Written by Sports Information Student Assistant, Jake Sipes-Salter

HANOVER, Ind. - In their first Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference matchup of the 2020 campaign, the Hanover men's lacrosse team dropped a 19-9 decision versus Transylvania on Wednesday afternoon. 

However, senior Dallas Fonner (Evansville, Ind.) with a goal and two assists, officially notched 100 points, becoming the third member of the active roster to achieve the feat. Additionally, Hopkins' three scores led the Blue and Red. His trio is also his collegiate single-game high. Kimmins and King each tallied two points on one goal and one assist, while Boylston, Meinhart, and Perkins each ended the contest with one score. 

Transylvania would open the contest by notching seven straight goals, with the final coming from Tristan Ach with 6:27 remaining in the first. Sophomore Dirk Meinhart (Elizabethtown, Ky.) would respond for the Panthers (2-5 overall, 1-0 HCLC) as he broke the scoring open for the Blue and Red with 4:27 in the quarter to make it a 7-1 tally. Transy would hit the net twice more before the end of the frame, taking a 9-1 lead into the second. 

Transylvania scored two more goals to open the period until senior Noah King (Lexington, Ky.) answered with a score to make it 11-2 in favor of the visitors. Though the Pioneers rifled back with a goal at 6:41, junior Eric Hopkins (Evansville, Ind.) hit the net with 5:55 in the half to make it a 12-3 ballgame. However, Transy would hit back-to-back scores to end the half, taking with them a 14-3 advantage. 

To begin the third quarter, Hopkins found the mark at 13:30, closely followed by a score from junior Ian Kimmins (Dayton, Ohio) that was assisted by senior Dallas Fonner (Evansville, Ind.) at 12:36 that cut it to a 14-5 deficit for HC. The Pioneers were able to get off a pair of conversions in response, but Fonner would have the last laugh in the frame, zipping a shot past the goalie at 6:26 that helped Hanover cut it to a 16-6 margin. 

Transylvania began the fourth with a score at 13:39 to push a 17-6 lead, but Hopkins matched it with a goal of his own to make it 17-7 at the 13:02 mark. From here until the end of the contest, the squads each notched two scores, with HC's coming from senior Patrick Boylston (Boca Raton, Fla.) and sophomore Josh Perkins (San Diego, Calif.), with the latter assisted by Fonner. 

In the net, sophomore Sean O'Meara (Lexington, Ky.) made a career-high 17 saves for the Panthers while facing 57 shots from the Pioneers. In addition, senior Eric Clay (Wilmington, Del.) led the Blue and Red with three caused turnovers and six groundballs. Adding to the mix was sophomore Kyle Kaiser (Cincinnati, Ohio) who forced a pair of Transy turnovers while corralling three grounders. 

The Panthers will look to regain their footing when they host Adrian (Mich.) at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 14.