GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Allegheny College men's lacrosse capped off its historic season by making its first-ever appearance in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship, as the Gators fell to top-seeded Grove City College, 27-9, on Saturday afternoon.

It would have been a monumental feat for the No. 2-seeded Gators (10-7) to dethrone the now five-time defending PAC champions from Grove City (15-4). The Wolverines have not lost a regular-season or conference tournament game since the PAC began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 2019. The loss, however, cannot overshadow the record-setting season the Blue and Gold had under first-year head coach Jeff Roberts.

Grove City scored first, but Nick Gralewski (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) and Alex Crespo (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) got Allegheny on the board in the first quarter. Crespo scored again at the 11:55 mark of the second quarter, which brought the Gators within five goals at 8-3. Alas, the Wolverines solidified their victory by netting a dozen unanswered goals.

Aidan D'Amato (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) scored twice in the second half and finished with a team-high three points. Crespo and JP Rakis (Kensington, Md./Walter Johnson) (1g-1a) each had two points. Allegheny also received goals from Gralewski, Jack Cushwa (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg), Gideon Sullivan (Getzville, N.Y./Cathedral (Ind.)), and Jason Eason (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake).

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny scored nine times on 31 total shots.
• Grove City registered 51 shots, including 37 on goal.
• The Wolverines had a slight advantage in faceoff wins (21-to-17).
• The Gators picked up 31 ground balls, compared to 46 by Grove City.
• D'Amato (2g-1a), Crespo (2g), and Rakis (1g-1a) led the Allegheny offense with multi-point performances.
• Faceoff specialist Anthony DeMarco (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls) won half of his 34 attempts and picked up a team-high 11 ground balls.
• All three starting defensemen, Cassady Bouthet (Vernon, Conn./Rockville), Liam Kruck (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin), and Jared Swisher (Cumberland, Maine/Berwick Academy), had multiple caused turnovers.
• Grove City's James Petrolle led all scorers with seven points (4g-3a).
• The Wolverines also received five points (4g-1a) from fellow attackman Matt Blythe.

News and Notes

• Allegheny's 2024 campaign concludes in the PAC Championship Tournament finals.
• This spring, the Gators won a program-record 10 games, won their first-ever postseason contest, and reached the PAC championship for the first time.
• Bouthet, D'Amato, Gralewski, and Rakis were all named to the PAC All-Tournament Team.
• Nine goals are the most a PAC opponent has scored against Grove City in a regular season or playoff game since the Gators put up 10 in the 2023 PAC semifinals.
• Rakis finished his sophomore season with 70 points and 43 goals, surpassing D'Amato's previous single-season records of 55 and 31.