The back-to-back champs are back at the top and ready to make another run toward a title. Grove City secured the top seed after a 7-0 record in conference play. This year’s men’s lacrosse tournament will begin on Wednesday with the semifinal round, capped off by the title game on Saturday.
Let’s examine the four teams gunning for the glory.
#1 GROVE CITY (13-4, 7-0 PAC)
The Wolverines have been a juggernaut all season long. The Wolverines lead the PAC in almost every offensive category as well as owning the top faceoff percentage. Grove City boasts a dynamic scoring duo in senior Brett Gladstone and freshman Matt Blythe. They rank second and third, respectively, in goals per game in the PAC.
“Offensively we have a lot of highly skilled guys that can shoot and are very unselfish, said head coach Alec Jernstedt. “We have 14 guys with double digits points but none of them are motivated by that, and they all get really excited for their teammates success. When you have skilled guys that work together you are going to be really effective.”
Jernstedt says this is the deepest group they’ve ever had, as well as the most experienced. He says depth and experience has always been their biggest weakness, so this year’s team is as complete as ever before.
Things went very well the last time Grove City played Chatham, a 25-5 rout on April 9th.
Next game: Wednesday, 7 pm at home vs. #4 Chatham
#2 SAINT VINCENT (12-1, 6-1)
The Bearcats are eyeing up their opportunity for a rematch with Grove City, the only team to beat them in conference play this year (12-7 final). But they’ll have to get through Westminster first. Saint Vincent wins by keeping things tightened up.
They come into the PAC tournament as the conference’s best penalty killing team with the lowest goals against average and lowest turnover rate. Junior Jordan Billett is dangerous as the team’s leading goal scorer, while senior goalie Noah Sperling has the lowest goals against average in the league.
“This season has been a journey for the team. For the past two years, our team hasn’t been able to compete for a PAC Championship, both years due to COVID,” head coach Zach Wilfong said. “Our guys have certainly kept that goal of returning to the PAC Tournament in the forefront of their minds, especially within their day to day decisions.
Since January, we have been focusing on the process verses focusing on the results. We have stressed making every day count…. 1% better, 1% better, 1% better. Halfway through the season, our seniors and juniors installed core values that have set a great foundation for not only this year’s team, but future teams as well. When we suffered our only loss of the season, the floor didn’t crumble beneath us… we got right back to work and finished the remainder of the season undefeated.”
Saint Vincent played well against their semifinal round opponent, Westminster, when they met earlier in the year. The Bearcats were victorious in a 14-9 game.
Next game: Wednesday at 5 pm vs. #3 Westminster at home
#3 WESTMINSTER (10-4, 5-2 PAC)
The Titans have thrived in special teams, having the most man up goals, the highest man up shooting percentage and even man down goals.
Westminster junior Ryan Greer is second in the PAC in points per game for this Titans offense that ranks third in most offensive categories. It’s worth nothing that Westminster’s two losses in PAC play this season came to Saint Vincent (14-9) and Grove City (22-5), the two teams seeded higher than them heading into the tournament.
Next game: Wednesday at 5 pm @ #2 Saint Vincent
#4 CHATHAM (6-10, 4-3 PAC)
The Cougars finished the season on a high note, winning four of their last five games to end the season. Chatham normally plays a rather clean game, coming in as the least penalized team in the PAC.
They’re led by junior Zach Mayan who cracks the top five in faceoff percentage and ground balls per game while freshman Rei O’Brien cracks the top six in assists per game,
Next game: Wednesday at 7 pm @ #1 Grove City
