SALISBURY, Md. - Less than 24 hours after sophomore
Luke Whalen sent the Dickinson men's lacrosse team into the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament with an overtime winner against Denison he repeated the same performance on Sunday night as the Red and White knocked off the second-ranked Salisbury University by a final of 11-10 in overtime at Sea Gull Stadium to advance to the Elite Eight for the fifth-time in program history. It also prevented the Sea Gulls from a trip to the national quarterfinals for the first time since 1989.
- Dickinson needed only eight seconds to get the scoring started as Ben Trucksess won the faceoff and got it up to Ethan Gess for the strike past Nicholas Ransom. Off the ensuing draw, Blake Malamphy went at it alone, but Rocco Bognet shut him down.
- The Red and White notched four more shots through Matt Thurston, Ramsey Huggins (2) and Carter Wilmot, but could not get another one past Ransom who made three more stops as nine minutes had elapsed.
- At the other end, Bognet denied Brice Bromwell and Ty Keaton to keep DC up 1-0. However, both Bromwell and Malamphy struck in a seven-second span to go ahead 2-1 with 5:31 left.
- The group of Josh Smith, Luke Whalen, Huggins and Thurston each notched one more shot in the frame, but Rasom made another save to hold the score where it was.
- For the second straight period it was DC on the early attack as Trucksess won the faceoff leading to a shot for Whalen that was stopped. However, Charlie Baughan cleaned up the loose ball and stashed it by Ransom to tie the game at the 45-second mark.
- Salisbury responded with three of the next four shots tasking Bognet with making one more save, while at the other end Ransom once again had the answer for Thurston.
- With just over four minutes gone, Jack Deady knocked the ball away from Bromwell sending Ethan Ackerman on the run delivering a bouncer by Ransom to make it 3-2. Salisbury would respond about a minute later with Michael Leahy beating Bognet high.
- Following a stop for Ransom against Ethan Gess, the Sea Gulls found some rhythm with Brayden Velasquez and Bromwell solving Bognet from long range to jump ahead 5-3 with 6:13 left prompting a DC timeout.
- After Keaton had SU doubling-up the Devils at 6-3, Dickinson took advantage of a man-up chance as Gess connected with Jack Murphy for the finish trimming the margin to 6-4 going to halftime.
- Riley Strub would tally the first chance of the period, but would miss high allowing Carter Wilmot to cash in making it 6-5 just over two minutes in.
- Each keeper then recorded a save with Ransom shutting down Preston Boyd and Bognet knocking aside an offering from Bromwell.
- On the ensuing possession Huggins buried the rock, before Trucksess claimed the faceoff and hit Gess who connected to Landen Hyatt for the 7-6 lead with 7:37 left causing a timeout Salisbury.
- The Red and White tried to add onto their advantage with offerings from Preston Boyd, Huggins and Whalen, but they were knocked away by Ransom as the period entered the final three minutes.
- Salisbury came close to tying the game in the last second, fortunately for DC Strub's attempt hit the post.
- The hosts came out firing away with Lucas Ingley and Leahy being denied by Bognet, before the same duo linked up with Leahy scoring to tie things up with 2:18 gone.
- Dickinson would reclaim the lead at 8-7 after the Sea Gulls failed on a clear leading to Whalen hitting Hyatt. That was immediately followed with Capp Reynolds collecting a free ball off a Trucksess faceoff win and finding an open Boyd for the tally and a 9-7 edge with a little less than ten minutes left.
- Salisbury answered right back as Strub buried a "no look" over the shoulder shot to the bottom corner. Dickinson pushed the advantage out to two once again when Tommy Baldini found a wide open Huggins for the goal.
- With less than five minutes to play the Sea Gulls would be granted a "two-man", but a turnover caused by Hayden Warren allowed the Devils to run that out.
- The ensuing DC possession would see Whalen be stopped by Ransom, which allowed Strub to get SU within one (10-9) at the 11:48 mark.
- After Bryce Stevenson popped the rock free from Boyd, the hoe side came back down with a chance to tie. Strub missed the target, but Leahy was there for the answer and a 10-10 tie.
- Salisbury had the final possession, fortunately, for the Red and White, Ackerman stripped Bromwell forcing overtime for the second straight day for DC.
- The Sea Gulls would earn the first crack after Malamphy was able to gain control and get the ball inside the box leading to a SU timeout. The hosts recorded four shots with Bognet making one save.
- Dickinson then got their chance and got into the offensive zone taking their own timeout. The Red and White made their only chance count as Whalen got inside on Jeremiah Stafford and slipped the shot past Ransom to send the Devils on to the Elite Eight.
- Goals - Huggins and Hyatt (2)
- Assists - Gess (2)
- Groundballs - Trucksess (6), Baughan (5), Jack Deady, Hayden Warren and Huggins (3)
- Caused Turnovers - Evan Karetsos and Ackerman (3), Warren (2)
- Faceoffs - Trucksess (9-22), Ryan Backus (0-2)
- Saves - Bognet (12)
- Goals - Leahy (3), Bromwell and Strub (2)
- Assists - Herraiz (2), Ingley and Keaton (1)
- Groundballs - Fritchman and Malamphy (6)
- Caused Turnovers - Stevenson (3)
- Faceoffs - Malamphy (14-23), Fritchman (1-1)
- Saves - Ransom (16)
- Dickinson (15-5) now advances to the Elite Eight for a date with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute next Saturday in Rochester, New York on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Game time will be announced on Monday. Stay tuned to dickinsonathletics.com and all Red Devil social media for information.
