ELKINS, W.Va. -- The Davis & Elkins men's lacrosse team battled hard with the visiting Cardinals of Wheeling University, but a late comeback effort was not enough to overcome a deficit built on a seven goal run by Wheeling.
 
D&E came out early in the contest, scoring three unanswered goals against the Cardinals. Austin Derx scored first on an unassisted goal three minutes in the game. Jakob Makarenko was then assisted by Travis Scala on a goal thirty seconds later. And just seventeen seconds later, Joshua Allegra scored again unassisted.
 
Wheeling and D&E traded goals for the remainder of the period to finish the first period 5-5. Cooper Jackson and Tyler Kolodka both scored for the Senators in the period. Jackson was unassisted and Kolodka was assisted by Nolan Morrison.
 
Wheeling finished out the second period with two goals and began the second with five more for a seven-goal unanswered streak. Ten minutes into the second period, Kolodka scored for the Senators to stop the bleeding. Morrison followed seconds later with a goal of his own. The pair assisted one another on their goals. Wheeling scored twice more and then Derx scored the final goal of the half off an Allegra assist and Wheeling led 12-8 at intermission.
 
The Cardinals again came out on a hot streak, scoring four in-a-row in the third period. Morrison scored the following two goals. The first was assisted by Derx. The second, Kolodka.
 
D&E found themselves trailing Wheeling 17-11 entering the fourth period. Allegra and Derx were first to find the goal to begin chipping away at the Cardinals' lead. Morrison assisted on both goals and the Senators were down 17-13.
 
Wheeling scored twice more to go up 19-13. D&E answered with a pair of goals. Zach Lontayao scored off a Kolodka assist and Allegra scored off a Derx assist. Wheeling scored once more, their final goal of the contest, and went up 20-15.
 
With 2:17 remaining, D&E scored three more times and it was all Morrison and Kolodka. First, Morrison scored with Kolodka assisting and then Kolodka scored two more with Morrison assisting on both. D&E fell just short, 20-18.
 
Morrison led D&E with 11 points on 5 goals and 6 assists. Kolodka had 9 points on 4 goals and 5 assists. Derx had 5 points on 3 goals and 2 assists. Allegra had 4 points on 3 goals and an assist.
 
Buddy Brown scooped nine ground balls for the Senators. Xzavier had 7 and Jackson scooped four.
 
Joshua Csanyi had 10 saves in goal.
 
The Senators are set to play conference foe Alderson Broaddus on April 1 at 1pm on Nuttall Field on the campus of Davis & Elkins College.