GEORGETOWN, Texas – The Hanover Panthers (1-2 overall) headed south for winter break taking on the Southwestern Pirates, falling in the contest 14-8.
 
Senior Dirk Meinhark (Elizabethtown, Ky.) and junior Nick Adams (Greenwood, Ind.) paced the attack netting two goals apiece. Meinhart also charted a team-best seven shots.
 
In frame, junior Jackson McKeigue (Olmsted Twp., Ohio) got the start playing 30 minutes with eight saves.
 
Hanover struck first in the contest as Adams connected with junior Zach Stone (Elizabethtown, Ky.) putting HC on top 1-0 just minutes into the contest. However, the Pirates responded using three straight blows to flip the score, 3-1.
 
The Panthers refused to be tamed with sophomore Alex Kleinhelter (Fishers, Ind.) finding the back of the net at the 3:57 point in the first quarter to cut the deficit to 3-2.  Southwestern once again responded netting back-to-back blows before Adams added his first goal of the afternoon, 5-3.
 
The Pirates cranked up the offensive pressure using a four goal outburst to extend the difference to 9-3.
 
Adams once again halted the surge as he found the back of the net at the 13:05 mark in the third quarter.
 
The Blue and Red would string together a short run late into the contest as sophomore Owen Cuniffe (Indianapolis, Ind.) found the back of the net before Meinhart and junior Will Slover (Versailles, Ky.) provided daggers, 11-7.
 
Meinhart delt the final blow of the contest as the Panthers dropped the battle 14-8.
 
The Panthers return to action on Wednesday, March 1 when they head to Centenary College.