The Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse team found a way to avoid another heartbreaking one-goal loss in conference tournament games: Don’t let it come to that.
The Dolphins blitzed Air Force for nine first-quarter goals and went on to beat the Falcons 16-7 on May 3 at Rock Stadium to win the ASUN Championship, the program’s first-ever conference title.
JU (10-5) will play in its first NCAA Tournament, with the opponent and destination announced Sunday night on ESPNU (9:30 p.m.).
The Dolphins’ women’s team also hoisted an ASUN trophy at Rock Stadium during the weekend, beating Delaware 16-11 to win their 10th ASUN title.
“They’ve got a couple more than we do,” said Bolles graduate Daylin John-Hill, who led the Dolphins with four goals. “We finally got to win one with them.”
John-Hill, a sophomore attack, scored two of JU’s first three goals, including one that he flicked backwards, between his legs, into the Air Force net.
The Dolphins scored seven goals in the final six minutes of the first quarter and four in the last 3:30.
Jacksonville ‘keeps punching’
“We just knew we had to throw the first punch and just keep on punching,” senior Jack Taylor said. “Air Force is a great team. They’re not going to quit. We knew we had to keep punching until the clock is zero.”
Taylor had three goals and Fleming Island graduate William Krupsky, a junior, added two.
The Falcons regrouped on defense and held Jacksonville scoreless in the second quarter, while breaking the ice with goals by Caelen Driggs and Cole Rassas. Tyler Smart then cut the JU lead to 9-3 to open the third quarter.
But the Dolphins put any comeback notions to rest when they scored five goals in a row, two by John-Hill. Freshman Zane Szeschin capped the scoring with a goal with 9:34 left that gave JU a 16-5 lead.
Junior faceoff Drew Rippeon, the ASUN Specialist of the Year, added the Tournament MVP to his collection. He won 21 of 27 faceoffs against the Falcons and collected 11 ground balls, after winning nine of 15 and getting five ground balls in the 18-3 semifinal victory over Mercer.
Joining Rippeon on the All-Tournament team were John-Hill (eight goals in two games), Taylor (six goals and nine assists) and goalkeeper Ryan Della Rocco, who had 18 saves in two games.
JU coach John Galloway breaks his hex
Jacksonville coach John Galloway, in 10th season, has lost three conference semifinal games and two championship games in the ASUN and Southern Conference by one goal, and entered this week with a 2-8 record in the postseason conference.
Leaving no doubt from the beginning was exactly what the Dolphins needed.
“There were a lot of nerves in our locker room,” Galloway said. “To be able to take that first quarter and establish a little bit of dominance there allowed everyone to take a deep breath. It gave us a window to get comfortable.”
Galloway has had winning teams since he began at JU but never hoisted a trophy until the sun-sparkled afternoon with the words “Lacrosse Capital of the South” emblazoned on the bleachers behind him as he watched his team celebrate.
He said everyone involved with the program over that decade contributed to the moment he and his players were enjoying after beating Air Force.
“Ten years … a long decade,” he said. “Special group of people, special players, special alumni … unbelievable administration that believed in us. This team believes in each other. They took the challenge from last year [losing to Air Force 15-12 in the semifinals after leading 10-4 in the third period] and never stopped working.”
John-Hill agreed it was a day for anyone who had been involved with JU lacrosse over the years.
“This win wouldn’t be possible without the whole history of the program,” he said. “This is for everybody, not just us.”
Taylor said the team forged a bond that carried them through any difficult moments.
“It’s a cliche to say, but we’re like brothers,” he said. “It truly is a brotherhood and something that we don’t take lightly.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: JU men’s lacrosse jumps on Air Force early to cruise to ASUN title
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
