MARCH 21, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH

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📣  Friday. LFG.

Headlines
Wild Finish as Tufts Squeezes Past CNU in OT
Titanic LL Opener as RPI Visits RIT
F&M, Salisbury Renew Rivalry
National Statistical Leaders
Weekend Streaming Guide
Commitments

🔗 The Missing Link. Here is the rest of Steve Dittmore’s chat with WIAC Commissioner Danielle Harris and the league’s lacrosse future.

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TOP STORY
1. Jumbos … By a Nose

The term “Instant Classic” is tossed around too lightly these days. But Thursday’s clash between No. 1 Tufts and No. 4 Christopher Newport fit the bill.

With the game tied at 16 in overtime, the Captains’ Brett Jackson let loose a blast that hit the crossbar that many in attendance thought found the back of the net. In the confusion, Tufts picked up the loose ball and Ben Frisoli found Max Ettinghausen who scored the game-winning goal to keep the Jumbos perfect at 5-0, while CNU (9-1) suffered its first defeat.

Garrett Kelly’s fifth goal of the day with 5:23 remaining gave Tufts a 16-14 advantage, but the Captains tallied twice in the final two minutes on scores by Logan Shassian and Fred Fulkerson, the latter coming with :25 left.

Conner Garzone made 17 stops for the Jumbos, while Mason Bellinger turned aside nine shots for CNU.

» Box Score

TOP GAME (M)
2. Titanic Liberty League Showdown as #3 RIT Meets #5 RPI

What a league opener in the Liberty League as No. 5 RPI brings its undefeated 8-0 record to Tiger Stadium to take on 8-1 RIT on Saturday in Rochester.

The Engineers stunned the Tigers in the 2024 LL tournament final, scoring twice in the final 66 seconds to pull out a 15-14 victory. It snapped a string of 11 consecutive tournament titles for RIT and gave Rensselaer its first tourney crown since 2010.

The game pits the top two scoring offenses in the LL as RIT averages 17.67 goals per game while RPI is right behind at 15.13 tallies per contest. Clifford Gaston leads the Tigers with 33 goals, while Nate Senez has a league-best 22 assists. On the other side, Tyler Ruffini and Easton Morse each have 19 goals for the Engineers with Ruffini adding 18 assists to his point total.

The difference could come down to the hot goalkeeper. RPI’s Joseph Perry has a 58.5 save percentage and surrendered just 6.91 goals per game, while RIT’s Chase Strychaluk has stopped 65.0 percent of shots faced and has a 7.97 GAA.

RIT holds a 10-3 series advantage, but RPI won both meetings a year ago, including a 10-9 overtime win in Troy last March.

» Watch LIVE

TOP GAME (W)
3. Diplomats, Gulls Renew Rivalry Sunday

It is always one of the most anticipated non-conference games of the DIII season when Franklin & Marshall meets Salisbury and Sunday will be no different.

The #2 Diplomats (6-0) welcome the #5 Sea Gulls (5-2) to Shadek Stadium in the 26th meeting between the foes. Salisbury holds a 17-8 series advantage, but fell to F&M, 16-15, in overtime a season ago.

F&M’s “Big Three” of Lydia Cassilly, Lauren Pittman and Lane Lambeth have combined for 46 goals on the season, but it is junior Deyvn Crone who leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 12 assists.. GK Sara DiGiovanni has turned away 66.7 percent of shots she has faced in the last three games and has a 55.0 save percentage on the season.

Salisbury is led offensively by Audrey Harrington (13-13-26) and Miranda Mears (18-0-18), while Alexandra Parker has 3-13-16. Paige Ellis has been solid between the pipes with a 48.6 save percentage.

» Watch LIVE

STATISTICS
4. National Statistical Leaders

Here is a look at the national leaders in goals scored, assists , and save percentage through Wednesday’s games.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
5. Your Streaming Guide

Friday
W: #17 Chicago (5-3) at #11 TCNJ (4-1), 4:00
W: #8 William Smith (3-2) at Union (4-0), 4:00
W: #3 Tufts (5-0) at #6 Washington and Lee (7-3), 6:00

Saturday
M: #1 Tufts (4-0) at #12 Stevens (5-2), 12:00
M: Hanover (6-2) at Alma (7-0), 12:00
M: #6 Wesleyan (4-1) at Bates (6-1), 1:00
M: Salem State (4-1) at UMass Boston (6-1), 1:00
M: Randolph-Macon (5-3) at Roanoke (6-2), 2:30
M: #14 Swarthmore (7-1) at #8 Gettysburg (4-2), 7:00
M: #2 Salisbury (9-0) at #11 Stevenson (6-2), 7:00

W: Connecticut College (5-2) at #1 Middlebury (7-0), 12:00
W: Bates (5-2) at #10 Wesleyan (5-1), 12:00
W: Western Connecticut (7-1) at Southern Maine (5-2), 12:00
W: #12 Stevens (5-2) at #15 York (4-2), 12:00
W: #13 Ithaca (4-1) at #19 St. John Fisher (5-0), 1:00
W: #2 Franklin & Marshall (6-0) at Swarthmore (6-1), 1:00

Sunday
W: Mary Washington (8-1) at Denison (5-2), 12:00
M: #7 Bowdoin (6-0) at #9 Amherst (4-0), 1:00

RECRUITING
6. Commitments

CATHOLIC - Grant Lanham, 2025 A, The Heights (Md.) School
DICKINSON - Tommy Kovachik, 2026 D, Delbarton (N.J.) School. Gabe O’Brien, 2026 A, Columbia (N.J.) HS
GETTYSBURG - Matt Capello, 2026 M, Dexter (Mass.) School
GROVE CITY - Taggart McKelvey, 2026 M, Waunakee (Wis.) School
ITHACA - Nathan Sabol, 2025 A, Tatnall (Del.) School
JOHN CARROLL - Patrick Frazier, 2025 D, St. Joseph’s Collegiate (N.Y.) Institute
KENYON - Henry Sklar, 2026 LSM, King (Conn.) School
LYNCHBURG - Cole Gray, 2026 D, Severn (Md.) School
MAINE MARITIME - Chase Stevens, 2025 M, Sparrows Point (Md.) HS
MIT - Kaden Fenno, 2025 FO, Episcopal School of Texas
MUHLENBERG - Lorenzo Recine, 2025 LSM, North Shore (N.Y.) HS
OBERLIN - Charlie Wolff, 2026 A, Montclair Kimberley (N.J.) Academy
ONEONTA - Shane Mueller, 2025 M, Pleasantville (N.Y.) HS

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