SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College men's lacrosse team saw its season come to an end on Wednesday in the First Round of the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship.
The Hawks (10-6), ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II, fell at No. 4-ranked Le Moyne by a 16-8 margin at Ted Grant Field. The Dolphins (15-3) scored 12 of the game's final 14 goals, overpowering the visitors in the game's final two-plus quarters to advance in the NCAA postseason.
Saint Anselm won 10 games for the second consecutive year, making its second-ever NCAA postseason appearance this season under the leadership of Head Coach Michael Sciamanna. Since the start of the 2020 season, the Hawks have compiled 26 victories in 34 games, a winning percentage of over 76%.
Junior Jack Robinson (Wilbraham, Mass.) returned to the lineup for the first time since Apr. 20 against Pace, leading the way with two goals and two assists for four points (2-2=4). Graduate student Sean Tomaszewski (Arlington, Mass.) scored twice, giving him 44 goals in 2022, the third-most by any Hawks student-athlete in single-season history.
Sophomore Noah Larsen (Northborough, Mass.) logged a goal and an assist with junior Jack Andrews (Cumberland, R.I.) scoring twice, reaching 40 goals on the season. Senior Jack Wells (Melrose, Mass.) rounded out the scoresheet with his 20th goal of the season late in the fourth quarter.
Senior Kyle Fisher (Nashua, N.H.) led the way with three of his team's six caused turnovers on the day. Saint Anselm finished with 9.94 caused turnovers per game on defense, ranking third in the team's single-season history, and the 159 forced miscues were the second-most all time, trailing only the 170 racked up by the 2010 roster.
Senior netminder CJ Hart (Reading, Mass.) saw a stellar career come to an end on Wednesday, making nine saves in defeat. The 2021 Ensign C Markland Kelly Jr. Outstanding National Goalkeeper of the Year in NCAA Division II departs the Hilltop with a 27-10 overall record, posting the lowest career goals-against average in program history (8.44) and the sixth-finest career save percentage (.564).
Saint Anselm led by as many as three goals, compiling a 3-1 lead with 6:16 to go in the opening quarter. Andrews, Robinson and Tomaszewski struck for the Hawks, who built leads of 4-2, 5-3, and 6-4 with 5:39 left to go in the opening half.
Le Moyne scored the final two goals of the first half, tying the affair at six heading into the break. It was all Dolphins in the second half as the home team extended its goal-scoring streak to eight before Andrews' 40th goal of the season with 11:57 left in regulation time cut the Le Moyne lead to 12-7.
The Dolphins poured home four of the last five goals, upping their lead to a game-high eight with 2:03 to go. Saint Anselm fired just 16 shots in the final 30 minutes of the game with Le Moyne registering 22 shots, finishing with the game edge in shot attempts, 42-to-37.
Le Moyne also won the face-off battle (16-to-11), picked up more ground balls (34-to-21) and went two-for-three with the extra man. Saint Anselm was held scoreless on its lone extra-player opportunity.
Ben McCreary scored five goals, pacing the Dolphins' offense. Frank Delia, the NE10 netminder of the year, made 10 saves on 18 shots in the victory.
