BELOIT, Wis. – Despite a three-goal performance from junior Liam Walker (Elmhurst, Ill.), the Beloit College men's lacrosse team couldn't hold off a second-half surge from Cornell College, falling 7-5 in a league matchup at Strong Stadium this evening.

The Buccaneers (4-7, 1-6 NACC) came out firing, taking an early lead and heading into the second quarter up 3-2. Walker netted his first of the night just over five minutes into the contest, assisted by Ryder Story (Salem, Ore.). Following a Cornell penalty, Rilan Larmore (Olympia, Wash.) capitalized on the man-advantage, finding the net off a feed from Will Palmer (Downers Grove, Ill.) at the 7:01 mark. Frank Pagano (Goshen, NY) added another even-strength goal later in the period to round out Beloit's strong start.

The Rams (5-7, 2-5 NACC) battled back to tie the game in the second quarter. Walker struck again for Beloit with just 57 seconds left before halftime, knotting the score at 4-4 heading into the break, again assisted by Story.

However, the third quarter proved decisive. Cornell's offense came alive, scoring three unanswered goals while their defense clamped down, shutting out the Buccaneers for the full 15 minutes. This shifted the momentum and gave the visitors a 7-4 lead entering the final period.

Beloit fought to claw back in the fourth. Walker completed his hat trick with an unassisted goal at the 9:23 mark, cutting the deficit to two. The Buccaneers generated chances, outshooting Cornell 11-5 in the final frame, but couldn't find the net again. Goalie Eric Seo (Woodridge, Ill.) stood tall throughout the contest, making 15 saves against 22 shots on goal, but the offense couldn't mount the full comeback.

Statistically, Beloit held an edge in total shots (37-29) but trailed slightly in shots on goal (22-20). Faceoffs were an even battle, with Samuel Van Der Kolk (Grand Haven, Mich.) winning 8 of 16 draws for the Buccaneers. Beloit converted one of their four power-play opportunities, while successfully killing off all four of Cornell's man-up chances. However, Cornell held a significant advantage in ground balls, scooping up 40 compared to Beloit's 23.

Besides Walker's three goals, Pagano and Larmore added single tallies. Story finished with two assists, and Palmer added one helper. Defensively, Parker Davis (Inver Grove Heights, MN) and Samuel Slabaugh (Lexington, Ky.) each contributed two caused turnovers.

The Buccaneers head to Mequon, Wis. on Saturday to face off against the Concordia Univeristy Falcons. Game time is set for 12 pm.