BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—With the game-winning overtime goal scored by senior Evan Lalande, the Birmingham-Southern men's lacrosse team won a thrilling overtime game against Rhodes, 9-8, Saturday evening on Battle Field at Krulak Stadium.

The Panthers moved to 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the Southern Athletic Association, and have won seven straight games. The Lynx fell to 8-2 overall and 1-1 in the SAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game was close the whole way, with neither team leading by more than three at any point.
• The teams traded goals in the first quarter, leading to a 2-2 tie heading to the second.
• BSC scored the only goal of the second quarter, with freshman Greg Wallace scoring his second goal of the year off an assist from Lalande.
• The Panthers pulled ahead 5-2 early in the third quarter, scoring twice in the first minute.
• Rhodes responded with four straight goals, three to close out the third quarter and one to open the fourth, pulling ahead 6-5 with 13:06 left in regulation.
• Just over two minutes later, Lalande scored to tie things up, assisted by sophomore Justin Dennis, and then junior Thomas Grove scored the go-ahead goal off an assist from freshman Davis Thompson to put the Panthers up 7-6 with 6:45 remaining.
• Thompson found the back of the net about six minutes later, putting BSC up 8-6 with 55 seconds left on the clock.
• Rhodes would not stay down, scoring twice in the final 22 seconds to tie things up and send the game to sudden-victory overtime.
• Approximately two minutes into the four-minute overtime period, junior goalie Hank Harris made a big save for the Panthers, and Lalande scored on the ensuing possession to end the game and give BSC the victory.

NOTABLE

• Rhodes and BSC are familiar with overtime games; the Panthers won 11-10 in double overtime last season in Memphis.
• BSC is now 6-0 against the Lynx.
• Lalande and freshman Tanner Schneider led BSC with two goals apiece, and Lalande and Dennis had two assists each.
• Junior Robert Dozier led with eight ground balls.
• Grove and sophomore Keenan Hudsmith both won six face-offs; the Panthers won 12 of the game's 19 face-offs in total.
• Harris recorded 13 saves in just over 62 minutes of action.

UP NEXT

• BSC is at home for its next three games; the Panthers will face Carthage College this Tuesday, March 22, at 1 p.m. on Battle Field.