MISENHEIMER, NC -- Sophomore Cole Palmer (Atlanta, GA) scored two goals and added an assist, while freshman Brown Parker (Raleigh, NC) scored twice to help lead Hampden-Sydney College to a 9-8 road win over Pfeiffer (NC) University on Saturday afternoon at Lefko-Mills Field.
 
It took seven minutes and 18 seconds to see the game's first goal, but the Falcons found the back of the net to get the scoring started. The Tigers responded less than a minute later, as sophomore Nick Winchell (Wilmington, DE) got the feed from senior Davis Mack (Henrico) on the left side for the catch and finish to knot the game at one. Junior Kavin Wood (Cary, NC) doubled the Tigers' tally at the 4:08 mark, taking the ball from the right side, all the way behind the net, before finishing past the keeper on the left side of the net to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead after the first quarter.
 
Freshman Max Schneider (Woodford) opened the scoring in the second quarter, as at the 11:55 mark, he beat his man down the right side and put it home for his first career goal. H-SC pushed its lead to three just past the midway point of the quarter, as junior Kevin Myers (Charlottesville) drove the ball from the right wing towards the center of the field, getting a step on his defender and firing a shot past the goalie. Myers went from scoring to facilitating less than two minutes later, throwing a pass over the outstretched stick of a defender and into the waiting stick of Palmer, who ducked a defender and rolled it past the goalie. The Tigers pushed the lead to five at the 2:47 mark, capitalizing on a turnover by the Falcons, junior Cameron Van Lunen (Southern Shores, NC) found sophomore Broder Conley (Duluth, GA) on the right side of the crease, where he took one step to his right, faking a shot before putting it home. Pfeiffer clawed one back with 39 seconds left to make it 6-2 in favor of H-SC going into halftime.
 
The Tigers came out of the half firing, adding to their lead in just two and a half minutes, as Palmer passed across the top to Parker for the finish. Parker then added a second straight at the 7:50 mark of the quarter, as Wood found him on the right side of the net, and he rifled a left-handed sidearm shot past the keeper. Pfeiffer fought back in the final 7:50, scoring three unanswered to make it 8-5 going into the final 15 minutes.
 
H-SC responded to that 3-0 run to end the quarter, with a goal in a minute and 16 seconds as Conley made a pass to his left to Palmer, who then fired it from up top to push the lead back to four. The Falcons answered with a second three-goal run, but the Tigers were able to hang on to the lead and secure a 9-8 win for the first of the year.
 
Parker and Palmer each scored twice, with Palmer adding an assist. Wood, Myers, and Conley each scored once and assisted once. Winchell and Schneider each scored once, with Mack and Van Lunen assisting once.
 
On the defensive side, Van Lunen and Wood each had two caused turnovers. Winchell, seniors Patrick Hanes (Raleigh, NC) and Tyler Steele (Pinehurst, NC), along with junior Jack Duffy (Ambler, PA), caused a turnover. On face-offs, senior Connor Erlenbach (Midlothian) went 6-10, and senior Evan Yntema (Summerfield, NC) went 4-7.
 
Senior goalie Will Palmer (Atlanta, GA) got his first win of the season, making 12 saves.
 
The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday, February 21, when they travel to Berry (GA) College for a clash with the Vikings. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Valhalla, Williams Field.