CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's lacrosse team hosted the Indians from Catawba College today in the quarterfinal round of the South Atlantic Conference Championships. Queens walked away with a 13-6 win and a new record of 9-6 while Catawba ended their season with a record of 8-7.
 
Six Royals scored for Queens in the matchup as junior Nick Sawyer led the Royals with four goals and two assists. Laszlo Henning was right behind him with three goals of his own and Justin Swick and Duncan Smith each netted two. Reed Murphy and Eric Fitz each scored one goal as well. On the defensive end, Nick Rizzieri and Jimmy McGuinness tallied four caused turnovers apiece.
 
Catawba scored three minutes into the game with a goal from Josh Reedy, but Sawyer was quick to answer for Queens scoring two unassisted goals to put the Royals up 2-1 early. Fitz would add to their lead in the first with a goal of his own to make the score 3-1 heading into the second.
 
Henning put one in the net for the Royals at 10:38 in the second to move Queens ahead 4-1 but the Indians would come back with two goals to cut Queens' lead to one, 4-3, with 2:56 on the clock. With 0.4 seconds left before halftime, Swick would add a goal for Queens to put them up 5-3 heading into the locker room.
 
Queens came out in the third seeing a pair of unassisted goals from Smith and Murphy which increased their lead to four, 7-3, with 8:40 to play. Henning then split a couple of Catawba goals from Trevor Bellotte and Reid Lichtenberger, making the score 8-5.
 
The Royals would continue to add to the scoreboard in the fourth, getting three quick goals within the first two minutes of the final period. Sawyer would net his third of the game and Smith and Swick would each record their second of the day during the run. A goal from Catawba's Joe Barber with 9:51 on the clock put a pause in the Royals' push, but Queens had a pair of goals from Henning and Sawyer left before the end of regulation giving the game its 13-6 score.
 
Queens outshot Catawba, 38-35, putting 25 shots on goal. The Royals also totaled 45 ground balls to the Indians' 28. Senior Jonathan Paige won 16-of-18 face-offs and grabbed a team-high 12 ground balls. Goalkeeper Anthony Valenza walked away with the win in goal after recording 10 saves.
 
Cole Fanzo led Catawba with two goals after taking seven shots. Four other Indians would score for Catawba in the loss. Ryan Applegate recorded 12 saves in the loss.
 
The Royals return to Dickson Field Thursday at 4 p.m., to take on top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University in another SAC Championship Semifinals.
 
Ticket information is below.
 
•       $8 for adults
•       $4 for kids under 12, Seniors 60 and Active or Retired Military
•       $2 College students w/ ID