NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The Calvin University men's lacrosse team nearly overcame a late four-goal deficit in a 9-8 loss at North Central College (Ill.) on Saturday.
 
Calvin (4-6) jumped in front early on a goal from David Blackmon (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) 66 seconds into the game and finished the first quarter tied 2-2 following a goal from Braden Carpenter (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville).
 
North Central (6-2) answered with three straight goals to start the second quarter before Brandon Eenigenburg (Norton Shores, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) scored with 15 seconds left in the first half to cut the Calvin deficit to 5-3 heading into the break.
 
The Cardinals scored two big goals to end the third quarter to take an 8-4 lead after 45 minutes, but the Knights started to make a push early in the fourth quarter. Jordan Warners (Orange, Calif./Crean Lutheran) and Christian Coler (Ionia, N.Y./Honeyoye Falls-Lima) scored to cut the deficit in half, but the Cardinals looked to put the game away with an insurance goal with 2:51 remaining to push their lead back to 9-6.
 
Calvin answered with another Coler goal with 1:36 to play, and then added a second goal just eight seconds later as Nate Hanson (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) won the ensuing faceoff and carried all the way in front of the goal and shot it past the NCC keeper to cut the deficit to 9-8.
 
Hanson won the next faceoff to give the Knights the chance to tie but three shots in the possession wouldn't find the back of the net. After the Cardinals took possession, Blackmon had one final chance in the final seconds off a turnover to tie the score but NCC keeper Aidan Murphy made a big stop and clear to secure the one-goal win for the Cardinals.
 
Carpenter and Coler each finished with two goals apiece for the Knights. Warners led Calvin with two assists and three total points.
 
Drew Garrison (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) led Calvin with six ground balls and two caused turnovers. Goalie Corgan Schaumburg (Rockton, Ill./Hoonegah) stopped 16 of 25 shots on goal.
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's lacrosse returns to action on Wednesday, April 2, when the Knights travel to Adrian College for a 7:00 PM game.