For the first time since 2010, your Army Black Knights have won the Patriot League Championship in Men’s Lacrosse. With the victory, previously #19 Army advances to the NCAA Championship Tournament, where they will face #4 Penn on Saturday, May 11.
We've got some tough individuals, but we are even tougher when we play together. #GoArmy #FamilyToughnessTradition
— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) May 5, 2019
All-around great team effort and win. Several career and single-season accomplishments set today as well ? #GoArmy #FamilyToughnessTradition
— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) April 30, 2019
Army headed into the Patriot League Championship seeded fourth. The Black Knights held a strong overall record at 11-4 with three wins over Top 20 teams but losses to conference rivals Loyola, Boston University, and Lehigh. The Patriot League tourney takes six teams, with the bottom four playing a quarterfinal round mid-week while the top two advance via bye straight to the semi-finals. Army smashed Holy Cross at Michie Stadium on Tuesday by a score of 14-5, but no team had ever won the tourney after having played in the quarterfinal round.
With #6 Loyola seeded first overall, the Greyhounds hosted the final rounds from Friday to Sunday. Army therefore advanced to take on the champs in their own building this past Friday night. The Greyhounds have long been a national power in lacrosse. They’d won the Patriot League Championship every year since entering the League.
What makes Loyola so tough? They have no team weaknesses, and they boast arguably the nation’s best player in Attacker Pat Spencer. But Army All-American Defender Johnny Surdick held Spencer scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career, and without their ace, the Greyhounds struggled to mount an effective offense or even get quality looks on goal.
? @ArmyWP_MLax scores the upset of No. 1-seeded Loyola on @CBSSportsNet to advance to Sunday's @PL_MLAX Championship game. @Stadium pic.twitter.com/05zbrEDp2Y
— Patriot League on ESPN (@PatriotLeagueTV) May 4, 2019
?UPSET ALERT? No. 19 @ArmyWP_MLax shuts down No. 6 Loyola in a 7-5 victory in the @PL_MLAX semis!!!#NCAALAX
(via @USLacrosseMag)
pic.twitter.com/YQrrPuEtZD— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 3, 2019
Army got out to an early lead off a goal by plebe sensation Attacker Brendan Nichtern while Goalie A.J. Barretto made save after save to give his team a chance to take control. Army took a 3-1 lead into halftime, and they never looked back. Barretto finished with 13 saves, and the Black Knights scored twice in the closing minutes to put the game away.
Lehigh came back to beat Boston University later that night, setting up Sunday’s finale.
Having beaten the defending champs, a very confident Army team took the field Sunday against Lehigh’s Mountain Hawks Sunday afternoon, but in now their third game in just six days, this Army team was also maybe a little tired, too. The Black Knights jumped out to a quick three-goal lead on a very strong first quarter, but fatigue started to show in the second as Lehigh mounted a five-goal run. Army struggled all game to win faceoffs, and as the championship wore on, they got frustrated. Once Lehigh started scoring, Army tried to pick up the pace, but the unsettled game seemed to favor the fresher legs of the Mountain Hawks, and somehow Army never seemed able to regain either the initiative or the advantage.
Army now leads 10-7 over Lehigh. pic.twitter.com/twsCJYRgNV
— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) May 5, 2019
Champions again.#FamilyToughnessTradition pic.twitter.com/ZtsHmRi2Kw
— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) May 6, 2019
We're headed to Philly!! #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/UBLXyDhQQc
— Army M.Lacrosse (@ArmyWP_MLax) May 6, 2019
Army was down 5-3 at the half and 7-5 at the start of the fourth quarter, but friends, the fourth quarter was ours. Army’s offense made an adjustment, pushing Nichtern into more of a shooter’s role, and Army started a six-goal run that put this game away. The offensive run seemed to inspire the defense as well, as Barretto again began making the kind of saves he’d made against Loyola and at the start of this game, and soon Army was up by three goals. Indeed, the Black Knights dominated the fourth quarter, winning by a final score of 11-7.
With the victory, Army advances to the NCAA Championship Tournament. They play at #4 Penn at 5 pm on Saturday, May 11. ESPNU has the broadcast
Here's the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Bracket! Army plays #4 Penn on 11 MAY @ 1700 #BeatPenn pic.twitter.com/zynoYN7DUa
— Brigade Review (@brigade_review) May 6, 2019
Go Army! Beat Penn!!!
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.