Men's Lacrosse Defeats Dean, 13-12, Claims 2024 GNAC Championship

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The South Division top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team defeated the South Division second-seeded Dean College Bulldogs, 13-12, in a thrilling Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship game in front of a packed crowd at the USJ Lacrosse Field Saturday afternoon in West Hartford, Conn. It marked the first GNAC Championship in men's lacrosse program history, which was launched in 2019-20, and the 12th overall GNAC title in USJ school history across all sports. With the victory, the Blue Jays improved to 16-3 overall on the 2024 season and earned the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship. Dean concluded its campaign 13-5 overall after making its first-ever GNAC Championship game appearance.

Junior midfielder Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.), senior attackman Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.), junior long-stick midfielder Micah Tarleton (Lisbon, Conn.), and graduate student defender CJ Denson (West Hartford, Conn.) were named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team. Senior goalkeeper Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) was named the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP).

KEY MOMENTS

• Dean would grab the early lead 36 seconds into the game, but freshman midfielder Brendan Tedeschi (Orange, Vt.) quickly answered, scoring a solo goal at the 13:35 mark to tie the game at 1-1.
• Baden established USJ's first lead of the game minutes later, finding the back of the net with 10:57 on the clock to give the hosts a 2-1 edge.
• The Bulldogs immediately responded, leveling the score at 2-2 seconds after Baden's goal, but junior midfielder Luke von Borstel (Massena, N.Y.) won the ensuing face-off, rushed down field and fired a strike into the goal, reestablishing the Blue Jays lead, 3-2, with 9:58 left in the first quarter.
• Baden would net his second strike of the game after receiving a pass from senior attackman Ryan Paltauf (Southbury, Conn.), extending the gap to 4-2 with a man-up goal at the 7:35 mark.
• However, Dean answered with two goals to round out the first, tying the game at 4-4 entering the second.
• The Bulldogs carried the momentum into the new quarter, netting twice more to retake the advantage, 6-4, with 10:57 remaining in the half.
• Penalties soon haunted Dean though, as junior midfielder Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.) and freshman attackman Matthew Wurszt (Wilbraham, Mass.) rattled off back-to-back man-up goals, leveling the score at 6-6 with 7:17 on the clock.
• Senior midfielder Sam Barbetti (Guilford, Conn.) retook the lead for USJ moments later, scoring a solo goal at the 6:33 mark, sending the Blue Jays into the half with a narrow 7-6 edge.
• Dean started the third quarter much like the second, firing off back-to-back strikes, swinging the lead into their favor, 8-7, with 10:10 on the clock.
• USJ again answered with a three-goal scoring run, as sophomore midfielder Nick Pestrichello (Newington, Conn.) saw two goals be sandwiched between a strike from junior attack Evan Zimnoch (Southington, Conn.), which was assisted by Paltauf as he recorded his 200th career point with the helper, increasing the USJ lead to 10-8 at the 6:16 mark.
• Dean would close the gap back to one, but a Baden solo strike with 1:16 remaining jumped the Blue Jays lead back out to two, 11-9 entering the fourth.
• The Bulldogs continued to fight, scoring first in the fourth to close the deficit back to one, 11-10, 48 seconds into the fourth.
• Decker soon netted his second of the game at the 13:28 mark, but Dean kept within one, scoring at the 11:13 mark to pull back within one, 13-12.
• USJ took further advantage of the Bulldogs penalties, as Baden scored his fourth goal of the game with a man-up strike at the 8:13 mark, increasing the lead to 14-13.
• Dean would find the back of the net at the 3:43 mark, but the Blue Jays defense stood firm in the closing moments, as USJ took home the first GNAC men's lacrosse championship in program history, 13-12.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Baden and Paltauf paced the team with four points each.
• Baden netted four goals, while Paltauf dished out four assists.
• Barbetti corralled a team-best nine ground balls.
• Denson caused a team-high four turnovers.
• USJ took full advantage of man-up chances, scoring four goals off five opportunities.
• The Blue Jays won the battle at the "X", winning 17-of-29 faceoffs.
• McCann got the win in the cage, recording nine saves on the day.

UP NEXT

Men's lacrosse earns the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship. The Blue Jays will learn their opening opponent during the NCAA Selection Show, which is set to air live on Sunday, May 5 at 9:00 p.m. on www.NCAA.com.

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