INDIANAPOLIS – The top two seeds in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Championship bracket are on a collision course after advancing out of the semifinals on Wednesday night.
Erie, Pa., and Greensburg, Pa., served as host sites for the final four round with the highest remaining seed hosting the conference championship final on Saturday.
As it played out, No. 1 Mercyhurst and No. 2 Seton Hill, two of the powerhouses from the North Region rankings, each moved on in the tournament bracket with their wins over No. 4 Lake Erie and No. 3 Walsh, respectively.
Mercyhurst will host Seton Hill in the championship game on Saturday at Saxon Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
The all-conference team, as voted by the coaches, will be announced on late Friday afternoon before Saturday’s championship game at 1 p.m. ET.
No. 1 Mercyhurst 23, No. 4 Lake Erie 9
The Storm pushed into the postseason with a win over Davis & Elkins to close the regular season but ran into a buzz saw against the regular season conference champion Lakers at Saxon Stadium.
Four different players scored 3 goals for Mercyhurst including Devin Pipher, Caleb Kueber, Nathan Grenon and Bryce Johnson. The Lakers raced out to a 7-1 advantage in the first period and led 12-3 at halftime.
Lake Erie carved out six goals in the second half, including four in the final period. Blain Wallace scored twice along with Neil Gardner and Connor Dent.
Mercyhurst sprayed 67 total shots against the Storm compared to 28 while 45 of those attempts were on target.
No. 2 Seton Hill 22, No. 3 Walsh 4
The Griffins took care of business on their home field as Dan Rupert and Jeremy Sforzo each scoured a game-high four goals. SHU raced out to a 6-1 lead after the first period and led the entirety of the semifinal.
Twelve different players scored for the Griffins as they fired off 58 shots. The Cavaliers played the second period extremely close to a 4-3 count as Brent Mitchell led Walsh with a pair of goals scored.
The second half was all Seton Hill as the Griffins’ defense didn’t all allow one goal. The Griffins also won 23 faceoffs vs. 6 in favor of Walsh.