DANVILLE, Ky. – Centre men's lacrosse won their fourth game in a row Friday evening, clipping a visiting Birmingham-Southern squad by a 9-6 score at Farris Stadium in Southern Athletic Association action. 
 
The Colonels (7-3, 2-1 SAA) defeated the Panthers (5-6, 0-2) for the first time since 2016, and avenged a season-ending loss in last year's SAA Tournament. 
 
Centre's Chase Poplin finished with a hat trick on just five shots, and goalie Connor Jongewaard racked up 15 saves to lead a stingy Colonel defense. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Panthers built an early 2-0 lead, but Jack Pharies provided an early spark off the bench following the second tally. He won the ensuing faceoff and quickly provided Leland Gray for Centre's first goal.
- That started a run of five unanswered goals for the Colonels, followed by Dominic Nayan's score at the 5:50 mark to tie the game.
- Poplin and John Morrison each added unassisted goals for Centre before the first quarter ended, giving the home team a 4-2 advantage.
- Poplin helped the Colonels take advantage of a man-up opportunity in the second quarter, making it 5-2, but BSC scored another before half to pull within 5-3 at the break. 
- The Panthers made things interesting in the third, bringing the score to 6-5 following a goal from Taylor Carson near the 7:23 mark. 
- Poplin and Morrison scored in response, and Nic Malubay capped off a steal with a goal to all but put the game out of reach. 
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Centre killed both of BSC's extra-man opportunities, while converting on 2 of 3 of its own. 
- The Colonels won 10 of 19 faceoffs, with Lucas Mozingo winning six and Pharies claiming four. 
- Poplin now has 18 goals on just 34 shots for the season. Morrison, Gray, Malubay, Nayan and Jack Shannon all added scores Friday. 
- Jongewaard turned aside 15 shots and led the team with six ground balls. Shannon followed with five.
- JR Brockman recorded four caused turnovers and as many ground balls. 
 
UP NEXT
The Colonels continued their four-game home stand next Wednesday, hosting in-state rival Transylvania at 7 p.m. ET.