Richmond Edges by Air Force in SoCon Semi-Finals

HIGH POINT, N.C. - The Falcons concluded the 2019 campaign with a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to the University of Richmond in the Southern Conference semi-finals, hosted by the University of High Point, Thursday evening at Vert Stadium. Air Force finalized the 2019 slate with an overall record of 10-5 with a 6-1 mark in league play.

The Falcons played a sluggish first quarter, turning the ball over six times while only sending off four shots on the Spiders' frame. Richmond gained an early 1-0 advantage as Tate Gallagher notched a goal at the 13-minute mark. The Falcons and Spiders went quiet for the remainder of the period.

At the 13:41 mark in the second quarter, junior attack man Chet Dunstan was the first to light the scoreboard for Air Force with a laser from 10 yards out via Christian Kuhn's assist. Just over five-minutes later, Dunstan struck again, notching his second goal with an assist from Cameron Carter, giving Air Force a 2-1 lead. Richmond responded with two-straight goals to take a one goal lead at 3-2.

The game was tied at the half, as Air Force's Christian Kuhn scored a nifty goal with 30 seconds left in the second quarter to send the teams into the break even at three. Blake Gillund fired a shot on frame that Richmond keeper Jack Rusbuldt saved but could not corral. Kuhn, stationed just outside the crease, scooped the rebound out of the air, took two steps and slammed it home from close range to knot the score.

Richmond scored the first two goals out of the break to reclaim a two-goal lead, with Hatfield and Lanchbury both striking again. A strike from Trey Lervick midway through the third started a string of three straight Air Force goals, as Kevin Cox scored just 44-seconds after Lervick to again level the score, this time at five.

Lervick struck again with 13:56 left in the contest to put the Falcons on top for the final time before Lee and Gallagher came through for the Spiders late, notching the final two goals of the game to seal the deal at 7-6 in favor of the Spiders.

Lervick and Dunstan had two goals apiece to pace Air Force. Lervick, the Falcons' leading attack man, concluded a stellar junior season with 36 goals and 17 assists. He took a game-high nine shots on the day.

Trent Harper was a man on fire at the face off X, winning 14-of-17 attempts (.824), concluding an impressive season with 13 victories at the center X on the season. Harper also picked up a game-high right ground balls, capping his senior campaign as the ground balls leader with 90 to his credit.

Richmond and High Point will face off Saturday at Vert Stadium for the second time in as many weeks, as they ended the regular season against each other. The Panthers claimed a 15-14 win in that contest, with HPU's Asher Nolting scoring with 6.4 seconds left to seal the win, the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a share of the regular-season SoCon title.

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