Wednesday, May 5
Richmond, VA
3:30 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Richmond
Photo by: Guy Grindberg
Air Force Takes on Top-Seeded Richmond in SOCON Tournament Semifinal
5/4/2021 3:59:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SOCON SEMIS: (4) AIR FORCE (4-8, 3-3) at #18/(1) RICHMOND (6-5, 5-1)
Air Force takes on SOCON front-runner Richmond in the first game of the conference tournament, Wednesday, May 5, at 5:30 p.m. ET, at Robins Stadium in Richmond.
THE SERIES
-The series began in 2014
-Air Force leads Richmond in the all-time series, 7-2
-Air Force is 4-1 against Richmond at Robins Stadium
-Air Force is 3-1 against Richmond in post-season play
-The Falcons beat the Spiders in two-straight SoCon Championships (2016, 2017)
-Richmond won the last postseason meeting (May 2, 2019), edging by Air Force, 7-6, in the SOCON semifinals
-The Falcons won the first five-straight meetings, including the first-ever meeting in the NCAA play-in game in 2014, 13-5. The win marked the Falcons first-ever NCAA tournament win
DOWN TO THE WIRE
All three postseason meetings between the Falcons and Spiders have been decided by a one-goal differential. Four total meetings between the teams, including the last two, have been decided by a one-goal differential.
FALCONS TO WATCH
Sophomore attackman Ethan Grandolfo leads the Falcons with 30 points via 21 goals and nine assists. Grandolfo has put up points in all 11 appearances this season and scored a goal in 10 of those games. He is on an eight-game goal streak highlighted by a career-best six-goal showing against VMI.
Senior middie Matthew O'Rourk has been Mr. Consistent as well, putting up points in 10 appearances and goals in seven games this season. Senior teammate Ben Ward has blossomed as attacker in the late season scoring goals in four-straight games, highlighted by a six-goal showing against VMI.
Air Force's top facilitators along with Grandolfo are Quincy Peene and Brenden Crouse who lead the squad with nine assists apiece. Crouse has scored goals in seven games this season including a pair four-goal games in conference play. Peene has notched goals in 5-of-11 appearances, highlighted by a four-goal game against Utah.
In league play alone, Grandolfo and Crouse lead the squad with 12 and 11 goals, respectively. Grandolfo leads the squad with five assists in league play
UP NEXT
The winner of (4) Air Force and (1) Richmond will play the winner of game two between (2) High Point and (3) Jacksonville in the 2021 SOCON Championship. The Panthers and Dolphins will play Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. The championship game is slated for Friday, May 7, at noon ET.
LAST TIME IN THE SOCON TOURNEY
The Falcons concluded the 2019 campaign with a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to the University of Richmond in the Southern Conference semi-finals, hosted by the University of High Point at Vert Stadium. Air Force finalized the 2019 slate with an overall record of 10-5 with a 6-1 mark in league play.
The Falcons played a sluggish first quarter, turning the ball over six times while only sending off four shots on the Spiders' frame. Richmond gained an early 1-0 advantage as Tate Gallagher notched a goal at the 13-minute mark. The Falcons and Spiders went quiet for the remainder of the period.
At the 13:41 mark in the second quarter, junior attack man Chet Dunstan was the first to light the scoreboard for Air Force with a laser from 10 yards out via Christian Kuhn's assist. Just over five-minutes later, Dunstan struck again, notching his second goal with an assist from Cameron Carter, giving Air Force a 2-1 lead. Richmond responded with two-straight goals to take a one-goal lead at 3-2.
The game was tied at the half, as Air Force's Christian Kuhn scored a nifty goal with 30 seconds left in the second quarter to send the teams into the break even at three. Blake Gillund fired a shot on frame that Richmond keeper Jack Rusbuldt saved but could not corral. Kuhn, stationed just outside the crease, scooped the rebound out of the air, took two steps and slammed it home from close range to knot the score.
Richmond scored the first two goals out of the break to reclaim a two-goal lead, with Hatfield and Lanchbury both striking again. A strike from Trey Lervick midway through the third started a string of three straight Air Force goals, as Kevin Cox scored just 44-seconds after Lervick to level the score at five.
Lervick struck again with 13:56 left in the contest to put the Falcons on top for the final time before Lee and Gallagher came through for the Spiders late, notching the final two goals of the game to seal the deal at 7-6 in favor of the Spiders.
RUN IT BACK
A late goal from Brenden Crouse propelled the Falcons past No. 15 Richmond, 9-8, in the nail-biting regular-season finale with playoff implications, Saturday afternoon at Robins Stadium.
Sophomore attack man Ethan Grandolfo and senior teammate Ben Ward were first and second, respectively, to light the scoreboard giving the Falcons and early 2-0 lead. Richmond responded with two-straight goals of their own to knot the game at two at the 11-minute mark. The Falcons and Spiders scored back and forth to finish the first quarter tied at four. Air Force freshmen Aidan Tolen and Chris Bardak notched the goals with assists from defensemen Vince Lombardi and Quentin Carlile, respectively.
A defensive second quarter yielded just two total goals in the quarter. Richmond's Richie Connell, who finished with five goals on the game, broke the tie at the 11:43 mark. In response, Bardak connected with Tolen for his second goal with just 52 seconds remaining in the half.
The third quarter was equally as defensive with Air Force mustering the only goal in an unassisted attack by Grandolfo, giving Air Force a 6-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The first half of the fourth quarter was all Air Force as the Falcons built a three-goal lead behind a pair of unanswered goals from freshman Dante Orlando for the first and second goals of his collegiate career.
Unwilling to go quietly, Richmond rattled off three-straight goals in just under two minutes to knot the game at eight with 3:53 remaining in regulation. Just under a minute later, Crouse deflated the Spiders as he blasted in a goal with 3:19 remaining in regulation. Richmond, feeling the pressure, frantically fought for an equalizer to no avail.
THREE FALCONS EARN SOCON POSTSEASON HONORS
Air Force's Quentin Carlile and Brenden Crouse earned first-team and second-team All-SOCON honors, respectively, announced by the league office, Tuesday. The postseason honors mark Carlile's third accolade and a first for Crouse. Sophomore attack man Ethan Grandolfo was added to the all-freshman team as student-athletes that were eligible for all-freshman consideration last year before the season was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic are eligible to be considered for this season's all-freshman awards.
ROSE WINS POTW AFTER CAREER PERFORMANCE
Jason Rose made a career-high 18 saves and allowed just eight goals as Air Force knocked off No. 15 Richmond 9-8 to deny the regular-season co-champion Spiders an undefeated run through the league. The sophomore from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, faced 45 shots on the afternoon, with his 18 saves the most by a Falcon keeper this season. Rose's .692 save percentage was a season high and pushed his season percentage to .522. He also caused three turnovers on the game.
Air Force takes on SOCON front-runner Richmond in the first game of the conference tournament, Wednesday, May 5, at 5:30 p.m. ET, at Robins Stadium in Richmond.
THE SERIES
-The series began in 2014
-Air Force leads Richmond in the all-time series, 7-2
-Air Force is 4-1 against Richmond at Robins Stadium
-Air Force is 3-1 against Richmond in post-season play
-The Falcons beat the Spiders in two-straight SoCon Championships (2016, 2017)
-Richmond won the last postseason meeting (May 2, 2019), edging by Air Force, 7-6, in the SOCON semifinals
-The Falcons won the first five-straight meetings, including the first-ever meeting in the NCAA play-in game in 2014, 13-5. The win marked the Falcons first-ever NCAA tournament win
DOWN TO THE WIRE
All three postseason meetings between the Falcons and Spiders have been decided by a one-goal differential. Four total meetings between the teams, including the last two, have been decided by a one-goal differential.
FALCONS TO WATCH
Sophomore attackman Ethan Grandolfo leads the Falcons with 30 points via 21 goals and nine assists. Grandolfo has put up points in all 11 appearances this season and scored a goal in 10 of those games. He is on an eight-game goal streak highlighted by a career-best six-goal showing against VMI.
Senior middie Matthew O'Rourk has been Mr. Consistent as well, putting up points in 10 appearances and goals in seven games this season. Senior teammate Ben Ward has blossomed as attacker in the late season scoring goals in four-straight games, highlighted by a six-goal showing against VMI.
Air Force's top facilitators along with Grandolfo are Quincy Peene and Brenden Crouse who lead the squad with nine assists apiece. Crouse has scored goals in seven games this season including a pair four-goal games in conference play. Peene has notched goals in 5-of-11 appearances, highlighted by a four-goal game against Utah.
In league play alone, Grandolfo and Crouse lead the squad with 12 and 11 goals, respectively. Grandolfo leads the squad with five assists in league play
UP NEXT
The winner of (4) Air Force and (1) Richmond will play the winner of game two between (2) High Point and (3) Jacksonville in the 2021 SOCON Championship. The Panthers and Dolphins will play Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. The championship game is slated for Friday, May 7, at noon ET.
LAST TIME IN THE SOCON TOURNEY
The Falcons concluded the 2019 campaign with a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to the University of Richmond in the Southern Conference semi-finals, hosted by the University of High Point at Vert Stadium. Air Force finalized the 2019 slate with an overall record of 10-5 with a 6-1 mark in league play.
The Falcons played a sluggish first quarter, turning the ball over six times while only sending off four shots on the Spiders' frame. Richmond gained an early 1-0 advantage as Tate Gallagher notched a goal at the 13-minute mark. The Falcons and Spiders went quiet for the remainder of the period.
At the 13:41 mark in the second quarter, junior attack man Chet Dunstan was the first to light the scoreboard for Air Force with a laser from 10 yards out via Christian Kuhn's assist. Just over five-minutes later, Dunstan struck again, notching his second goal with an assist from Cameron Carter, giving Air Force a 2-1 lead. Richmond responded with two-straight goals to take a one-goal lead at 3-2.
The game was tied at the half, as Air Force's Christian Kuhn scored a nifty goal with 30 seconds left in the second quarter to send the teams into the break even at three. Blake Gillund fired a shot on frame that Richmond keeper Jack Rusbuldt saved but could not corral. Kuhn, stationed just outside the crease, scooped the rebound out of the air, took two steps and slammed it home from close range to knot the score.
Richmond scored the first two goals out of the break to reclaim a two-goal lead, with Hatfield and Lanchbury both striking again. A strike from Trey Lervick midway through the third started a string of three straight Air Force goals, as Kevin Cox scored just 44-seconds after Lervick to level the score at five.
Lervick struck again with 13:56 left in the contest to put the Falcons on top for the final time before Lee and Gallagher came through for the Spiders late, notching the final two goals of the game to seal the deal at 7-6 in favor of the Spiders.
RUN IT BACK
A late goal from Brenden Crouse propelled the Falcons past No. 15 Richmond, 9-8, in the nail-biting regular-season finale with playoff implications, Saturday afternoon at Robins Stadium.
Sophomore attack man Ethan Grandolfo and senior teammate Ben Ward were first and second, respectively, to light the scoreboard giving the Falcons and early 2-0 lead. Richmond responded with two-straight goals of their own to knot the game at two at the 11-minute mark. The Falcons and Spiders scored back and forth to finish the first quarter tied at four. Air Force freshmen Aidan Tolen and Chris Bardak notched the goals with assists from defensemen Vince Lombardi and Quentin Carlile, respectively.
A defensive second quarter yielded just two total goals in the quarter. Richmond's Richie Connell, who finished with five goals on the game, broke the tie at the 11:43 mark. In response, Bardak connected with Tolen for his second goal with just 52 seconds remaining in the half.
The third quarter was equally as defensive with Air Force mustering the only goal in an unassisted attack by Grandolfo, giving Air Force a 6-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The first half of the fourth quarter was all Air Force as the Falcons built a three-goal lead behind a pair of unanswered goals from freshman Dante Orlando for the first and second goals of his collegiate career.
Unwilling to go quietly, Richmond rattled off three-straight goals in just under two minutes to knot the game at eight with 3:53 remaining in regulation. Just under a minute later, Crouse deflated the Spiders as he blasted in a goal with 3:19 remaining in regulation. Richmond, feeling the pressure, frantically fought for an equalizer to no avail.
THREE FALCONS EARN SOCON POSTSEASON HONORS
Air Force's Quentin Carlile and Brenden Crouse earned first-team and second-team All-SOCON honors, respectively, announced by the league office, Tuesday. The postseason honors mark Carlile's third accolade and a first for Crouse. Sophomore attack man Ethan Grandolfo was added to the all-freshman team as student-athletes that were eligible for all-freshman consideration last year before the season was curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic are eligible to be considered for this season's all-freshman awards.
ROSE WINS POTW AFTER CAREER PERFORMANCE
Jason Rose made a career-high 18 saves and allowed just eight goals as Air Force knocked off No. 15 Richmond 9-8 to deny the regular-season co-champion Spiders an undefeated run through the league. The sophomore from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, faced 45 shots on the afternoon, with his 18 saves the most by a Falcon keeper this season. Rose's .692 save percentage was a season high and pushed his season percentage to .522. He also caused three turnovers on the game.
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