JU Dolphin Men Advance to ASUN Title Game with 15-10 Win Over Air Force
Maclay alum Sam Chase 2G/1A/1GB for JU. Plant alum Turner Ashby 2G, Creekside alum Mana Wilhelm 1G/2GB and AH-Plantation alum Jake Marek 11 saves for Air Force.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In the second matchup in two weeks, the Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse team defeated second-seeded and tournament host Air Force 15-10 in the ASUN semifinal round. The team used a season defining first and fourth-quarter run to earn a spot in the championship game.
The Numbers
Nicky Brown and Jacob Greiner connected throughout, both leading the team in points (5), goals (3) and assists (2). The pair combined for three goals, with Brown assisting Greiner on two of his three goals.
Defensively, Ryan Della Rocco stood tall in big moments, making 12 saves in the game. Chris Darminio finished with two caused turnovers, while Breyden Harrison earned four ground balls, finishing second on the team behind faceoff specialist Nathan Kapp. Kapp was 18-29 on faceoff opportunities, gaining key possessions in the second half.
Sam Chase and Marshall McGuire were vital to the first-half lead, both scoring twice in the first quarter. Jackson Intrieri and Jack Taylor each scored once and tied with Greiner and Brown for the team lead in assists with two.
How It Happened
The Dolphins jumped out to a 5-1 lead, scoring the game’s first three goals. Anthony Caputo scored the game’s opening goal, continuing his momentum from his game-winning overtime goal in the two sides’ first matchup this season.
Chase and McGuire traded turns in the final four JU goals of the first quarter, ending with Chase’s last-second goal with five seconds remaining, making it 6-2 heading into the second.
Air Force took a page from the regular season bout and began to mount a comeback. The Falcons cut the deficit to three in the second quarter, outscoring Jacksonville 3-2. In the third, Air Force continued to press, looking to exact revenge with the season on the line. Three straight goals for AF tied the game at 8-8 with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter.
A scoring drought began, ended by Greiner, who retook the lead with 4:26 remaining in the third. Air Force tied it up again one minute later before Jack Taylor answered at the 1:29 mark, giving JU the 10-9 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins again caught fire, scoring five straight to pull away from Air Force, earning a 15-10 victory and a spot in the ASUN Championship game.
Head Coach John Galloway
“I am proud of our guys for showing up prepared to go today. We knew Air Force was going to give us fits athletically, and our guys stepped up to the challenge. Aaron Toguri was able to hold an elite player to just one goal, and Ryan Della Rocco continues to be such a force for us on the backend.
There is no time for celebration though. We have a short turnaround and we are fighting for something very precious: more time together.”
Next Up
Jacksonville will rest on Saturday, preparing for a rematch against Utah on Sunday (May 5) at 1:00 p.m. ET. Utah handed the Dolphins its lone conference loss of the season on March 30, taking a 16-14 decision.
