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Men's Lacrosse NCAA Championship Preview vs. Tufts

Celebration Team

THE RUNDOWN

The culmination of a season-long journey will take place on Sunday, May 28 as the second-ranked Salisbury University men's lacrosse team battles the top-ranked Tufts Jumbos in the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship. The opening faceoff is set for 4 p.m. on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. 

HOW WE GOT HERE

The Sea Gulls clinched its 20th appearance in the NCAA Championship after four-straight battles in the NCAA Tournament. In its opening game against Colorado College, Salisbury cruised to an 18-10 win over the Tigers. Salisbury then outlasted a late push from seventh-ranked Amherst to collect a 14-10 win the NCAA Third Round. 

In the quarterfinals, Salisbury fended off another late rally, this time from the ninth-ranked Washington & Lee Generals to secure a 12-9 win and set up another national semifinal matchup with Christopher Newport.

After a tight first half, the Sea Gulls pulled away from the Captains in the third quarter to pick up a 12-8 win and punched its ticket to Philly.

 

MLAX Final 4 Celebration 5-21-23

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY IN PHILLY

The Sea Gulls will play in its 20th NCAA Championship on Sunday in hopes of capturing lucky number 13. The Sea Gulls last played in Philly in 2016 with a 14-13 win over Tufts for the 11th championship in program history. Salisbury has played in the national championship three times when its held in Philadelphia with a 2-1 record.

  • 2005 - Salisbury 11, Middlebury 10
  • 2006 - Cortland 13, Salisbury 12 (OT)
  • 2016 - Salisbury 14, Tufts 13
MLAX Team Cele 5-14-23
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Full Game Notes

USILA ALL-AMERICANS

#22 Cross Ferrara | #1 Jack Dowd | #17 John DeFazio | #56 Jude Brown | #11 Zach Timmons | #20 Thomas Ballard | #26 Braden Glushakow | #16 Luke Nestor

Nestor USILA AA
Glushakow USILA AA
Ballard USILA AA
Timmons USILA AA
Ferrara USILA AA
DeFazio USILA AA
Dowd USILA AA
Brown USILA AA

MAJOR CLC AWARDS

Ferrara CLC Player of the Year Graphic
Cross Ferrara - CLC Player of the Year
Malamphy CLC Rookie of the Year Graphic
Blake Malamphy - CLC Rookie of the Year
Coaching Staff of the Year Graphic
Jim Berkman - CLC Coach and Coaching Staff of the Year

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cross Ferrara CNU
Cross Ferrara | Gr. | Attack
Dowd Gettysburg
Jack Dowd | Sr. | Midfield
DeFazio CNU
John DeFazio | Jr. | LSM
Timmons 5-13-23
Zach Timmons | Sr. | Defense
Ransom
Nicholas Ransom | So. | Goalie
Jude Brown 3-4-23
Jude Brown | Gr. | Attack
  • Cross Ferrara - The four-time All-American with three first-team selections enters the title game on a strong run in the tournament. The graduate attacker has scored three or more goals in each of the four tournament games and has totaled 21 points on 15 goals and six asissts. This season, Ferrara leads the nation with 85 goals and fourth in points with 118.  Ferrara was recently selected 28th overall in the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) by the Chrome Lacrosse Club. 
  • Jude Brown - The Third-Team All-American enters the championship clash with 101 points. He ranks sixth in Division III with 65 assists. Brown has totaled 14 games with two or more assists, including a 10-assist performance against Cortland on March 18.
  • Isaac Thrasher - A member of the All-CLC First Team, Thrasher has totaled with 45 points on 33 goals and 12 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 29 points on 25 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-American selection, Dowd sat third on the Sea Gulls with 67 points. He tallied 46 goals and 21 assists and led the team with eight man-up goals. 
  • Brice Bromwell - Bromwell ranks second on the team in scoring with 48 goals. He has tallied 61 points to earn a spot on the All-CLC Second Team.
  • Luke Nestor - A USILA All-American Honorable Mention selection, Nestor broke out in 2023. Nestor had career highs in points (60), goals (46) and assists (14).
  • 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 187-of-317 with a 59.0 faceoff win percentage. He also collected a team-high 131ground balls.
  • Josh Sanchez - Another staple of the second midfield line, Sanchez has appeared in every game with 13 goals and sevenassists on the season.
  • Riley Strub - A late season addition to the second midfield line, Strub finished the season with 13 points on eight goals and five assists. 
  • James Gilfillan - Gilfillan closed out the season with 16 caused turnovers and scooped up 35 ground balls and earned All-CLC Second Team.
  • Zach Timmons - The All-American Third Team selection, Timmons enters the title game with career-highs in caused turnovers (52) and ground balls (65). Timmons ended the regular season fourth in the CLC with 2.12 caused turnovers per game.
  • John DeFazio - DeFazio landed on the All-American First Team after he notched career-highs in ground balls and caused turnovers with 103 rollers and 56 caused turnovers. 
  • Braden Glushakow - The 2022-23 SU Scholar-Athlete of the Year and All-American Honorable Mention selection, Glushakow finished the season with 17 caused turnovers and 31 ground balls in the defensive midfield.
  • Nicholas Ransom - Ransom enters the championship game with a perfect 19-0 record after taking over as the starter early in the season. He has totaled 166 saves with an 8.17 goals-against average and 55.5 save percentage.

SCOUTING REPORT

Tufts University
#1 Tufts Jumbos

The Jumbos bring a high-powered offense to its sixth national championship game. 

Offensively, Tufts in led by the USILA Player of the Year and Attackman of the Year, attackman Jack Boyden. The senior from Ontario, Canada has racked up 154 points with 68 goals and 86 assists. Joining Boyden on the attack are seniors Kurt Bruun and Tommy Swank. Bruun posted 103 points on 57 goals and 46 assists while Swanks led the team in goals with 72 and added 21 assists.

On the defensive side, the trio of Kyle Adelmann, George Panagopoulos and Joey Waldbaum, pace the Jumbos. Adelmann, a second team All American selection, is second on the team in ground balls with 79 and leads the team in caused turnovers with 43. Waldbaum was a first-team all-conference and All-American selection has 76 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers. Panagopoulos have caused over 20 turnovers.

In goal, Conner Garzone will get the start in the cage. He posts a 56.3 save percentage with 224 stops and a 9.87 goals against average.

At the faceoff X will be All-American Mason Kohn, who won 71.2 percent of his faceoffs with 170 ground balls.

Division III Tournament Bracket

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