NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 18, Methodist 5
Records: Piedmont, 2-6 (2-1 USA South); Methodist, 4-5 (1-1 USA South)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Piedmont men's lacrosse won its second straight contest and its first road game of the season in an 18-5 road rout of Methodist on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Fresh off a dominant 24-3 home win over LaGrange Wednesday night, the Lions backed up their performance on Saturday, leading wire-to-wire against the Monarchs, who were picked to finish third in the USA South Preseason Coaches Poll.

Junior Noah McGriff led a balanced offensive attack, delivering his first hat trick of the 2026 season. In support of McGriff's efforts, seven different Lions scored exactly two goals with Zach Avila, Will Isley, Evan Bingham, Trenton Steeves, Nick Winter, Josh Tamarkin and Grady Eyler all scoring multiple goals.

Tamarkin tallied a season-high five assists while Winter also dished out a season high in assists with three. Overall, 12 of Piedmont's 18 goals were assisted.

Defensively, sophomores Max Peek and Ian Kuysten both tied season highs with four caused turnovers.

The game was a defensive struggled early, as neither side found a goal until just past the midway point of the opening quarter. The seniors Avila and Isley connected to break the scoreless tie with Isley making it 1-0 in favor of Piedmont.

Steeves then added Piedmont's second goal as the defense held Methodist without a goal in the opening quarter.

Although the Monarchs scored in the opening minute of the second quarter to cut the Piedmont lead to 2-1, that was as close as the game was the rest of the way, as the Lions' defense held Methodist scoreless for the remainder of the first half while adding a pair of goals to lead 4-1 at the break.

The offensive floodgates finally opened for Piedmont in the second half, scoring six goals in the third quarter and eight more in the fourth quarter to run away with the win. McGriff scored all three of his goals in a less than five minute span overlapping the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on the win.

Up next, the Lions will briefly step outside of conference play, taking on Oglethorpe on the road next Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
- Piedmont outscored Methodist 14-4 in a dominant second half performance.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- McGriff's hat trick led the way as the junior scored three times as the Lions separated from the Monarchs late in the game.
- Tamarkin delivered a season-high seven points, with a pair of goals to go with five assists.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Piedmont forced 30 Methodist turnovers as sophomore defensemen Peek and Kuysten led the way with four caused turnovers each.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- This marks the second regular season meeting in a row in which Piedmont has stifled Methodist defensively. Last season, the Lions won 10-3 at home over the Monarchs on March 15.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.