Saturday, April 27
Moon Township, PA
10:00 AM MT
Air Force Academy
at
Robert Morris
Falcons Play Regular season Finale at Robert Morris
4/26/2024 10:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
GAME 14
AIR FORCE (8-5, 7-1 ASUN) vs. ROBERT MORRIS (5-8, 4-4 ASUN)
10 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 27
Joe Walton Stadium, Moon Township, Pa.
The Falcons will play the regular season finale at Robert Morris, Saturday (April 27), in Pittsburgh. Action at Joe Walton Stadium is slated for noon ET.
THE SERIES
Air Force and Robert Morris are meeting for the 10th time with the Colonials leading the series, 5-4. The Falcons have won the last two meetings, including a 12-4 routing in the ASUN Tournament semifinals, last season. AF also won last season's regular season game, 13-5. When playing in Moon Township, the Falcons have a 1-2 record against RMU.
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
Air Force won all four quarters, 3-1, in a defensive standoff as the Falcons cruised to a 12-4 victory over Robert Morris at RMU's Joe Walton Stadium to reach the program's first ASUN Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship Final. The Falcons enacted revenge over the Colonials from the 2022 semifinal match and ended their hold on the ASUN postseason trophy.
ASUN Player of the Year, Brandon Dodd, started the engines of the Air Force offense with the game's opening goal at the 12:45 mark. RMU answered six minutes later before Luke Vrsansky tacked on two goals to end the first quarter. The second and third quarters played out in similar fashion with the Falcons scoring the first goal and closing with the last two. The Falcons tacked on three more goals in the last 15 minutes as Ethan Grandolfo and Vrsansky recorded a hat trick to lead Air Force's offensive production.
ASUN Second Team All-Conference selection Jason Rose stopped a single-season tournament-high 18 saves while limiting the Colonial offense to a season-low goal total (4) for the second consecutive contest.
AIR FORCE NOTABLES
-Air Forces 7-0 conference start marked the best league start since going undefeated in the Southern Conference in 2016. The seven wins tie the Falcons' program record for conference wins in a single season (2016 SoCon, 2023 ASUN).
-The Falcons lead the ASUN in caused turnovers per game (9.33), ground balls per game (31.67), and opponent clearing percentage (.799). AF is also second in the ASUN in scoring defense (9.45), a mark that ranks them fourth in the NCAA.
-Junior Josh Yago leads the team in assists (28) and points (47). He leads the ASUN in assists per game (2.25); a mark that ranks him 19th across the NCAA. Yago has scored a point in every game this season and put up a goal in 10 games. He had a career day against Cleveland State, scoring seven points by way of four goals and three assists. He one-upped himself against Mercer with an eight-point show by way of three goals and five assists. Yago is third in the record book in single season assists (28) with the top mark being held by Keith Dreyer (31, 2014)
-Sophomore Caelan Driggs leads Air Force in goals (28) and has points (33) so far this season. He has three hat tricks (4g, 4g, 5g), and had a five-goal performance against Lindenwood. He has scored a point in all but one game this season and a goal in 11-of-13 appearances. He is third in the ASUN in goals per game (2.33) and second in the league in shot percentage (.417).
-Freshman Turner Ashby was named to the Inside Lacrosse Top-25 Midseason Freshman Impact list. Ashby has a pair of hat tricks this season with 22 goals in his inaugural campaign. He has scored in all but one game of the season and is tied for second on the team with 33 points (22g, 11a).
-The Air Force defense is led by co-team captains Chris Bardak and James Chastain. The duo combines for 31 caused turnovers— Bardak with 18, Chastain with 13. Bardak has 39 ground balls, the most by any non-face off Falcon. Bardak's 71 career caused turnovers ranks him fifth in the record book. Quentin Carlile (22') currently holds the standard with 91 CTOs between 2019-2022.
-At center X, Jake Knapp takes the lion's share of face off attempts. He has a .471 win-percentage on the season and a season-best 17 face off wins against Queens. He is fourth in the ASUN in ground balls per game (4.08) and fifth in the league in face off win percentage.
FIGHTIN' FRESHMEN
AF freshmen Turner Ashby, Jake Mason, Mana Wilhelm, and Blaze DeGracie combine for 33 goals and 21 assists. Ashby was named to the Inside Lacrosse Top-25 Midseason Freshman Impact list this week and has started in all 11 games this season.
MAREK WINS DFENSIVE POTW
Air Force junior Jake Marek was tabbed ASUN Defensive Player of the Week following a stellar performance in goal at Detroit Mercy. Marek allowed just one goal and made 11 saves in 45 minutes of action. In three shows in goal, Marek has allowed just nine goals and has a 5.04 GAA and .667 save percentage. Marek is the first Player of the Week honoree for AF this season.
LAST TIME OUT
Jacksonville rallied from behind to knock off the front-running Falcons in overtime, 10-9, at a foggy Falcon Stadium, Saturday afternoon. Air Force, taking the first league loss this season, is 8-5 overall with a 7-1 mark in the conference.
AIR FORCE (8-5, 7-1 ASUN) vs. ROBERT MORRIS (5-8, 4-4 ASUN)
10 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 27
Joe Walton Stadium, Moon Township, Pa.
The Falcons will play the regular season finale at Robert Morris, Saturday (April 27), in Pittsburgh. Action at Joe Walton Stadium is slated for noon ET.
THE SERIES
Air Force and Robert Morris are meeting for the 10th time with the Colonials leading the series, 5-4. The Falcons have won the last two meetings, including a 12-4 routing in the ASUN Tournament semifinals, last season. AF also won last season's regular season game, 13-5. When playing in Moon Township, the Falcons have a 1-2 record against RMU.
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED
Air Force won all four quarters, 3-1, in a defensive standoff as the Falcons cruised to a 12-4 victory over Robert Morris at RMU's Joe Walton Stadium to reach the program's first ASUN Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship Final. The Falcons enacted revenge over the Colonials from the 2022 semifinal match and ended their hold on the ASUN postseason trophy.
ASUN Player of the Year, Brandon Dodd, started the engines of the Air Force offense with the game's opening goal at the 12:45 mark. RMU answered six minutes later before Luke Vrsansky tacked on two goals to end the first quarter. The second and third quarters played out in similar fashion with the Falcons scoring the first goal and closing with the last two. The Falcons tacked on three more goals in the last 15 minutes as Ethan Grandolfo and Vrsansky recorded a hat trick to lead Air Force's offensive production.
ASUN Second Team All-Conference selection Jason Rose stopped a single-season tournament-high 18 saves while limiting the Colonial offense to a season-low goal total (4) for the second consecutive contest.
AIR FORCE NOTABLES
-Air Forces 7-0 conference start marked the best league start since going undefeated in the Southern Conference in 2016. The seven wins tie the Falcons' program record for conference wins in a single season (2016 SoCon, 2023 ASUN).
-The Falcons lead the ASUN in caused turnovers per game (9.33), ground balls per game (31.67), and opponent clearing percentage (.799). AF is also second in the ASUN in scoring defense (9.45), a mark that ranks them fourth in the NCAA.
-Junior Josh Yago leads the team in assists (28) and points (47). He leads the ASUN in assists per game (2.25); a mark that ranks him 19th across the NCAA. Yago has scored a point in every game this season and put up a goal in 10 games. He had a career day against Cleveland State, scoring seven points by way of four goals and three assists. He one-upped himself against Mercer with an eight-point show by way of three goals and five assists. Yago is third in the record book in single season assists (28) with the top mark being held by Keith Dreyer (31, 2014)
-Sophomore Caelan Driggs leads Air Force in goals (28) and has points (33) so far this season. He has three hat tricks (4g, 4g, 5g), and had a five-goal performance against Lindenwood. He has scored a point in all but one game this season and a goal in 11-of-13 appearances. He is third in the ASUN in goals per game (2.33) and second in the league in shot percentage (.417).
-Freshman Turner Ashby was named to the Inside Lacrosse Top-25 Midseason Freshman Impact list. Ashby has a pair of hat tricks this season with 22 goals in his inaugural campaign. He has scored in all but one game of the season and is tied for second on the team with 33 points (22g, 11a).
-The Air Force defense is led by co-team captains Chris Bardak and James Chastain. The duo combines for 31 caused turnovers— Bardak with 18, Chastain with 13. Bardak has 39 ground balls, the most by any non-face off Falcon. Bardak's 71 career caused turnovers ranks him fifth in the record book. Quentin Carlile (22') currently holds the standard with 91 CTOs between 2019-2022.
-At center X, Jake Knapp takes the lion's share of face off attempts. He has a .471 win-percentage on the season and a season-best 17 face off wins against Queens. He is fourth in the ASUN in ground balls per game (4.08) and fifth in the league in face off win percentage.
FIGHTIN' FRESHMEN
AF freshmen Turner Ashby, Jake Mason, Mana Wilhelm, and Blaze DeGracie combine for 33 goals and 21 assists. Ashby was named to the Inside Lacrosse Top-25 Midseason Freshman Impact list this week and has started in all 11 games this season.
MAREK WINS DFENSIVE POTW
Air Force junior Jake Marek was tabbed ASUN Defensive Player of the Week following a stellar performance in goal at Detroit Mercy. Marek allowed just one goal and made 11 saves in 45 minutes of action. In three shows in goal, Marek has allowed just nine goals and has a 5.04 GAA and .667 save percentage. Marek is the first Player of the Week honoree for AF this season.
LAST TIME OUT
Jacksonville rallied from behind to knock off the front-running Falcons in overtime, 10-9, at a foggy Falcon Stadium, Saturday afternoon. Air Force, taking the first league loss this season, is 8-5 overall with a 7-1 mark in the conference.
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