College Sports

Wesleyan men’s lacrosse wins Division 3 national title

"I think our parents were confident that we’d be here, and we made the most of it.’’

By Owen Pence, The Boston Globe

1 minute to read

FOXBOROUGH — To reach its first NCAA Division 3 championship game, the Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team proved it can score in bunches, withstanding a furious comeback from top-ranked RIT to eke out a rousing 19-18 victory last Sunday, when 16 goals were scored in the game’s final 15 minutes.

On an overcast Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the Cardinals demonstrated their ability to win in a multitude of ways, mucking up a generally formidable Salisbury attack with sound zone defense en route to an 8-6 triumph and the program’s first national championship.

Facing a Sea Gulls offense that averaged nearly 14 goals per game this season, Wesleyan (19-3) forced Salisbury (20-4) into stagnation, the Gulls unable to generate clean looks at the net as they futilely passed the ball around the perimeter.

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Senior attacker Harry Stanton — Wesleyan’s all-time leader in goals (224) — was named the contest’s Most Outstanding Player, tallying two goals and an assist on a team-high 10 shots.

Stanton’s second goal came at a crucial juncture late in the second quarter, Salisbury fresh off three straight goals to cut its deficit to 4-3. Huddled behind the net with teammate Carter Hawthorne, Stanton subtly lollygagged around the crease as Hawthorne — appearing to hold the ball — split out wide. But it was Stanton who had held possession the entire time, executing the hidden-ball trick to perfection and finding the back of the net for a 5-3 halftime advantage.

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“It’s an incredible moment, an incredible feeling,’’ said Stanton. “We [had] this game circled. I think our parents were confident that we’d be here, and we made the most of it.’’