ALFRED, N.Y. – The Augustana Vikings men's lacrosse team struck first and controlled the early tempo, but a surge in the middle frames by the Alfred State Pioneers proved to be the difference as the Vikings fell 16-6 on Tuesday afternoon.

Augustana wasted no time getting on the board early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the opening quarter. Nik Schaafsma opened the scoring just under two minutes in, finishing off the first goal of the game before Connor Schlachter followed with a strike to double the advantage midway through the quarter. The Vikings defense held strong, limiting Alfred State's opportunities for much of the period. The Pioneers responded late in the first to knot things up at 2-2, but that was all of the damage they would do in the opening 15 minutes.

After a back-and-forth defensive battle to start the second quarter, the Vikings jumped back in front, 3-2, when Schaafsma found Eddie Resendez for a goal at the 7:00 mark. From there, however, the Pioneers seized control with a decisive run, scoring six times over the final seven minutes of the half to build a 9-3 lead at the break.

Trailing after halftime, Augustana continued to battle in the third quarter, with multiple offensive possessions, and several shots on goal. The Vikings broke through late in the period as Hunter Doppke found the back of the net to chip into the deficit, but Alfred State controlled the quarter overall with six goals to extend their lead.

Augustana responded with its strongest stretch of the second half in the fourth quarter, winning the frame behind a pair of goals. Schaafsma capitalized on a man-up opportunity for his second of the game. Then, just over a minute later, Resendez found pay dirt, helping the Vikings close the game with the multi goal frame. Alfred State was limited to just one goal in the period, its lowest output of the afternoon.

Schaafsma led the way with two goals and two assists, while Resendez added two goals and an assist to pace the attack. Schlachter and Doppke each contributed a goal to round out the scoring effort. At the faceoff X, Resendez was dominant throughout, winning 19 of 24 draws while also scooping up a team-high 12 ground balls to help Augustana establish multiple offensive possessions.
Defensively, Jamar Taylor turned in a strong all-around performance with four caused turnovers and 13 ground balls, anchoring a unit that continued to compete against a heavy offensive attack. In goal, Hagan Quigley recorded 12 saves over nearly 56 minutes of action as the Vikings worked to slow the Pioneers.

The Vikings slip to 3-6 on the year. Their spring break trip wraps up with a contest at Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, March 28. Opening face off is set for 11 a.m.