MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - Men's lacrosse competed at home on Saturday afternoon in an SAA quarterfinal matchup against the Southwestern Pirates, where they came up short by a final score of 15-9. 

Offensively, Joey Cuthbert (3 goals) and Finn McClendon (2 goals, 1 assist) carried the load for the Viking attack as they had a hand in 5 out of the Viking's 9 total goals. 

Defensively, the Vikings relied on a combined ten ground balls from Caleb Johnston and Robert Fenters to anchor the defensive line. 

After falling behind 2-0 early on, the Vikings found a spark when McClendon dished to Joey Cuthbert, who drilled a shot to make the score 2-1 with 7:51 left in the first quarter.  

Southwestern added another goal late in the opening period to make the score 3-1 heading into the second quarter. 

The Pirates carried that momentum into the second period with a goal at the 14-minute mark and another one with 7:20 to play in the quarter.  

Facing adversity, Berry battled back late in the quarter, courtesy of a Braxton Rich goal off an Ethan Perlakowski pass, making the score 5-2 at the end of the first half.  

It was the Vikings who briefly turned the tables with some momentum from a Tyler Gabrielse goal that ignited the Valhalla crowd.  

The momentum was short-lived though, as the Pirates created separation off the strength of four unanswered goals that made the score 9-3 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. 

With their season in the balance, Cuthbert took matters into his own hands as he dashed through defenders and slashed a shot through the back of the net that brought Berry within five goals, 9-4.  

After two missed attempts to start the fourth period, McClendon proved that the third time is the charm, as he sent through a solo goal to make the score 9-5 with 13:39 remaining.  

The Pirates answered quickly with three unanswered goals that put the game out of reach. 

Despite a valiant effort at a late comeback, the Vikings fell short despite trading goals with Southwestern down the stretch. The final score would read 15-9 as Berry's season came to an end.