ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT junior attack Luke Pilcher tied a career-best nine points with seven goals and two assists to lead the Tigers to a 26-15 win over Tufts in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament Semifinals on Sunday at RIT Turf Field.
RIT (21-1) advances to the national championship for the second straight season and will face Liberty League rival Union in the title game next Sunday (May 29) at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Taylor Jensen passed up to Pilcher who scored 18 seconds into the game and the Tigers took the early 1-0 lead.
- Freshman attack Clifford Gaston gave RIT a 2-0 lead on his first of his career-high seven goals of the game. Pilcher was credicted with an assist. Tufts tallied at 1:24 before an eight-goal RIT run increased the Tigers lead to nine, 10-1.
- Gaston scored three of the Tigers first eight goals, one of the three was thanks to an assist from senior midfielder Zeb Hollinger with 5:53 to play in the quarter.
- Tuft's Tommy Swank's scored with 1:05 on the clock in the first stanza to cut the RIT lead to six, 10-4.
- Tufts scored the first two goals of the second quarter to make it a 10-6 game on Duke Alf's goal 1:40 into the second quarter.
- Mac Bredahl scored 4:48 into the second (11-7, RIT)
- RIT closed out the first half scoring five straight to extend the lead to 16-7 at halftime.
- Gaston scored 3:03 into the third quarter to give RIT a 17-7 lead. Joe Murtha and Jack Boyden scored back-to-back goals for Tufts to cut the lead to 17-9.
- After a Jumbos goal, Gaston and senior attackman Spencer Bell tallied back-to-back goals for a 21-10 game.
- Alf scored his second goal of the game with :45 seconds to play in the third, 21-11.
- RIT scored the first five goals of the fourth quarter, extending its lead to 26-11.
- Tufts reeled off four straight goals in the final minutes to make it a 26-15 final.
GAME NOTES
- RIT fired 58 shots, 35 were on target.
- RIT finished 24-of-25 on clearing attempts, won 19 face offs and totaled 48 ground balls.
- Pilcher and Gaston each scored seven goals, while Commandant finished with five goals.
- Senior attack Spencer Bell scored three goals and senior midfielder Marley Angus finished with five points (2G, 3A).
- Jensen led the Tigers with a career-high eight caused turnovers, five ground balls and an assist.
- Senior Drew Hutchison made 12 saves in net to improve to 21-1 on the season.
- Graduate student Jimmy Spillane won 18 face offs and led the Tigers with 13 ground balls.
- Boyden led Tufts with six goals, while Mac Bredahl finished with two goals and four assists. Conner Garzone made eight saves in net for the Jumbos.
- The Tigers, defending Division III national champions are making their 12th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and 23rd overall.
- RIT advances to national championship for the second straight season and fourth overall (2021, 2017 and 2013). The Tigers have reached the quarterfinals 17 times and played in 13 national semifinal games.
UP NEXT
RIT plays Union in the national Division III championship of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday (May 29) at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. at 1 PM.