Men’s Lacrosse hosts NCAA Second and Third Round games

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT is set to host second and third-round games of the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament this Friday and Saturday, May 10-11.
 
RIT will take on Hope at 12:00 p.m. before Babson and Denison square off at 3:00 p.m. The two winners will meet on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in the third round with a berth in next weekend's quarterfinals on the line at a site to be determined. 
 
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and are $5.00 for adults and $3 for students/children. All RIT students will also be admitted free to the game with proper ID
 
Friday, May 10
RIT 23, Hope 9 - RECAP | BOX SCORE
Babson 12, Denison 10 - BOX SCORE 
 
Saturday, May 11
RIT v. Babsob – 3:00 p.m. – LIVE STATS | VIDEO
 
RIT TIGERS (17-2) ROSTER | RESULTS | STATISTICS
RIT is making its 25th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 14th straight. The Tigers are 41-22 all time in NCAA Tournament games, including a 35-11 mark since 2010. RIT has reached the quarterfinals 15 times, 13 semifinals and played in four national championship games, winning back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. The Tigers are one of six Division III program to repeat as national champions (Hobart, Middlebury, Nazareth, Salisbury and Tufts).
 
RIT graduate student Jake Erickson recorded four assists and six points in the Tigers 15-14 loss to RPI in the Liberty League Championship. Junior attack Clifford Gaston tallied four goals and give points, while graduate student attack Luke Pilcher and senior midfielder Kaden Brunson each had two goals and two assists. Sophomore goalie Alex Zborowski made eight saves.

RIT led 10-6 at halftime but was outscored 9-4 in the second half. Rensselaer's Tyler Ruffini scored the game-winner with three seconds remaining in regulation. It is the first time RIT has lost a Liberty League Tournament game since joining the conference in 2012 (23-1) and its first loss in a conference tournament since 2008.
 
RIT has the top man-up offense in Division III, converting 38-of-66 chances (57.6%) and are first in assists (225) and assists per game (11.84). The Tigers are second in the nation in points (564) and points per game (29.89) and fourth in scoring (17.84 goals per game).
 
Gaston leads RIT with a career-high 92 points and a career-best 64 goals. He is tied for first in Division III with a team-high 13 man-up tallies. Erickson is second in scoring with a career-best 84 points and leads the Tigers with 48 assists. Pilcher is third with 76 points (50g, 26a).
 
RIT allows 9.79 goals per game while causing 7.7 turnovers per contest. The Tigers have killed 37-of-56 penalties (66.1%) and won 54.0 percent (317-of-587) of their face-offs. RIT is 13th nationally clearing the ball 88.7 percent (440-of-496) of the time and 14th with 755 ground balls.
 
Zborowski is 16-2 with an 9.09 goals against average and a .601 save percentage. Senior Michael Grace leads the Tigers with 17 caused turnovers, while graduate student Tanner Winklemann is second with 12 caused turnovers. Graduate student Allyn French has won 191-of-340 face offs and leads the team with 107 ground balls. Sophomore Ethan Spillane has won 50.9 percent of his draws and is third on the team with 49 ground balls.

HOPE FLYING DUTCHMEN (13-3) ROSTER | RESULTS | STATISTICS
Hope is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second straight. The Flying Dutchmen earned an automatic bid to this year's tournament with a 17-13 win over Albion in the MIAA title game. First year Gibson Heethuis recorded three assists and five points, while sophomore Andon Reiger scored three goals. Sophomore Jack Balmforth made 13 saves in net to earn the win.
 
The Wolves average 13.2 goals per game and are 21-of-52 (40.4%) on man-up. Heethuis leads Hope with 68 points and 32 assists. Senior Michael Mann is second on the team with 66 points and leads the team with 45 goals. Junior Sam Bowen is third with 54 points (25g, 29a).
 
Hope allows 8.44 goals per game and killed off 65-of-83 (78.3%) of its penalties. Balmforth is 13-3 with an 8.38 goals against average and a .595 save percentage, which is 21st in Division III. Sophomore John Foster leads the Flying Dutchmen with 31 caused turnovers and is second with 40 ground balls. Sophomore Will Jewel is second on the team with 21 caused turnovers, while junior Luke Wierengo has 14. Junior Caden Brainard is 186-of-305 (61.0%) on face-offs and leads the team with 114 ground balls.

BABSON BEAVERS (15-3) ROSTER | RESULTS | STATISTICS
Babson is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and third in four years. The Beavers earned the automatic berth with a 19-8 win over Springfield in last Saturday's New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship. Graduate student Jared Rainville scored six goals and added two assists in the title game.
 
Babson is 15-3 overall and 4-1 in its last five games. The Beavers average 16.05 goals per game and are 28-of-51 (54.9%) on man-up attempts. Rainville leads Babson with 98 points and 74 goals to go along with 24 assists. He is 16th in Division III averaging 5.44 points per game. Senior Topher Bower is second in scoring with 56 points and leads the Beavers with 40 assists. Sophomore Bennett Smith is third with 46 points (10g, 36a).
 
The Beavers allow 8.67 goals per game and killed off 41-of-63 (65.1%) penalties. Junior Alex Fascilla is 11-3 with an 8.76 goals against average and a .624 save percentage, which is eighth in Division III. Senior Brendan Maher leads Babson with 22 caused turnovers and graduate student Chip Quinn is second with 19. Graduate student James Turco has won 163-of-258 (63.2%) face offs and leads the team with 101 ground balls. Senior Grey Sunderland is 121-of-200 (60.5%) from the face off "X" and is second on the team with 76 ground balls.
 
 
DENISON BIG RED (14-5) ROSTER | RESULTS | STATISTICS
Denison is making its 28th NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth straight. The Big Red earned the automatic berth into this year's tournament after a 15-11 win over Kenyon to capture the North Coast Athletic Conference title, outscoring Kenyon 7-2 in the second half. Senior Luke Fisher led Denison with seven points on four goals and three assists, while junior Tommy Quinson and senior Nick Vance each tallied three goals and an assist. Sophomore Andrew Albert made 11 saves in net for the Big Red.

Denison is 14-5 overall and 5-0 in its last five games. The Big Red average 19.5 goals per game and are 36-of-71 (50.7%) on man-up. Fisher leads Denison with 103 points, 63 goals and 40 assists. He is 17th in Division III averaging 5.42 points per game. Quinson is second with 73 points on 57 goals and 16 assists and senior Nate Kay is third with 59 points (41g, 18a).

The Big Red allow 9.21 goals per game, killing off 51-of-78 penalties (65.4%). Denison averages 10.6 caused turnovers and 42.4 ground balls per contest. Seniors Owen O'Neill and Brooks Crowley lead the team with 21 caused turnovers apiece. Sophomore Grant Larson is winning 57.8% (167-of-289) of his draws and leads the Big Red with 110 ground balls. Junior Colin MacLean is 128-of-184 (69.6%) on face-offs and is second with 67 ground balls. Albert is 14-5 with 9.27 goals against average and a .539 save percentage.