CHAMPIONS! Men’s Lacrosse Heads To The NCAA Tournament

Saturday, May 7

High Point, NC

Noon

University of Richmond

11-4

Jacksonville

14-3

Richmond

Jacksonville

Photo by: Carlos Morales

CHAMPIONS! Men’s Lacrosse Heads To The NCAA Tournament

05/07/2022 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Press Conference Celebration Video Photo Gallery

RICHMOND, Va. – For the fourth time in program history, the 17^th ranked University of Richmond men's lacrosse program is heading to the NCAA Tournament as the second-seeded Spiders knocked off top-seeded and ninth ranked Jacksonville 10-9 Saturday afternoon at Vert Stadium. The Spiders will learn where their season will continue Sunday night with the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on ESPNU at 9 p.m.

Richmond began its program in 2014 and has been in the conference championship game all eight years of existence. The Spiders have now won three SoCon Tournament titles in seven seasons while adding an Atlantic Sun Conference championship in the inaugural season in 2014.

Graduate midfielder Luke Frankeny (Wilmington, N.C.) was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player and earned All-Tournament honors after setting a SoCon Tournament record with eight goals in the two Spider victories. Frankeny led the way again Saturday, scoring a team-high three goals including the eventual game-winning tally with 2:58 remaining in the game.

Joining Frankeny on the All-Tournament team includes graduate short-stick midfielder Tim Adams (Chatham, N.J.), senior defender Jake Saunders (Oakville, Ontario), redshirt freshman goalie Zach Vigue (Apex, N.C.) and junior attack Dalton Young (Chantilly, Va.). Senior long-stick midfielder Jake Kapp (Pepper Pike, Ohio) was honored with the SoCon Pinnacle Award for the top cumulative GPA on the winning team.

🄲🄷🄰🄼🄿🄸🄾🄽🅂🄷🄸🄿 🄵🄴🄴🄻🄸🄽🄶#OneRichmond @SpiderAthletics @NCAALAX pic.twitter.com/jXnInHX1LS
— Richmond Lacrosse (@SpiderMLAX) May 7, 2022

Sunday's championship game was a crazy, back-and-forth affair typical of a championship game. The Spiders (11-4) struck first, scoring the game's first two goals. Graduate attack Ryan Lanchbury (Burlington, Ontario) started it early with his 39^th goal of the year, increasing his point-scoring streak to 58-straight games. Young added his first of the day giving the Spiders an early 2-0 lead.

Frankeny tallied his first and senior Ryan Dunn (Towson, Md.) put the Spiders in front 4-2 early in the second quarter. The teams traded man-up goals before Young notched a goal to send the Spiders into the locker room with a 6-5 advantage. Richmond out-shot the Dolphins 31-11 in the first half but only held a one-goal lead.

Jacksonville (14-3) took its first lead of the day with the first two goals of the second half. Sophomore Lance Madonna (East Syracuse, N.Y.) tied the game with 2.3 seconds remaining in the third quarter off one of Lanchbury's three assists on the day.

The Dolphins took an 8-7 lead at the 13:49 mark of the fourth quarter but the Spiders responded with three-straight goals. Frankeny added his second goal of the game, knotting it at 8-8 before freshman Cooper Dainton (Hingham, Mass.) scored as the shot clock expired at the 6:17 mark for the 9-8 lead. Dainton's goal was his ninth of the year but just his third goal since March 26.

Frankeny added a huge insurance goal with 2:58 remaining in the game, scoring an unassisted goal for his hat trick and a 10-8 advantage. Jacksonville pulled within one with 37 seconds remaining but freshman Jared Chenoy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) won a huge faceoff and Saunders picked up the loose ball. The Spiders were able to run out the clock with possession, sending the team into the celebration.

The Spiders have been in the NCAA Tournament three times in program history. Richmond won the A-Sun Tournament in 2014 (at Air Force), while winning the SoCon Tournament in 2018 (at UAlbany) and 2019 (at Duke).

--UR—