crossbar – but JU ultimately fell, 11-9, at Vert Stadium. Senior Hunter Forbes set a new program record as his six ground balls pushed his season total to 87 – two more than the previous single-season record of 85, also set by Forbes last season. The Woodstock, Ga. native won 14 of 22 opportunities at the face off dot. “Today was certainly a disappointing moment in this season’s campaign. We came out of the game slow and failed to put together enough plays to mount a comeback at the end,” stated Head Coach John Galloway. “With that said, I am incredibly encouraged by the persistence and fight that our team showed. We ran into a hot goalie today that held on long enough to prevent us to tie it up.” Jacksonville (4-5, 2-1 SoCon) found an answer to High Point’s (2-7, 2-1 SoCon) early 3-0 lead as senior Chase McIntyre connected with freshman Jeremy Winston at the 9:42 mark. The Panthers added a fourth goal before the Dolphins closed out the quarter with two goals in the final 3:33 to come within one, 4-3, at the first break. After the hosts jumped on a 4-0 run to open up the second, senior Ben Gleichenhaus came in to tend the net and immediately made an impact. The Dolphins added two more goals – from freshman Gavin Dembeck (5:14) and senior Shawn Ewert (0:24) – by halftime to cut their deficit to three, 8-5. The Dolphins outpaced the Panthers in the second half, 4-3, with a pair of goals in each of the final two quarters, while Gleichenhaus came up big between the pipes with nine saves, including eight in the second half. “I am proud of our guys who were called on during the game to perform when we were struggling. Ben Gleichenhaus had his best week of practice and we knew he would be ready for game day. His performance was a turning point in the game,” added Galloway. “We have a week to our next opportunity and I know our seniors will lead us in the right direction as we prepare for a conference battle with Air Force.” Both of Jacksonville’s tallies in the third came off passes from Applegate, who tied his career-high with four assists and moved into a tie with Ewert for second all-time in the Dolphin record books with 43 career assists. Applegate also moved into third all-time with 84 career points. High Point was led by Asher Nolting’s five points (1 goal, 4 assists), while Tim Troutner, Jr. finished the day with 16 saves to stifle the Dolphins’ 34 shots. Jacksonville returns to D.B. Milne Field next Saturday, April 7 when it plays host to Air Force at noon. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.