Hampden-Sydney College’s (H-SC) lacrosse team was tied 4-4 with defending NCAA Division III national champion Salisbury University at halftime during Sunday’s season opener for the Tigers, but the No. 1-ranked Sea Gulls were able to pull away in the second half for a 16-7 victory.

“I thought that our guys played hard and we were toe-to-toe at halftime,” H-SC Head Coach Jason Rostan said. “Ultimately, we turned the ball over too many times throughout the game to beat a great team.”

It was the second time in a row the Tigers had faced the Sea Gulls after falling 25-12 to the elite squad in the third round of the NCAA Tournament last season.

“The positive is that we have a lot of lacrosse ahead of us,” Rostan said. “The experience of playing the top-ranked program in the country should benefit our team as we prepare for a challenging out-of-conference and ODAC schedule ahead.”