ERIE, Pa. – Two well-respected rivals took the field in rainy conditions as Seton Hill outlasted Mercyhurst at Tullio Field to win the inaugural Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Championship on a soggy Saturday, 15-10.
 
The third-seeded Griffins (12-4) completed a short journey through the four-team bracket, but took down the top-seeded Lakers on their home turf for their second straight game as a slight underdog.
 
Seton Hill also took down No. 2 seed Lake Erie in the semis while Mercyhurst advanced to the final after beating No. 4 Walsh. Mercyhurst had the upper hand in the regular-season meeting against Seton Hill, but the Griffins had the final say to conclude the G-MAC postseason bracket.
 
In the sport of men’s lacrosse, there is no automatic qualifying bid so Seton Hill and other Great Midwest institutions will have to await of potential postseason hopes in the NCAA Selection Show at at-large picks by the national committee.
 
SHU held the scoring edge in the first and second period as both rosters, filled with all-conference selections and individual award winners, battled it out for the first conference trophy.
 
Seton Hill’s Bennett Johnson and Sean Stanners each had four goals apiece while Jack Moran and Jack Miller combined for five assists.
 
Mercyhurst’s Kurtis Woodland led all players on the field with five goals on nine shots. G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year Keyan McQueen added one goal and three assists.
 
Mercyhurst moved to 12-3 on the season.
 
Seton Hill freshman keeper Max Eisman made 11 saves on 38 shots faced from the Lakers. The Griffins also retained possession at a better rate, winning 17-of-27 vs. the Lakers’ 10 faceoffs won.
 
The first Great Midwest men’s lacrosse season included four associate members (Mercyhurst, Seton Hill, Lake Erie, Walsh) along with Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins and Ohio Valley. Lake Erie and Walsh will join the Great Midwest as full-member institutions for the 2017-18 academic year.