MEADVILLE, Pa. -- A historic season for the Allegheny College men's lacrosse team will continue to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship.
The Gators (10-6), who hosted a postseason game for the first time in the program's five-year history, won their first playoff game by defeating third-seeded Saint Vincent College, 16-12, on Wednesday night at Frank B. Fuhrer Field. With the win, Allegheny punched its ticket to the PAC Championship Tournament finals at top-seeded Grove City College on Saturday.
Just like the regular-season meeting with the Bearcats (8-9), Wednesday's semifinal matchup was a tight contest. Both games were tied in the third quarter, and in both contests, Allegheny entered the fourth quarter leading 13-10. The difference maker on Wednesday was a six-goal run that bridged the final two quarters that saw the Gators turn a 10-9 deficit into a commanding 15-10 advantage.
Senior defenseman
Cassady Bouthet (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) began the rally by collecting a turnover at midfield on a failed Bearcat clear, racing into the offensive zone, and netting the tying marker. First-year attackman
Alex Crespo (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) and sophomore
JP Rakis (Kensington, Md./Walter Johnson), who paced all scorers with five goals apiece, combined for four of the next five Allegheny goals, which allowed the Gators to run out to an insurmountable lead.
Needing a strong fourth quarter to consider a comeback, the Bearcats managed a game-low eight shots in the period while committing 10 turnovers, eight of which were forced by the Gators.
Inside the Box Score
- Allegheny finished with more ground balls (53-to-50).
- However, despite the loss, Saint Vincent recorded more shots (50-to-45) and more faceoff wins (17-to-15).
- The Bearcats scored the game's only man-up goal, while the Gators finished 0-2 on extra-man opportunities.
- Crespo added two assists to his five-goal performance for a game-leading seven points.
- Rakis netted five goals and collected five ground balls.
- Aidan D'Amato (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) logged a hat trick with five ground balls.
- Bouthet, Jack Cushwa (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg), and Nick Gralewski (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) each had one goal for the Gators.
- Bouthet and fellow defender Jared Swisher (Cumberland, Maine/Berwick Academy) both caused four turnovers.
- Anthony DeMarco (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls), who won 15-of-32 faceoffs, picked up a team-high eight ground balls.
- In goal, Garin Stearns (Hudson, Ohio/Revere) made 14 saves while allowing 12 goals in 60 minutes of action.
- Jordan Billet paced the Bearcats offensively with five points (4g-1a).
News and Notes
- Allegheny improved to 10-6 overall, extending its team record for wins in a season.
- Appearing in the PAC playoffs for the second year in a row, the Gators hosted and won their first-ever postseason game.
- The Gators evened the all-time series against Saint Vincent at 2-2.
- Crespo's seven points and five goals are both single-game season-highs for the first-year attacker.
- Rakis tied his season-high with five goals and scored his third game-winner of the spring.
Up Next
The second-seeded Gators have punched their ticket to the PAC Championship Tournament finals, where they will face the top-seeded Wolverines from Grove City. The title game will be held in Grove City, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, May 4, at 4:00 p.m.
Â
Â
