Friday, May 5
2 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
vs
(6) Robert Morris
Falcon Lacrosse Opens ASUN Tournament against Robert Morris in Semifinals
5/4/2023 2:00:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
ASUN SEMIFINALS
(2) AIR FORCE (10-5, 7-2 ASUN) vs. (6) ROBERT MORRIS (8-7, 4-5 ASUN)
4 p.m. ET, Friday, May 5
Joe Walton Stadium | Moon Township, PA
THE SERIES
-AF and RMU are meeting for the ninth time, RMU leads the all-time series, 5-3
-RMU and AF met in last season's ASUN Tournament, RMU came out on top, 9-7
-AF is 1-2 against the Colonials when playing at RMU
-AF won the regular season meeting, 13-5, at USAFA
-Four meetings were decided by a one goal difference
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
Air Force cruised by Robert Morris, 13-5, to cap the 2023 regular season campaign. The Falcons were led in scoring by sophomore big man Wes Peene who put up a personal career-best four goals to lead AF to victory. Peene finished the game with five points and seven shots. Junior teammate Aidan Tolen went off for three goals, marking his third-straight hat trick performance and fifth of the season.
Senior Ethan Grandolfo notched two goals for his 28th and 29th of the season. Gavin Peene and Brandon Dodd scored one goal apiece in their final game at the Academy—Dodd added another three assists to his season tally. Other Falcons to score were Matt Rubino and Ethan Howell. Rubino is on a three-game scoring streak while Howell notched his second goal of the season.
The Air Force defense was in tournament form, holding RMU to their lowest scoring output of the season, highlighted by a scoreless fourth quarter. In goal, Jason Rose made six saves and caused an impressive five turnovers. Robert Morris turned the ball over 21 times, 15 were caused by the Falcons.
ASUN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior attack man Brandon Dodd has a team-high 38 goals and 30 assists, leading AF with 68 points for his second-straight 50+ point season. He put up a dime on Detroit Mercy, scoring six goals with four assists. He put up a career-best seven goals against Lindenwood earlier this season. He has five hat tricks on the 2023 campaign.
Brandon Dodd Ranking Summary
Points per game: 4.89 (1st ASUN/10th NCAA)
Assists per game: 2.14 (2nd ASUN/16th NCAA)
Goals per game: 2.71 (3rd ASUN /26th NCAA)
Despite a shortened freshman season due to COVID in 2020 and a half-season in 2021 due to injury, Dodd still has 171 career points, ranking him fourth in the all-time career points category—the next spot up is Keith Dreyer (2012-15) with 174. His 98 career goals rank him third in the all-time career goals record book. If he notches two goals in the post season, he will become the fourth Falcon to achieve 100 career goals since AF joined all Division I lacrosse leagues. His 73 career assists rank him fourth in that category, behind Chris Walsch (2015-17) 75.
The all-time points leader is Chris Walsch (2015-17) with 183. The all-time goals leader is Mike Crampton (2011-14) with 127. The all-time assists leader is Keith Dreyer (2012-15) with 105.
SCORING THREATS
Senior AF attack man Ethan Grandolfo has 29 goals for the second most on the squad. He leads the team with seven hat tricks on the campaign. He scored four goals for three consecutive games (Utah, Cleveland State and Bellarmine).
Aidan Tolen, All-ASUN first-team midfielder, has 25 goals this season. He is on a six-game goal streak and has had a hat trick for three-straight games—five on the season.
Wes Peene has 19 goals this season and has had a goal for four-straight games. At 6'4", he's the tallest attacking midfielder the Falcons have. Older Brother Gavin Peene has 13 goals this season and has scored a goal in the last five games.
Josh Yago has 15 goals and 10 assists and has proven to be difficult to defend due to his quick and shifty foot speed. Sophomore teammate Matt Rubino found his rhythm late in the season with goals in the last three games, two of which were hat trick performances.
D-UP
Chris Bardak, an All-ASUN first teamer, and James Chastain anchor the Air Force defense. Chastain has 41 career starts, the most by any Falcon. Bardak has an impressive 27 caused turnovers on the season, a mark that ranks him second in the ASUN (16th in the NCAA) with 2.14 CTO/game. Bardak, extremely physical in play, is also the active AF career ground balls and CTO leader (115/53).
Bardak's 53 career caused turnovers is the seventh most career CTOs in program history. The next spot up is a tie for fifth at 54 between Quentin Carlile (2019-22) and Matt Puleo (2011-14). The career CTO leader is Brandon Jones (2016-19) with 84.
IN GOAL
Senior goalie Jason Rose averages 10.20 saves per game and has the third-best save percentage (.519) in the ASUN. He allows an average of 10.47 goals per game, the second-best mark in the conference, 14th best in the NCAA. He is an All-ASUN second-team selection and a two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week.
AIR FORCE RANKING SUMMARY
Man-down defense: 0.745 (2nd ASUN/6th NCAA)
Scoring defense: 10.33 (2nd ASUN/12th NCAA)
Clearing percentage: .896 (2nd ASUN/13th NCAA)
Man-up offense: .457 (2nd ASUN/16th NCAA)
Opponent clearing pct.: .838 (2nd ASUN/19th NCAA)
Caused turnovers per game: 8.33 (2nd ASUN/33rd NCAA)
UP NEXT
The winner between AF and RMU will take on the winner of (1) Utah and (5) Bellarmine in the conference championship on Sunday, May 7. Championship action is slated for 1 p.m. ET.
(2) AIR FORCE (10-5, 7-2 ASUN) vs. (6) ROBERT MORRIS (8-7, 4-5 ASUN)
4 p.m. ET, Friday, May 5
Joe Walton Stadium | Moon Township, PA
THE SERIES
-AF and RMU are meeting for the ninth time, RMU leads the all-time series, 5-3
-RMU and AF met in last season's ASUN Tournament, RMU came out on top, 9-7
-AF is 1-2 against the Colonials when playing at RMU
-AF won the regular season meeting, 13-5, at USAFA
-Four meetings were decided by a one goal difference
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
Air Force cruised by Robert Morris, 13-5, to cap the 2023 regular season campaign. The Falcons were led in scoring by sophomore big man Wes Peene who put up a personal career-best four goals to lead AF to victory. Peene finished the game with five points and seven shots. Junior teammate Aidan Tolen went off for three goals, marking his third-straight hat trick performance and fifth of the season.
Senior Ethan Grandolfo notched two goals for his 28th and 29th of the season. Gavin Peene and Brandon Dodd scored one goal apiece in their final game at the Academy—Dodd added another three assists to his season tally. Other Falcons to score were Matt Rubino and Ethan Howell. Rubino is on a three-game scoring streak while Howell notched his second goal of the season.
The Air Force defense was in tournament form, holding RMU to their lowest scoring output of the season, highlighted by a scoreless fourth quarter. In goal, Jason Rose made six saves and caused an impressive five turnovers. Robert Morris turned the ball over 21 times, 15 were caused by the Falcons.
ASUN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior attack man Brandon Dodd has a team-high 38 goals and 30 assists, leading AF with 68 points for his second-straight 50+ point season. He put up a dime on Detroit Mercy, scoring six goals with four assists. He put up a career-best seven goals against Lindenwood earlier this season. He has five hat tricks on the 2023 campaign.
Brandon Dodd Ranking Summary
Points per game: 4.89 (1st ASUN/10th NCAA)
Assists per game: 2.14 (2nd ASUN/16th NCAA)
Goals per game: 2.71 (3rd ASUN /26th NCAA)
Despite a shortened freshman season due to COVID in 2020 and a half-season in 2021 due to injury, Dodd still has 171 career points, ranking him fourth in the all-time career points category—the next spot up is Keith Dreyer (2012-15) with 174. His 98 career goals rank him third in the all-time career goals record book. If he notches two goals in the post season, he will become the fourth Falcon to achieve 100 career goals since AF joined all Division I lacrosse leagues. His 73 career assists rank him fourth in that category, behind Chris Walsch (2015-17) 75.
The all-time points leader is Chris Walsch (2015-17) with 183. The all-time goals leader is Mike Crampton (2011-14) with 127. The all-time assists leader is Keith Dreyer (2012-15) with 105.
SCORING THREATS
Senior AF attack man Ethan Grandolfo has 29 goals for the second most on the squad. He leads the team with seven hat tricks on the campaign. He scored four goals for three consecutive games (Utah, Cleveland State and Bellarmine).
Aidan Tolen, All-ASUN first-team midfielder, has 25 goals this season. He is on a six-game goal streak and has had a hat trick for three-straight games—five on the season.
Wes Peene has 19 goals this season and has had a goal for four-straight games. At 6'4", he's the tallest attacking midfielder the Falcons have. Older Brother Gavin Peene has 13 goals this season and has scored a goal in the last five games.
Josh Yago has 15 goals and 10 assists and has proven to be difficult to defend due to his quick and shifty foot speed. Sophomore teammate Matt Rubino found his rhythm late in the season with goals in the last three games, two of which were hat trick performances.
D-UP
Chris Bardak, an All-ASUN first teamer, and James Chastain anchor the Air Force defense. Chastain has 41 career starts, the most by any Falcon. Bardak has an impressive 27 caused turnovers on the season, a mark that ranks him second in the ASUN (16th in the NCAA) with 2.14 CTO/game. Bardak, extremely physical in play, is also the active AF career ground balls and CTO leader (115/53).
Bardak's 53 career caused turnovers is the seventh most career CTOs in program history. The next spot up is a tie for fifth at 54 between Quentin Carlile (2019-22) and Matt Puleo (2011-14). The career CTO leader is Brandon Jones (2016-19) with 84.
IN GOAL
Senior goalie Jason Rose averages 10.20 saves per game and has the third-best save percentage (.519) in the ASUN. He allows an average of 10.47 goals per game, the second-best mark in the conference, 14th best in the NCAA. He is an All-ASUN second-team selection and a two-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week.
AIR FORCE RANKING SUMMARY
Man-down defense: 0.745 (2nd ASUN/6th NCAA)
Scoring defense: 10.33 (2nd ASUN/12th NCAA)
Clearing percentage: .896 (2nd ASUN/13th NCAA)
Man-up offense: .457 (2nd ASUN/16th NCAA)
Opponent clearing pct.: .838 (2nd ASUN/19th NCAA)
Caused turnovers per game: 8.33 (2nd ASUN/33rd NCAA)
UP NEXT
The winner between AF and RMU will take on the winner of (1) Utah and (5) Bellarmine in the conference championship on Sunday, May 7. Championship action is slated for 1 p.m. ET.
Players Mentioned
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