For the second straight year, an Army team thought by some to be a final four sleeper will be at the mercy of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament selection committee.
And considering what transpired Friday, the Black Knights could be in store for a similarly disappointing outcome.
Top-seeded Army could not solve Colgate goalie Matt LaCombe, who made 24 saves to lead the fifth-seeded Raiders to a 16-13 upset of the Black Knights at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y.
To make matters worse for the Black Knights, Syracuse and Duke picked up additional marquee victories in the ACC semifinals and the teams responsible for Army’s best RPI wins — North Carolina and Yale — both lost.
If there was any solace for the Black Knights, it was Princeton pulling away from Harvard, denying the Crimson a top-five RPI victory that surely would have locked down the last at-large bid. They might get it anyway.
Army wasn’t the only No. 1 seed to go down Friday. Two-time defending NCAA champion Notre Dame lost to Syracuse for the second time this season.
Owen Hiltz scored five goals, John Mullen won 21 of 26 faceoffs and Jimmy McCool made 20 saves to lead the fourth-seeded Orange to a 14-12 victory in the ACC semifinals at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
✅ RESULTS
Conference semifinal scores from Friday:
(1) Utah def. (4) Bellarmine 18-11 (ASUN)
(5) Colgate def. (1) Army 16-13 (PATRIOT)
(3) Air Force def. (2) Jacksonville 15-12 (ASUN)
(4) Syracuse def. (1) Notre Dame 14-12 (ACC)
(1) Cornell def. (4) Yale 21-14 (IVY)
(2) Boston U. def. (3) Lafayette 12-10 (PATRIOT)
(3) Duke def. (2) North Carolina 14-7 (ACC)
(2) Princeton def. (3) Harvard 11-8 (IVY)
🐎 STILL IN THE RACE
Conference championships set for Sunday:
(3) Air Force vs. (1) Utah (ASUN)
(5) Colgate vs. (2) Boston University (PATRIOT)
(3) Duke vs. (4) Syracuse (ACC)
(2) Princeton vs. (1) Cornell (IVY)
💰 BID THIEVES LURKING
Colgate/BU, High Point
If nothing else, Colgate sending Army into the at-large pool sounded a definitive death knell for Michigan. If the Black Knights’ victory over North Carolina and 3-1 record against the RPI top 20 — and perhaps some subjectivity from the selection committee — is enough to warrant a bid, then the Patriot League would have two teams in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019. The chances seem rather miniscule. High Point could further muddy the waters if it upsets Richmond for the Atlantic 10 title Saturday.
🌟 TOP PERFORMANCES
Luke McNamara, Utah — A freshman attackman from Overland Park, Kan., McNamara scored three of his season-high seven goals during a third-quarter frenzy that saw the two-time defending ASUN champion Utes turn a halftime deficit into a decisive 18-11 victory over Bellarmine.
Matt LaCombe, Colgate — This is May Madness, a time when goalies shine. LaCombe could not be beat Friday, making a career-high 24 saves to lead the fifth-seeded Raiders to a 16-13 upset at top-seeded Army.
Liam O’Connor, Colgate — With three goals and five assists, O’Connor was the impetus of a Raiders offense that more than doubled what the No. 1 defense in the country (6.85 goals per game) usually allows.
John Mullen, Syracuse — The sophomore faceoff specialist went 21-for-26, scored a goal and scooped 11 ground balls. Just a dominant effort considering his opponent, Notre Dame’s Will Lynch, is one of the best players in the country at the position.
Jimmy McCool, Syracuse — The ACC Goalie of the Year made a statement with 20 saves (62.5 percent) backstopping the Orange to a victory that regardless of Sunday’s result should be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament.
Ryan Goldstein, Cornell — Pick an attackman, any Cornell attackman. CJ Kirst (3G, 6A) was sublime as usual and Michael Long was equally effective as distributor and scorer (4G, 4A). But Goldstein takes the cake with his five-goal, three-assist performance in the Big Red’s second-highest scoring output of the season. Twenty-five points from the attack unit Friday. It’s almost unfair.
Colin Mulshine, Princeton — Few defensemen have Sam King’s number like Mulshine does. After limiting King to just one goal earlier this season, Mulshine kept him scoreless altogether Friday, snapping King’s 42-game goal-scoring streak. The Tigers also expertly deployed a zone defense that kept Harvard out of balance. They’ve held their last five opponents to eight goals or fewer.
😮 BIGGEST UPSET
Colgate over Army
The Black Knights are 23-5 over the last two seasons. They’ve beaten North Carolina (twice), Rutgers (twice), Syracuse and Yale in that stretch. They’ve got first-team All-Americans at every level of the field — including record-setting attackman Jackson Eicher, who set the school record with his 52nd goal of the season Friday. And yet, it’s entirely possible if not probable that Army again will miss the NCAA tournament thanks to LaCombe and company.
🚀 BREAKOUT STAR
Tomas Delgado, Duke
The sophomore midfielder barely contributed his first two seasons before scoring two goals last week against Virginia and netting a first-quarter hat trick in the Blue Devils’ 14-7 ACC semifinal victory Saturday over North Carolina. Delgado finished with three goals and an assist and suddenly looks the part of integral contributor as Duke makes its perennial postseason push.
📈 STAT OF THE DAY
38.4%
Will Lynch’s faceoff percentage in two games against Syracuse this season. Notre Dame’s All-American specialist is 15-for-39 against Mullen and company and 110-for-177 (62.1%) against everyone else.
