BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Vermont men's lacrosse team won its second straight America East Championship Saturday afternoon with a 13-11 win over UMBC from Virtue Field in a game broadcast nationally on ESPNU. With the win, Vermont's ninth in a row, the Catamounts will receive America East's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | Box Score (pdf.)
CatamounTV Highlights

COACH'S QUOTE
"We've been through a lot of battles together against a lot of tough opponents and didn't get to high or low in the moment today and knew we could do it if we stuck together," head coach Chris Feifs said. "This group is really resilient, they come to Vermont because they are resilient and we give them plenty of challenges so a day like this – a sunny day on Virtue – is something we really relish."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a scoreless opening 10 minutes Thomas McConvey gave the Catamounts an early lead with 4:57 to go. UMBC's Kevin Doughty answered right back just 32 seconds later to make it 1-1.
• McConvey scored the final goal of the quarter with 3:36 to go, converting after a feed from David Closterman.
• After an early tally from Closterman to make it 3-1 UMBC scored four straight goals to take a 6-3 lead with 2:51 to go in the half. Griffin Fenech, Patrick Murphy and McConvey scored three goals in just 46 seconds to tie the game at six.
• UMBC's Brett Baucia scored with 11 seconds left in the half to give the Retrievers a 7-6 advantage at the break.
• Vermont started fast in the third quarter scoring three goals in a minute to retake the lead at 9-7. Brock Haley tied the game 2:53 into the quarter with his first of the game and Colin Sharkey gave UVM the lead with his first of the afternoon. Sharkey's tally in transition was just his second goal of the year. Charlie Pope completed the run with 11:07 to go in the third.
• Pope added another tally with 5:05 to go as UVM stretched its lead to 10-7. Between the second and third quarter UVM went on a 7-1 run over 11:50 of game action.
• UMBC scored two goals in the final 3:34 of the third quarter and UVM carried a 10-9 lead into the final frame.
• With 12:31 to go in the contest McConvey converted on his fourth of the game to give UVM an 11-9 edge. UMBC's Kevin Doughty brought it back to a one-goal game with 9:53 to play.
• With 6:05 to go McConvey reestablished the two-goal edge. McConvey was lost in space by the UMBC defense and Closterman found him in front of the cage. McConvey blew the shot just under the bar for his fifth of the contest.
• Michael McCormack made it a three-goal edge with 2:47 to go on a great individual effort. He wrapped around the cage and fired a shot through the UMBC goalie's legs for his first of the game.
• UMBC scored a final goal in the last minute of regulation but the Catamounts path to a repeat was complete.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Following the game Nick Alviti, David Closterman, Ryan Cornell and Thomas McConvey were named to the Men's Lacrosse All-Championship team.
• Thomas McConvey was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 America East Lacrosse Championship.
• Ross Buchman received America East's Elite 18 award with a 3.98 GPA in biochemistry.
• Ryan Cornell made 12 saves for the Catamounts this afternoon, it was the 10th time this season he's made 10 or more.
• The Vermont women's lacrosse team won the America East title this afternoon 12-11 at the top-seed UAlbany. Vermont is the first school in conference history to win both lacrosse titles in the same season.
• Vermont is undefeated in championship games hosted at Virtue Field. Men's Soccer (2015), women's soccer (2021) and now men's lacrosse are 3-0 in title games at home.

WHO'S NEXT
The Catamounts will await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show to see where they are headed and who they will face. The selection show is scheduled for 9 p.m. on ESPNU Sunday, May 9.