SALISBURY, Md. – The top-ranked Salisbury University men's lacrosse team saw the 2024 season come to an end on Saturday evening inside Sea Gull Stadium, storming back from a late deficit to force overtime before conceding the winner to the 16th-ranked Washington & Lee University Generals, 16-15.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Sea Gulls drew first blood in an unconventional fashion, with Jeremiah Stafford finding Evan Huffman on the break for the game's first score nearly three minutes in.
• Sam Mannino linked with Hillis Burns for the first General tally before Salisbury swung back with four unanswered to close the period. Blake Malamphy turned a faceoff win into a goal the other way before Brown-to-Chris Wong and Dowd-to-Ty Keaton connections pushed the margin to three, while Brown added an unassisted goal to take a 5-1 lead into the second quarter.
• SU maintained the momentum in the second quarter, starting when Wong helped Charlie White find the onion bag to push the gap to five with just over 12 minutes left. Josh Sanchez sniped a solo score before Brice Bromwell added a man-up tally aided by Brown to open up an 8-1 lead.
• The Generals tacked on two goals in the ensuing three minutes, beginning when James Haley found Leif Smith with numbers on their side to slice the margin to six. Jack Elliott added his first contribution with 5:52 remaining in the quarter.
• Keaton set up Luke Nestor just seconds later in response, but the Generals added two more in the closing minutes of the half. Nestor aided Brown with SU's 10th tally before Elliott found Burns to set the halftime score at 10-6.
• The Generals claimed the third quarter, outpacing Salisbury 9-2 in the frame to take a 15-12 lead into the fourth. Salisbury saw goals from Wong and Keaton and helpers from Dowd and Nestor in the stanza.
• The scoring slowed for over 10 minutes to begin the fourth before a fiery Sea Gull comeback began. Nestor buried a pair of strikes, courtesy of Dowd and Brown, in a 50-second span to bring Salisbury within one. Dowd played hero with 34 seconds remaining, pushing his look past the net-minder to force overtime.
• Hillis Burns netted the winner for Washington & Lee in the fifth period, sealing the 16-15 final line.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Luke Nestor logged five points on three goals and a pair of assists, adding three ground balls.
• Jude Brown shared the team lead with five points on two scores and a trio of helpers.
• Jack Dowd totaled four points with one goal and three assists.
• Chris Wong and Ty Keaton each added three points with two goals and one assist. Wong scooped four ground balls as well.
• Blake Malamphy totaled nine faceoff victories with six ground balls while adding his seventh goal of the campaign. Mackenzie Moreland won five of his eight attempts in relief.
• John DeFazio finished with a team-high seven ground balls and caused three turnovers.
• Bryce Stevenson corralled five ground balls and forced two General errors.
• Nicholas Ransom was tagged with the loss, making 11 saves across 60:46 between the pipes.

W&L GAME NOTES

• Hillis Burns finished with a team-leading five points on four goals and one feed.
• Jack Elliott added three points on two goals and one assist.
• Tyler Spano was vital for the Generals, finishing 20-for-33 at the dot while adding a hat-trick and a game-high 13 ground balls.
• Riley Albregts and Jay O'Keefe each forced two turnovers.
• Nick De Cain earned the winning decision, making 12 saves across the full contest.
• Washington & Lee advances to Sunday's national semifinal, clashing with Tufts inside Sea Gull Stadium at 7:30 p.m.

THE WRAP

• Salisbury concludes the 2024 season with a 21-1 overall record after earning the 15th unbeaten regular season in program history, taking the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (CLC) crown for the second straight season, and reaching a 33rd consecutive national quarterfinal, earning a place among the final eight in every NCAA Tournament since 1990.

---

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 199 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.