CARY, N.C. - William Peace improved to 3 and 0 on the season Saturday night, earning a 9 to 8 victory over Guilford in its home opener and securing the first win over the Quakers in program history.

After dropping the previous four meetings in the series, the Pacers broke through with a complete effort on both ends of the field. Peace led 3 to 0 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 6 to 2 after three quarters before holding off a late Guilford rally in the fourth.

William English delivered one of the best performances of his career, finishing with three goals and four assists for seven points. English factored into seven of Peace's nine goals and consistently created offense throughout the night, including a pair of third quarter scores that helped the Pacers build separation.

Connor Barnes added two goals, Caleb Garey scored twice including an important late fourth quarter finish, and Dylan Sullivan and Brandon Goad each found the back of the net.

Defensively, Caden Tuthill led the Pacers with five ground balls and five caused turnovers, repeatedly disrupting Guilford possessions. The Pacers finished with 15 forced turnovers while holding Guilford scoreless for the entire first half.

Head coach Troy Humphrey emphasized the continued development of his group following the win.

"We're growing. It's nice to be able to get some wins in that growth process," Humphrey said. "It was nice to get William English back on track, and Caden Tuthill played outstanding on the defensive end."

Guilford made a late push in the final minutes, but Peace held firm to close out the historic win in front of the home crowd.

William Peace returns to action on Thursday, February 26 at 4 PM when it travels to Warren Wilson.