MEDFORD, MASS. – The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) men's lacrosse team posted a 16-6 win over Middlebury in the quarterfinals of the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday.
The two-time defending national champions were led by senior Luke Pilcher, who scored five goals to lead the Tigers to victory. Junior Seth Grottenthaler tallied a goal and four assists and senior Spencer Bell scored three goals. Sophomore Clifford Gaston scored two goals and added an assist and graduate student goalie Will Sterrett made 12 saves to earn the win.
Senior Drew Leahy caused two turnovers, while sophomore Carson Taylor won 10-of-12 face-offs and had a team-best 10 ground balls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Pilcher scored off an assist from Grottenthaler 45 seconds into the game to give the Tigers the early lead.
- Middlebury's Cooper DeMallie tied the score at 1-1 on his goal with 12:51 remaining in the quarter.
- Pilcher tallied a goal and an assist in a five-goal run to end the first quarter. Senior TJ Hendricks' goal with 54 seconds to play in the opening frame extended the RIT lead to five, 6-1.
- Luke Simpson scored with 11:44 to play in the second quarter to cut the RIT lead to 7-2.
- Grottenthaler and senior Joe Camp scored back-to-back goals to give the Tigers an 8-2 lead with 5:31 to play in the half.
- DeMallie scored his second of the game with 3:24 to play to trim the Tigers' lead to 8-3.
- Pilcher scored from Grottenthaler to make it 9-3, and Bell scored on a feed from Hendricks with 2:05 remaining in the second quarter to give RIT a 10-3 lead at halftime.
- Pilcher and Gaston scored back-to-back goals early in the third quarter to extend RIT's lead to nine, 12-3.
- William Ryan scored for the Panthers with 5:37 remaining in the third that trimmed the Tigers' lead to 12-4.
- Pilcher scored off an assist from junior Kaden Brunson with 5:03 to play to give RIT a 13-4 lead.
- Patrick Jamin scored late in the third, and Tom Conley tallied early in the fourth quarter to cut the Tigers' lead to seven (13-6).
- Sophomore Sam Bennett, Bell and first-year Chase Bruno each scored in the fourth quarter to make it a 16-6 final.
GAME NOTES
- Middlebury outshot RIT, 41-34.
- RIT went 24-of-26 on clears and had 36 ground balls.
- The Tigers won 14-of-24 face-offs
- It is the third straight year and 13th time overall RIT has advanced to the semifinals.
WHAT'S NEXT
RIT returns to action on Sunday (May 21) against Tufts in the NCAA Semifinal at 5:00 p.m.