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2023 Men's Lacrosse NCAA Quarterfinal, Semifinal Preview

5/19/2023 2:30:00 PM

The Rundown

The second-ranked Salisbury University men's lacrosse team continues the chase for its 13th national championship on Saturday, May 20, against the Generals of Washington and Lee University. The national quarterfinal game is set for a 12 p.m. start at Sea Gull Stadium. The winner advances to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament and will face the winner of Christopher Newport and Dickinson at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 21, at Sea Gull Stadium.

How We Got Here

The second-ranked Sea Gulls finished the 2023 regular season with a 16-1 record and a 5-0 record in Coastal Lacrosse Conference (CLC) play. Salisbury opened the season with three straight wins before losing its lone game of the regular season at No. 7 Gettysburg. The Sea Gulls regrouped and rattled off a 13-game winning streak to finish off the season. During the regular season, the Sea Gulls defeated six ranked teams, including a 16-8 win over then-No. 1-ranked and CLC rival CNU. Salisbury entered the postseason with a 9-0 record at home, extending its winning streak at Sea Gull Stadium to 38 games.

CLC CHAMPIONSHIP

The Sea Gulls hosted the inaugural CLC Tournament and started out with a 23-7 semifinal win over Montclair St. The Sea Gulls then faced the fourth-ranked CNU Captains in the championship game. A defensive battle throughout, the Sea Gulls pulled away in the second half to defeat the Captains, 9-4, to win the first CLC championship and the Sea Gulls' 25th conference championship in program history.

Second & Third Round Recap

The Sea Gulls opened NCAA Tournament play with a matchup against the Colorado College Tigers in the second round. Salisbury cruised to an 18-10 win over the Tigers to advance to the third round against the Amherst Mammoths. After a tightly-contested first half, the Sea Gulls pulled away in the third quarter to defeat the Mammoths 14-10 to advance to the quarterfinals. With the win the Sea Gulls advance to their 32nd straight quarterfinals appearance, making an appearance in the round of eight in every year since 1990.

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USA Lacrosse Magazine All-Americans

#22 Cross Ferrara | #1 Jack Dowd | #17 John DiFazio | #56 Jude Brown | #11 Zach Timmons

Major CLC Awards

Cross Ferrara - CLC Player of the Year

Blake Malamphy - CLC Rookie of the Year

Jim Berkman - CLC Coach and Coaching Staff of the Year

Players to Watch

Cross Ferrara | Gr. | A

Jack Dowd | Sr. | Midfield

John DeFazio | Jr. | LSM

Offense
Midfield
Defense

Cross Ferrara - The 2023 CLC Player of the Year and member of the All-CLC First Team, Ferrara enters the tournament with 97 points on 70 goals and 27 assists. Ferrara finished the regular season first in the CLC in points and points per game (5.24). He also finished second in goals and goals per game (3.71). Ferrara was recently selected 28th overall in the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) by the Chrome Lacrosse Club.
Jude Brown - The St. Mary's (Md.) graduate transfer, Brown finished the season with 92 points on 32 goals and 60 assists and earned a spot on the All-CLC First Team. Brown led the CLC in assists and assists per game (3.18). Brown landed on the All-CLC Tournament Team after posting five points in both CLC playoff games.
Isaac Thrasher - A member of the All-CLC First Team, Thrasher finished the season with 39 points on 28 goals and 11 assists. Thrasher picked up the CLC Offensive Player of the Week award on April 10 after a six-goal performance in the 18-8 win over then-No. 1 CNU.
Joe Carozza - The first attacker off the bench and key for the Sea Gulls' man-up offense, Carozza finished the season with 28 points on 24 goals and four assists. Carozza also earned the CLC Offensive Player of the Week award on April 17 after a career-high five-goal performance against Washington College.

Jack Dowd - A First-Team All-CLC selection, Dowd finished the season third on the Sea Gulls with 54 points. He tallied 36 goals and 18 assists.
Brice Bromwell - Bromwell ended the regular season with 53 points on 43 goals and 10 assists. Bromwell finished the regular season with career-highs in points and goals to help lead the first midfield line and earn a spot on All-CLC Second Team.
Luke Nestor - A Second-Team All-CLC selection, Nestor broke out in 2023. Nestor had career highs in points (51), goals (38) and assists (13).
Blake Malamphy - Malamphy earned CLC Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the All-CLC Second Team after he finished an impressive freshman season at the faceoff X with a mark of 157-of-248 with a 63.3 faceoff win percentage. He also collected a team-high 108 ground balls.
Josh Sanchez - Another staple of the second midfield line, Sanchez has appeared in every game with 10 goals and six assists on the season.
Riley Strub - A late season addition to the second midfield line, Strub has tallied nine points in the Sea Gulls' past seven games. He finished the season with 13 points on eight goals and five assists.

Thomas Ballard - The second-team All-CLC member, Ballard concluded the regular season with 22 caused turnovers and 39 ground balls. Ballard earned the CLC Defensive Player of the Week award on Feb. 13 after his performance in the win over then-No. 19 Roanoke.
James Gilfillan - Gilfillan closed out the season with 13 caused turnovers and scooped up 24 ground balls and earned All-CLC Second Team.
Zach Timmons - The First-Team All-CLC selection, Timmons finished the season with career-highs in caused turnovers (41) and ground balls (54). Timmons ended the season fourth in the CLC with 2.12 caused turnovers per game.
John DeFazio - DeFazio finished the season with a career-high 50 caused turnovers and added 93 ground balls that earned him first-team All-CLC. DeFazio ranked third in the CLC with 2.29 caused turnovers per game and seventh with 4.47 ground balls per game. DeFazio earned CLC Tournament MVP after a pair of dominant performances in the Sea Gulls defensive midfield. DeFazio racked up 11 caused turnovers and 17 ground ball in the Sea Gulls two tournament games.
Braden Glushakow - The 2022-23 SU Scholar-Athlete of the Year and All-CLC Second Team selection, Glushakow finished the season with 15 caused turnovers and 28 ground balls in the defensive midfield.
Nicholas Ransom - Ransom finished the 2023 regular season with a perfect 15-0 record in the cage. Ransom made 127 saves with a 7.78 goals against average and 57 save percentage.

18-4 (7-2, ODAC) in 2023
Enters the quarterfinals with a 12-game winning streak
Key Wins: No. 10 York (Pa.), No. 13 Denison, No. 11 Lynchburg
Key Losses: No. 7 Gettysburg, No. 4 CNU, No. 11 Lynchburg
NCAA Tournament Games: Defeated Centre in second round, 21-10, and defeated Grove City, 13-10, in third round.
Offensive Player to Watch - #21 Hudson Pokorny: A member USA Lacrosse Magazine Third-Team and First Team All-ODAC, Pokorny led the Generals with 107 points on 49 goals and 58 assists.
Defensive Player to Watch - #42 Harris Hubbard: A USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mention and First Team All-ODAC selection, Hubbard led the Generals with 32 caused turnovers and added in 44 ground balls.
Faceoff - #7 Will Bou: An All-ODAC First-Team honoree, Bou enters the Quarterfinals going 252-of-404 from the faceoff X, with a 62.4 faceoff percentage with a team-high 95 ground balls
Goalkeeper - #16 Warren Seeds: A member of the Third Team All-ODAC, Seeds has appeared in 17 games sporting a 13-1 record with a 113 saves, 7.83 goals-against average and 55.9 save percentage.

18-2 (4-1, CLC) in 2023
7-2 on the road this season
Signature Wins: No. 20 Stevenson, No. 3 RIT, No. 6 Dickinson, No. 9 W&L, No. 11 Lynchburg
Signature Losses: No. 2 Salisbury twice
Earned at-large bid after losing to No. 2 Salisbury in CLC Championship, 9-4.
NCAA Tournament Games: Defeated Hope College, 17-9, in second round and defeated No. 7 Gettysburg, 17-12, in third round.
Offensive Player to Watch - #22 Alex Brendes: The First-Team All-CLC selection, Brendes has totaled 87 points on 56 goals and 31 assists. Brendes has been electric through the second and third round with 14 points in two games.
Defensive Player to Watch - #56 Ryan Young: The CLC Defensive Player of the Year and USA Lacrosse Magazine First-Team All-American, Young leads the Captains with 44 caused turnovers and added in 54 ground balls.
Faceoff - #41 Warner Cabaniss: The USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention and All-CLC First-Team selection, Cabaniss went 289-of-426 from the faceoff X with a 67.8 faceoff percentage and a team-high 204 ground balls.
Goalkeeper - #24 Zac Hanway: The First-Team All-CLC goalkeeper, Hanway has started every game in net for the Captains this season with 215 saves, a 9.57 goals-against average and a 55.3 save percentage.

17-3 (7-1, Centennial) in 2023
Enters the quarterfinals with a 12-game winning streak
Key Wins: No. 20 Stevens, No. 19 Cabrini, No. 14 Swarthmore (twice), No. 7 Gettysburg
Key Losses: Stevenson and No. 4 CNU
NCAA Tournament Games: Defeated John Carroll in second round, 19-3 and defeated No. 20 Stevens, 12-10, in third round.
Offensive Player to Watch - #10 Skyler Schluter: A USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable Mention and Second-Team All-Centennial, Schluter led the Red Devils with a team-high 68 points on 27 goals and 41 assists.
Defensive Player to Watch - #37 Evan Karetsos: Karetsos led the Red Devils with 40 caused turnovers and scooped up 47 ground balls.
Faceoff - #23 John McKee: The First-Team All-Centennial selection, McKee went 278-of-435 at the faceoff X, with a 63.9 faceoff percentage, with a team-high 182 ground balls.
Goalkeeper - #1 Chris Brandau: The Centennial Defensive Player of the Year and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable mention, Brandau started all 20 games for the Red Devils with 205 saves, with a 8.95 goals-against average and 54.5 save percentage.

Division III Tournament Bracket