The Virginia Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team (11–7, 5–5 ODAC) saw its season come to a close following a 17–4 loss to Roanoke (13–4) in the ODAC First Round on Monday evening, April 27, in Salem, Virginia.
Virginia Wesleyan was led offensively by
Ethan Smith,
Ben Andrews,
Zach Seward, and
Liam Murphy, who each recorded a goal. Murphy's score came on a man-up opportunity in the first quarter, accounting for the Marlins' only goal of the opening half.
Roanoke struck early and built a 3–1 lead by the end of the first quarter, despite Murphy's response midway through the period. The Marlins remained within reach early on but were unable to slow the momentum heading into the second quarter.
The game shifted in the second, as Roanoke used a decisive scoring run to take control. The Marlins were held scoreless in the quarter while Roanoke extended its lead to 9–1 at halftime.
Virginia Wesleyan continued to battle in the third quarter, where Smith found the back of the net for the Marlins' second goal of the game. However, Roanoke maintained control and pushed its advantage further heading into the final period.
The Marlins showed resilience in the fourth quarter, with Seward and Andrews each adding a goal to close out the scoring. Despite the late effort, Roanoke secured the 17–4 victory.
With the loss, Virginia Wesleyan concludes a great season with an 11–7 overall record and an appearance in the ODAC Tournament.
