VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. – The Nichols College men's lacrosse team battled in a non-conference matchup against Virginia Wesleyan, falling 18–10 on Thursday afternoon at 1:00 PM in Virginia Beach.

The Bison drop to an even 3-3 (0-0 CNE)  while the Marlins push to 5-1 (0-0 ODAC) 

The Bison offense was led by senior midfielder Conor Doherty, who paced Nichols with three goals and one assist while adding two ground balls. Jack Campbell followed with two goals and two ground balls, helping provide a steady offensive push throughout the contest.

Nichols also saw scoring contributions from Max Leavitt, John Caserta, Shea Ullo, Jackson Hernandez, and Travis Arnold, as multiple Bison found the back of the net. Caserta added an assist and two ground balls, while Ullo made a strong defensive impact with six caused turnovers and two ground balls.

At the faceoff X, Travis Arnold led the effort for Nichols, winning 14 of 28 faceoffs while collecting seven ground balls to help the Bison maintain possession throughout the game.

In goal, senior Carter Renaud recorded 11 saves while facing 49 shots in the contest.

The Bison opened the game hot, scoring the first goal of the match off the opening faceoff on a one-man fast break to the cage. Nichols set the tone early, but the Marlins quickly responded two minutes later before going on a three-goal run. Ullo answered for the Bison to stop the momentum. The opening period was a high-scoring battle with 11 total goals, as Nichols found additional scores from Hernandez and two from Doherty, but trailed 6–5 at the end of the first. The second period was controlled by Virginia Wesleyan, who struck first at the 13:27 mark. Nichols responded shortly after, capitalizing on a Marlins turnover with a key goal from Max Leavitt, assisted by Doherty. From there, Virginia Wesleyan caught fire, holding the Bison scoreless for the remainder of the period while adding six goals of their own to take control heading into halftime.

The third period saw Nichols strike first on a man-up opportunity as Campbell scored off an assist from Olivo at the 10:24 mark. Virginia Wesleyan responded with three goals to extend their lead, but the Bison answered with a Doherty goal assisted by Caserta and another from Campbell late in the period. The Marlins added one more before the horn, sending the game into the final quarter with the Bison trailing 16–9. The final period opened with Virginia Wesleyan striking quickly, scoring just 10 seconds in to extend their lead. Nichols continued to battle and generated several offensive chances, but the Marlins defense and goalkeeper held strong. Caserta broke through midway through the quarter, scoring the lone Bison goal of the period at the 6:41 mark. Virginia Wesleyan added another goal shortly after and maintained control for the remainder of the game, securing the 18–10 victory.

The Bison return to action on Wednesday, March 18th, traveling to West Hartford for a non-conference matchup against the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays at USJ Lacrosse Field.