Friday, May 2
Jacksonville, FL
4 pm ET
Air Force Academy
6-7
15
vs
12
(2) Jacksonville
9-4
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
2
2
6
5
15
Jacksonville
4
4
2
2
12
Air Force Surges Past Jacksonville in ASUN Semifinals, 15-12
5/2/2025 6:40:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
JACKSONVILLE – A second half surge propelled the third-seeded Falcons to an ASUN semifinals victory over second-seeded Jacksonville, 15-12, Friday afternoon at the Dolphins' Rock Stadium. Air Force (7-7, 4-1 ASUN) will take the fight to top-seeded back-to-back ASUN champions, Utah (6-8, 4-1), in the finals.
GAME NOTES
-Air Force is making its second appearance to the ASUN Championship game since joining the league in 2022, repeating the 2023 finals matchup with the Utes.
-The Falcons will take the field on a five-game winning streak. AF is on a two-game winning streak against Utah from the 2024 and 2025 regular season meetings.
-Air Force, the host of last season's ASUN tournament, returned the favor to this season's host and redeemed last season's semifinals loss to the Dolphins.
-No. 1 seed Utah downed No. 4 seed Bellarmine, 18-11, in the first game of the tournament.
-The first team to score in both semifinal matchups ended up losing their respective games.
SIGNIFICANT STATS
-The Falcons overcame a four-goal halftime deficit by putting up eight unanswered goals across the third and fourth quarters. AF outscored JU 11-4 in the second half.
-Of the six Air Force scorers, three tallied hat tricks in the effort.
-Caelan Driggs, the ASUN's leading scorer, scored four goals for his 11th hat trick performance this season. Driggs has put up at least a hat trick against every ASUN opponent this season, a streak dating back six games.
-Josh Yago, the 2025 ASUN Offensive Player of the Year, scored four goals for his sixth hat trick of the season. Yago has scored a goal in every game this season.
-Wes Peene, coming in hot off the overtime game-winner against Utah, scored three goals and an assist while taking a game-high nine shots. The hat trick marked his second-straight and fifth of the season.
-Senior faceoff specialist Jake Knapp was instrumental in capturing momentum, winning 13 faceoffs in 24 tries after the Falcons started 1-5 from the center dot. He picked up a season-best seven ground balls in the effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First quarter
Jacksonville struck early as Jack Taylor fed Daylin John-Hill for a goal just 40 seconds into the game. Wes Peene responded with an unassisted goal 46 seconds later. The Taylor and John-Hill connection persisted as the duo reclaimed the lead at 12:16. Cole Rassas responded with a rocket from 15 yards out at the 10:06 mark. JU scored their next two goals within the final minute of the quarter to take a 4-2 lead.
Second quarter
John-Hill notched a hat trick just under two minutes into the second quarter, this time with help from Jacksin Intrieri. AF defenseman Connor Albertson helped Caelan Driggs respond at 11:04 to bring AF back within two goals. The Dolphins were firm in their response, scoring three straight goals between 7:27 and 4:27 to build their second largest lead of the game, 8-3. Josh Yago scored the final goal of the half (3:03) to stop the bleeding. Air Force entered the locker room at halftime doubled up, 8-4.
Third quarter
Jacksonville came out of the break swinging with Taylor and Ethan LaMond scoring a pair of goals to give JU its largest lead of the game, 10-4. Just 73 seconds later, the Falcons erupted, rattling off eight unanswered goals over the ensuing 15 minutes. Cunningham, the Falcons' ground balls leader and linchpin LSM, fed Driggs at 7:21 to start the run. Just over a minute later, Wes Peene scored a goal in an unassisted attack. Another minute later, Luke Vrsansky fed Cole Rassas for the strike at 6:28. A mere 25 seconds later, Peene connected with Ryan Stadelmaier to bring AF within two goals. Jacksonville was able to slow the onslaught but not stop it as Mana Wilhelm fed Josh Yago with 1:31 left in the quarter, bringing the Falcons within one goal of tying. In the waning seconds of the quarter, Wilhelm wanted to impress, bolting and shifting to an opening where he finished to the top-right corner to tie the game. The teams entered the fourth quarter knotted at 10.
Fourth quarter
The Falcons continued to pour it on over the next five minutes, taking the lead and extending behind goals from Peene and Driggs. At the 10:11 mark, JU ended the 15 minutes long scoring drought as Drew Kessenich fed LaMond to make the score 12-11 in favor of AF. Driggs responded with his fourth goal at 9:20. Intrieri gave the final push, scoring an unassisted attack at 8:33. The Falcons appeared to have drained the Dolphins with the monumental comeback as JU was unable to spark the offense up in the final eight minutes. Josh Yago tallied the final two goals of the game within the final minute, scoring unassisted at 00:59 and 00:05, the latter an empty netter.
COMING UP
Air Force and Utah will square off for the title at Rock Stadium at 12 p.m. ET. The Utes have their sights set on a third-straight league tournament title while the Falcons are gunning for their first in the ASUN.
GAME NOTES
-Air Force is making its second appearance to the ASUN Championship game since joining the league in 2022, repeating the 2023 finals matchup with the Utes.
-The Falcons will take the field on a five-game winning streak. AF is on a two-game winning streak against Utah from the 2024 and 2025 regular season meetings.
-Air Force, the host of last season's ASUN tournament, returned the favor to this season's host and redeemed last season's semifinals loss to the Dolphins.
-No. 1 seed Utah downed No. 4 seed Bellarmine, 18-11, in the first game of the tournament.
-The first team to score in both semifinal matchups ended up losing their respective games.
SIGNIFICANT STATS
-The Falcons overcame a four-goal halftime deficit by putting up eight unanswered goals across the third and fourth quarters. AF outscored JU 11-4 in the second half.
-Of the six Air Force scorers, three tallied hat tricks in the effort.
-Caelan Driggs, the ASUN's leading scorer, scored four goals for his 11th hat trick performance this season. Driggs has put up at least a hat trick against every ASUN opponent this season, a streak dating back six games.
-Josh Yago, the 2025 ASUN Offensive Player of the Year, scored four goals for his sixth hat trick of the season. Yago has scored a goal in every game this season.
-Wes Peene, coming in hot off the overtime game-winner against Utah, scored three goals and an assist while taking a game-high nine shots. The hat trick marked his second-straight and fifth of the season.
-Senior faceoff specialist Jake Knapp was instrumental in capturing momentum, winning 13 faceoffs in 24 tries after the Falcons started 1-5 from the center dot. He picked up a season-best seven ground balls in the effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First quarter
Jacksonville struck early as Jack Taylor fed Daylin John-Hill for a goal just 40 seconds into the game. Wes Peene responded with an unassisted goal 46 seconds later. The Taylor and John-Hill connection persisted as the duo reclaimed the lead at 12:16. Cole Rassas responded with a rocket from 15 yards out at the 10:06 mark. JU scored their next two goals within the final minute of the quarter to take a 4-2 lead.
Second quarter
John-Hill notched a hat trick just under two minutes into the second quarter, this time with help from Jacksin Intrieri. AF defenseman Connor Albertson helped Caelan Driggs respond at 11:04 to bring AF back within two goals. The Dolphins were firm in their response, scoring three straight goals between 7:27 and 4:27 to build their second largest lead of the game, 8-3. Josh Yago scored the final goal of the half (3:03) to stop the bleeding. Air Force entered the locker room at halftime doubled up, 8-4.
Third quarter
Jacksonville came out of the break swinging with Taylor and Ethan LaMond scoring a pair of goals to give JU its largest lead of the game, 10-4. Just 73 seconds later, the Falcons erupted, rattling off eight unanswered goals over the ensuing 15 minutes. Cunningham, the Falcons' ground balls leader and linchpin LSM, fed Driggs at 7:21 to start the run. Just over a minute later, Wes Peene scored a goal in an unassisted attack. Another minute later, Luke Vrsansky fed Cole Rassas for the strike at 6:28. A mere 25 seconds later, Peene connected with Ryan Stadelmaier to bring AF within two goals. Jacksonville was able to slow the onslaught but not stop it as Mana Wilhelm fed Josh Yago with 1:31 left in the quarter, bringing the Falcons within one goal of tying. In the waning seconds of the quarter, Wilhelm wanted to impress, bolting and shifting to an opening where he finished to the top-right corner to tie the game. The teams entered the fourth quarter knotted at 10.
Fourth quarter
The Falcons continued to pour it on over the next five minutes, taking the lead and extending behind goals from Peene and Driggs. At the 10:11 mark, JU ended the 15 minutes long scoring drought as Drew Kessenich fed LaMond to make the score 12-11 in favor of AF. Driggs responded with his fourth goal at 9:20. Intrieri gave the final push, scoring an unassisted attack at 8:33. The Falcons appeared to have drained the Dolphins with the monumental comeback as JU was unable to spark the offense up in the final eight minutes. Josh Yago tallied the final two goals of the game within the final minute, scoring unassisted at 00:59 and 00:05, the latter an empty netter.
COMING UP
Air Force and Utah will square off for the title at Rock Stadium at 12 p.m. ET. The Utes have their sights set on a third-straight league tournament title while the Falcons are gunning for their first in the ASUN.
Team Stats
AFA
JAX
Shots
34
36
Turnovers
14
12
Caused Turnovers
3
10
Faceoffs Won
14
15
Extra-Man Opps
3
5
Ground Balls
21
29
Game Leaders
Players
G
4
A
0
FO
-
Pen
1-30
GB
0
CT
0
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
FO/M
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
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