NCAA Lacrosse Championship 2019: UVA Defeats Yale 13-9 to Capture Title
May 27, 2019
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 27: Petey LaSalla #23 and Michael Kraus #2 of Virginia Cavaliers celebrate a second quarter goal against the Yale Bulldogs during the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship at Lincoln Financial Field on May 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
There's a new champion in men's college lacrosse.
The Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Yale Bulldogs, 13-9, in Monday's National Championship Game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, ending Yale's bid to be the first repeat champions in the sport since Duke went back-to-back in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Matt Moore was the hero for Virginia, posting four goals and an assist, while Michael Krauss added three goals and Alex Rode posted 11 saves.
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) May 27, 2019
Virginia was fantastic in the first half, taking a 6-2 lead after 30 minutes, playing stifling defense while forcing nine turnovers and generally keeping the Bulldogs from attacking the net. Eight of Rode's saves came in the first half, a huge showing from the netminder.
He was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
Yale found their offense in the second half, scoring seven goals, but Virginia didn't let up on that end, scoring seven of their own. Virginia's Moore, Krauss, Dox Aitken and Petey LaSalla scored 11 of the team's goals, providing too much firepower for Yale goalie Jack Starr.
For Moore, it was the conclusion of a legendary season:
MATT MOORE!!!! He makes it 11-4 with 6:43 left in the third. Matt already broke Doug Knight's single-season record for points (86). With 4-1-5, Moore is now at 89. #GoHoospic.twitter.com/4Z5FxOHmfB
— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) May 27, 2019
DOX AITKEN! He scores at 12:29 - the goal gives him 52 points for the year, breaking his own single-season record from 2018. Hoos lead, 12-5. #GoHoospic.twitter.com/11ojq1yK2x
— Virginia Men's Lacrosse (@UVAMensLax) May 27, 2019
Aitken also set a personal mark with his second tally:
TD Ierlan was a bright spot for Yale, living up to his reputation as a face-off beast by winning 17 of 24. He also tallied an assist, while Matt Gaudet added two goals.
It's been quite the run for Virginia athletics, with the Cavaliers men's basketball team also winning a national championship this year.
It was a tough close to what was an otherwise dominant tournament from Yale, which set an NCAA record with 68 goals in the tourney. But Virginia's defense and Rode's performance in goal were too much to overcome.
NCAA Lacrosse Championship 2019: Virginia vs. Yale Schedule, Preview
May 25, 2019
One game will decide the 2019 NCAA men's lacrosse national championship as No. 3 Virginia takes on No. 5 Yale in the final.
Each of these teams were among the best in the country throughout the regular season, but it still wasn't easy to reach this point. Virginia survived a double-overtime battle against No. 2 Duke in the first semifinal Saturday, while Yale outplayed the No. 1 overall seed Penn State in the second matchup.
The drama has created an exciting final for Memorial Day.
Virginia showed an impressive offensive attack throughout the season, but the NCAA tournament gave the team a chance to put its resolve on display.
In the quarterfinals against Maryland, the Cavaliers scored five straight goals in the fourth quarter to tie things up before eventually winning it in overtime with a Matt Moore goal.
There was a similar story in the semifinals Saturday against Duke, as the Cavaliers somehow won after they trailed by two goals with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Ian Laviano scored the tying goal with 15 seconds left as well as the winning score in double overtime:
Laviano ended up with four goals in the 13-12 victory, bringing his season total to 50.
"This is the game at its best and obviously a showcase, this type of weekend," Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said after the game, per Eddie Timanus of USA Today. "We had another fun one today. Obviously I have talented men, guys who can make plays."
Combining the offensive skill and the ability to fight back no matter the score, the Hoos shouldn't be counted out Monday.
Still, things will only get tougher in the final when the squad takes on Yale.
Penn State was the No. 1 seed going into the tournament with the best scoring offense in the country, but Yale was second-best in this category and showcased what it can do Saturday.
The squad jumped out to a huge lead in the early going with a 10-2 advantage through the first quarter:
It's a 🔟 spot for @YaleLacrosse in the first quarter, which ties a 43 year old NCAA record for most goals in a quarter in semifinals history!#NCAALAX Q1 | YALE 10 | PENN STATE 1 pic.twitter.com/9BNvag9Vha
Freshman Matt Brandau continued his incredible season with seven goals and one assist to lead the way for the Bulldogs in the 21-17 victory.
The Nittany Lions had been incredible all year as the tournament's top seed with 13 straight wins entering Saturday and only one loss keeping them from a perfect season. They had the offensive firepower to come back, but the underdogs kept attacking and did enough to keep the margin out of reach.
It also became the highest-scoring semifinal in NCAA history, per the ESPN broadcast.
The Bulldogs surprised many with their run to the national title a year ago as the No. 3 seed, but even as the No. 5 seed this season, the defending champs weren't sneaking up on anyone.
That hasn't mattered as the Ivy League squad continues to outplay everyone it faces.
With the talent on the field between the two teams, Yale and Virginia should combine for a thrilling title bout Monday.
The top-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament with a victory Sunday over the No. 8 Loyola Greyhounds at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Joining Penn State in the penultimate round will be the No. 5 Yale Bulldogs, who defeated the No. 4 Penn Quakers in overtime in Sunday's second game, as well as the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils and No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers following their OT wins Saturday.
Let's check out all of the important tournament information following the drama-filled quarterfinals. That's followed by a recap of Sunday's action.
May 19 Quarterfinal Results
(1) Penn State 21, (8) Loyola 14
(5) Yale 19, (4) Penn 18 (OT)
May 25 Semifinal Bracket
(1) Penn State vs. (5) Yale
(2) Duke vs. (3) Virginia
Penn State 21, Loyola 14
Penn State erupted with nine goals in the second quarter to help turn a one-goal deficit following the first quarter into a seven-point halftime advantage, and the team never relinquished the lead.
Loyola did fight back by outscoring the Nittany Lions 7-3 in the third period, but the first-time NCAA tournament quarterfinalists pitched a shutout in the fourth to secure the semifinal berth.
Pat Spencer paced the Greyhounds by tallying six goals and five assists for a game-high 11 points. But the Penn State defense did well to limit Kevin Lindley, who entered the contest second to O'Keefe in average scoring, as he recorded a single goal on just three shots.
Yale 19, Penn 18 (OT)
Jack Tigh played the role of hero by sending Yale, the defending champs, into the semis with the game-winning goal 2:32 into the first overtime period to eliminate the Bulldogs' Ivy League rivals from Penn.
It was the second tally of the game for Tigh as part of a well-rounded Yale offensive effort. Jackson Morrill and Lucas Cotler netted four goals apiece, while John Daniggelis and Matt Gaudet added hat tricks.
Penn enjoyed similar across-the-board production. Tyler Dunn, Mitch Bartolo, Adam Goldner, Sean Lulley and Simon Mathias each scored three times in the quarterfinal. Goalie Reed Junkin made 14 saves, six more than Bulldogs counterpart Jack Starr, but it wasn't quite enough.
The extremely close nature of the game didn't come as a surprise. Penn needed triple overtime to defeat Yale at home in March, and the Quakers registered another one-goal win over the Bulldogs in the Ivy League Championship Game earlier this month.
The Bulldogs won the biggest meeting of them all, however, and now they advance to face off with Penn State, a team they defeated 14-13 back in February.
The 2019 NCAA men's lacrosse championship opened Saturday and continued into Sunday, with eight games spread across the weekend.
Saturday didn't provide any surprises, with the four seeded teams moving on to the quarterfinals. The defending champion Yale Bulldogs are on track to retain their title following a 19-16 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas.
The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions headline the teams in action Sunday. Penn State entered the tournament having lost just once, falling to Yale by one goal in February.
Here's a look at the results from the week and a recap of Sunday's play.
The UMBC Retrievers men's basketball team made history in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The men's lacrosse team couldn't pull off a similar upset Sunday.
Penn State rolled to a 25-10 win, with Jack Kelly and Mac O'Keefe each scoring six goals.
UMBC actually drew first blood as Ryan Frawley gave the Terriers a one-goal lead at the 13:11 mark of the first period. Cole Willard didn't let the fun last long as he answered back with an equalizer shortly thereafter, and Nick Spillane gave the Nittany Lions a 2-1 advantage with 3:12 off the clock.
UMBC remained within striking distance after the first period, trailing 7-4. By the end of the second period, though, the Nittany Lions were up 15-6, all but wiping out the chance of a Terriers comeback. They coasted to the finish line by outscoring UMBC 10-4 in the second half.
Maryland 14, No. 6 Towson 13
Maryland pulled off the first upset of the tournament and did so in dramatic fashion, beating sixth-seeded Towson in overtime.
Jared Bernhardt tied the score at 13 with three seconds remaining in regulation, and Louis Dubick scored with 2:21 remaining in overtime to give the Terrapins the win.
Maryland needed Bernhardt's heroics after throwing away a two-goal lead in the fourth period. Bubba Fairman put the team ahead 12-10 at the 5:31 mark. In just under four minutes, Towson not only tied the score but went ahead 13-12 with goals from Timmy Monahan, Brody McLean and Brendan Sunday.
The Terps had little answer for McLean and Sunday, who finished with four goals apiece.
Fairman and Logan Wisnauskas were the top offensive contributors for Maryland, each scoring three goals, but goalie Danny Dolan was the team's best performer. Dolan made 15 saves, including a pair of stops early in the fourth period when the Terrapins trailed 10-8.
No. 2 Duke 12, Richmond 11
A late comeback by Richmond fell short as second-seeded Duke advanced to the quarterfinals with a 12-11 win.
Heading into the final minute of the game, the Spiders trailed by three goals, 12-9. Tate Gallagher and Ryan Lee both scored to make it a one-goal game with 26 seconds left. The Blue Devils won the faceoff after Lee's goal, though, which allowed them to wind the clock down without Richmond getting a chance to complete its improbable turnaround.
Richmond required a miracle after a roughly nine-minute stretch to close out the third period in which Duke turned a tie game into a 12-7 lead. Nakeie Montgomery bookended the offensive explosion, putting Duke ahead 8-7 and then beating Richmond goalie Jack Rusbuldt with 14 seconds on the clock.
Montgomery had a hat trick, while Brad Smith, Joe Robertson, C.J. Carpenter and Joey Manown each scored twice for the Blue Devils.
No. 7 Notre Dame 16, Johns Hopkins 9
Notre Dame jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the first period and didn't look back in a 16-9 win over Johns Hopkins.
The Blue Jays likely thought an upset might be in store after Forry Smith put them ahead 1:01 into the game. However, Bryan Costabile responded 49 seconds later to tie the game, scoring the first of his three goals on the night.
Connor Morin added a second for the Fighting Irish with 11:36 left in the period, kicking off a dominant first half. Notre Dame led by 10 goals after 30 minutes.
Johns Hopkins was better in the second half but had far too high of a mountain to climb against one of the best teams in the country.
Supplementing Costabile's hat trick, Morrison Mirer had a team-high four goals, while Quinn McCahon had one goal and three assists.
