With a playoff-bound Division 1 boys lacrosse team playing a Division 2 team in the final week of its season, the matchup had blowout written all over it.

But at halftime, the score was 5-3. In the Division 2 team's favor.

The Division 1 team, Sewickley Academy, did recover to defeat its lower division rivals, Quaker Valley, 8-6, on Monday, but not before the Panthers got a strong wake-up call ahead of its trip to Chicago for the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association Tournament this weekend.

"They stretched us all the way to the end of the game, and that's the way it's going to be in any game against Quaker Valley," Sewickley Academy coach Tim Hastings said.

"It doesn't matter what the records are, everything goes out the window. You've got to strap on your helmet and you've got to be ready to play."

The Quakers were ready early, and responded well to giving up an early goal to the Panthers' Mac Means.

QV got five goals from four players -- Henry Wilson, Mitch Soman, Cody Scott and two by Lem Wilcox -- in the first half, taking a surprise lead to the locker room.

The Panthers, with a second goal by Means and one from David Bonomo, were left to figure out a Quakers defense that held them scoreless in the second quarter.

"Pretty much every game we've won this year, we've had to come from behind to win," Means said.

"We knew that we weren't out of the game, but we were really frustrated with the way we were playing. Give them credit, they played us really tough today and they impressed me with how good they were."

"I think this was probably the best game we've had all season. We just came out fired up," Wilcox said.

"We're rivals, and we just played the better game in the first half. We got the ground balls, we were finishing. Everything went right."

Bonomo took charge out of the locker room by scoring twice in the third quarter to tie the game. The Quakers answered again, and Wilson's second goal for the Quakers sent the game into the final period with QV still leading, 6-5.

Eventually, the depth of the Panthers began to wear on Quaker Valley, which, with a smaller roster to begin with, was playing without three midfield regulars.

Ian Frey tied the game for SA, then Means got the go-ahead goal with 8:25 remaining. At 7-6, it was the Academy's first lead since the 6:33 mark of the first quarter.

"We had an inbounds play and I liked my matchup," Means said of his third goal.

"It was pretty spread out, and I was ready to go. I took a lefty shot and it went in."

Collin Sullivan added the Panthers final goal with 4:27 left in the game, but the Quakers battled to the end, finishing with as positive a feeling as could be taken from a loss.

"We were short on number and that really hurt us," Wilcox said. "But we came together and played a good game. It would've been better if we won, but you can't win them all."

Both teams ended the regular season with non-section games yesterday. QV's season is over, while the Panthers will host a WPSLA Division 1 playoff game next week.