INDIANAPOLIS – Rockhurst University won its first league title at the 2023 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament on Sunday at Key Stadium on the campus of University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a 9-8 win over Lewis.
Rockhurst becomes the third Conference team to win the Championship in the five-year history of the sport in the league.
The second-seeded Hawks edged the third-seeded Flyers by a single goal in the low-scoring affair, using a 3-1 fourth-quarter advantage to grab the victory.
In the first quarter, both teams traded a pair of goals, as Lewis opened the scoring with 11:11 on the clock and Rockhurst finished the scoring with 5:19 remaining in the frame for the 2-2 deadlock. The Hawks jumped out to a two-goal edge in the second, scoring the first two goals of the period at 8:37 and 3:07 before the Flyers pulled within one, 4-3, at halftime with a goal just over 2:00 before the break.
In the second half, Lewis used four goals to Rockhurst’s two to pull ahead at 7-6 before the final quarter of the match. Three-straight goals from Rockhurst gave the Hawks a 9-7 lead with just 4:58 to play. The Flyers were able to get one back with 2:08 to go, but neither team found the back of the next for the remainder of the game.
Rockhurst shared the scoring load, as seven Hawks tallied at least one goal with Tyler Smith leading all scorers via his hat trick. Lewis’ Evan Clement recorded a brace to lead the team offensively.
Defensively, Rockhurst’s Bjorn Anderson scooped up a game-high seven ground balls and Hayden Harris registered 11 saves between the pipes in the win, while GLVC Goalkeeper of the Year Riah Rathe made 14 saves for Lewis.
The Hawks now await the NCAA Selection Show tonight at 7:30 PM ET to determine their regional fate. The 2023 NCAA Division II Championship first round through semifinals will take place on campus sites between May 10-21, while the National title game will be played on May 28 in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field.