NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal: No. 9 Cabrini University (17-3, 7-0 CSAC) vs. No. 2 Salisbury University (19-1, 8-0 CAC)
Wednesday, May 17, 7pm
Sea Gull Stadium, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD

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2017 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament Bracket
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Ticket Information
Tickets for the game will cost $5 for adult and $3 for students with ID, seniors and children, and can be purchased at the Sea Gull Stadium ticket booth beginning at 6pm.

What's at Stake?
The winner of Wednesday's matchup will advance to the national semifinal, to be played on May 21st, where it will face either No. 7 Denison University (17-1) or No. 16 Lynchburg College (15-6).

Wednesday's game will mark the fifth time the Cavaliers and Sea Gulls have met in the NCAA Tournament and first time since 2012, with the Blue and White seeking its first postseason victory in the series.

How Cabrini Got Here
The Cavaliers offensive and defensive performance this season has been nothing short of dominant. Their 16.6 goals per game and 7.35 goals allowed per game rank 7th and 12th in the country, respectively, while their 9.25 scoring margin checks in at third in the NCAA. 

The Cavs' prowess on both sides of the field showed throughout the regular season as they finished 4-1 against ranked opponents, knocking off No. 20 Lynchburg (13-7), No. 14 Stevenson (15-9), No. 12 Ursinus (14-9) and No. 1 Salisbury (11-10 OT). The Blue and White also took a decisive 15-6 victory over Hampden-Sydney, who checked in at No. 18 in the latest USILA poll. 

The tough nonconference schedule set the Cavaliers up for success against their CSAC foes as they tallied a perfect 7-0 conference record, extending their NCAA record for consecutive conference victories to 108 games in the process, and captured their 17th straight CSAC title. 

How Salisbury Got Here
The Sea Gulls showed why they were the defending national champs early and often in 2017 as they raced out to a perfect 15-0 start and pushed their winning streak to 20 games, dating back to last May. 

Like the Blue and White, the quality of those wins, however is what stands out. Salisbury knocked off five ranked opponents in increasingly dominating fashion. Victories against No. 16 Lynchburg (9-8), No. 6 Gettysburg (10-9) and No. 13 Ohio Wesleyan (10-6) all proved to be close contests, but a 15-10 victory over No. 18 Roanoke followed by a 17-10 triumph over No. 3 York had the Maroon and Gold rolling into their season finale matchup with Cabrini. 

Unfortunately for Salisbury, their momentum was halted by an even hotter Cavaliers team who handed the streaking Sea Gulls their first loss in 20 games, via an 11-10 OT decision. 

Salisbury quickly righted the ship, however as they coasted to their 20th Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) championship with a convincing 15-5 decision in a rematch with York. 

Last Meeting: Cavaliers knock off No. 1 Salisbury in dramatic fashion (4/14/17, Radnor, PA)
The Cavaliers trailed the number one team in the nation 9-6 with 12 minutes to play, but the Blue and White were not be denied.  After 62 minutes of back and forth action between two of the nation's top 15 teams, freshman Jake Klein made one of the biggest plays in program history.

The rookie turned the corner behind the goal and slid a shot past the Salisbury goaltender, sending the Blue and White streaming onto the field.  

The victory marked Cabrini's first all-time win over the perennial NCAA champion and snapped the Sea Gulls' 20 game win streak in the process. 

Sophomore Jordan Krug led the Cavaliers with a game high six points, pairing four goals and two assists.  Klein and junior Zack Gregory added four points each, as Klein paired two goals and two helpers, while Gregory scored three goals, including the one that sparked Cabrini's comeback.

Freshman goaltender Matt Nestler was huge for the Blue and White.  The rookie notched 13 saves, including game-saving stops at the end of regulation and overtime, to go with a team high seven ground balls.

Krug added six ground balls, while junior Riley Michaels, who went 7-11 at the faceoff spot, secured four loose balls. Freshman Tommy DeLuca anchored the defense with four of the Cavaliers' 10 caused turnovers.

Seniors Nick Garbarino and Nathan Blondino led the Sea Gulls with three goals each, while senior Carson Kalama and junior Kyle Tucker combined for 10 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Senior Colin Reymann recorded 11 saves in the loss.

Cabrini Last Time Out: Cavaliers reserve spot in national quarterfinal with 17-9 win over F&M (5/13/17, Lancaster, PA)
Eight Cavaliers marked the scoring column in Saturday's win, led by freshman Tyler Kostack, who paired four goals and two assists.  Sophomore Timmy Brooks matched the rookie with four goals, while Klein recorded four assists.

Krug and senior Evan Downey added three points each, combining for five goals and an assist. 

As has been the case, the Cabrini attack was sparked by control at the faceoff spot, as Michaels went 20-30 at the X and matched Downey with six ground balls. 

Cabrini outshot F&M 50-31 on the day, including 29-15 in the first and third quarters. The Cavaliers also secured 44 ground balls to just 24 for the Diplomats.

The victory extended the Blue and White's current win streak to 12 games and improved the club to 17-3, tying the program record for wins in a season. This also marks the second time that the Cavaliers have scored two NCAA Tournament victories in a campaign.

Salisbury Last Time Out: Sea Gulls tame Tigers in 25-12 victory (5/13/17, Lancaster, PA)
Salisbury's offense was firing on all cylinders as Blondino netted 11 points from seven goals and four assists, while Garbarino posted nine points from six goals and three assists. Kalama added  two goals and two assists. The three attackers took a combined 20 shots to score their 15 goals (.750 percent).

Salisbury led the Tigers 14-4 at the half. They outshot their opponent 28-16 by the break and held a 30-14 edge in ground balls. 

Senior Brendan Bromwell finished his day with five goals and one assist for six points, scoring his five goals on just six shots.

The visiting Tigers made a push in the last quarter but it was too little too late as the Sea Gulls punched their ticket to the quarterfinals and a rematch with the Cavaliers. 

5 Factors for Cabrini

• Cabrini is currently riding a 12 game winning streak, tied for their longest since the 2013 season. 
• The Cavaliers' scoring margin (9.25) ranks third in all of division III, trailing only Denison and Salisbury. 
• Michaels has won nearly 68% (67.9) of his faceoffs, the 13th best mark in the country. 
• The Cavs' defense held the potent Salisbury attack to just 1 for 6 in extra man opportunities in their regular season matchup. 
• The Cavaliers average just 13.8 turnovers per game this season, the 7th best mark in the NCAA. 

5 Factors for Salisbury

• The Sea Gulls have outscored their opponents 49-15 across their Second and Third Round NCAA Tournament matchups. 
• Salisbury holds a 7-1 all time record against the Cavaliers, with their only loss coming this season. 
• Salisbury has outscored their opponents 198-52 in the first half of games this season. 
• The three headed monster of Blondino (122), Kalama (77) and Garbarino (77) have all recorded at least 70 points this season. 
• The Sea Gulls' 17.7 goals per game check in as the fourth highest scoring offense in the country. 

 

	TALE OF THE TAPE
No. 9 Cabrini		No. 2 Salisbury
17-3, 7-0 CSAC	Record	19-1, 8-0 CAC
332	Goals	354
191	Assists	219
925	Shots	948
759	Ground Balls	848
205	Caused Turnovers	231
.654	Faceoff Percentage	.596
.550	Save Percentage	.553
.895	Clear Percentage	.899
	TEAM LEADERS
Jordan Krug (57)	Goals	Nick Garbarino (60)
Tyler Kostack (32)	Assists	Nathan Blondino (65)
Jordan Krug (74)	Points	Nathan Blondino (122)
Riley Michaels (94)	Ground Balls	Duncan Campbell (102)
Tommy DeLuca (26)	Caused Turnovers	Will Nowesnick (40)
Riley Michaels (.679)	Faceoff Percentage	Duncan Campbell (.605)
Matt Nestler (.551)	Save Percentage	Colin Reymann (.560)