Mars Hill opens season on road versus Belmont Abbey
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill (0-1) | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Belmont Abbey (1-0) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
Team Stats
Belmont Abbey
| Game Statistics | Mars Hill | Belmont Abbey |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 40 | 46 |
| Ground Balls | 33 | 32 |
| Saves | 11 | 13 |
| Clears | 23-25 | 22-25 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 21 |
| Face Offs Won | 12 | 14 |
| Man Up | 2-5 | 2-7 |
WINGATE, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's lacrosse team (0-1) opened their 2026 season on the road versus Belmont Abbey (1-0), falling by a score of 12-11.
Entering the second quarter down 2-1, the Lions exploded for five goals with Sam Arendt's two leading the way. Aiden McNamara, Jake Mannix, and Caleb Nelson each tallied for the Lions. Arendt added an assist for three points in the frame.
The teams traded three goals apiece in the third with Arendt netting his hat-trick clinching third goal. Mars Hill struck twice in the final 38 seconds with Lucas Kight scoring his first followed by Nelson's second on the day.
Mars Hill trailed by two with under five minutes to play before goals from Luke Moore and Mannix 1:37 apart tied the game at 11. With just over 30 seconds remaining, Brendan Boschi netted the game-winner for the Crusaders.
Arendt led the Lions with five points (3G, 2A) followed by three from Nelson (2G, 1A). Mason Mehsikomer led the team with six groundballs followed by five from Jake Lynch.
Xavier Wells stopped 11 shots in the contest.
Mars Hill opens their home slate on Wednesday, February 11 when they host Young Harris. Faceoff is set for 1 p.m. inside the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium.
