2023 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Begins Thursday
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (May 4, 2023) – The 2023 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship gets underway this evening at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Del. on the campus of the University of Delaware. The semifinals will take place Thursday, May 4, with the championship game slated for Saturday, May 6.
The action begins at 5:30 p.m. as top-seeded Delaware takes on fourth-seeded Towson in the first semifinal, followed by second-seed Drexel and third-seeded Stony Brook going head-to-head in the nightcap at 8:30 p.m. The winners from each matchup advance to play at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday for a chance to hoist the CAA Championship trophy.
Delaware and Towson will be a rematch of last season’s championship game, which saw the Blue Hens win their program’s fourth CAA Championship title, defeating the Tigers 11-6. However, it’s a new year, and just five days ago, Towson handed Delaware its only loss in league play with a 15-10 victory to secure its berth in the conference tournament and snap a four-game losing streak to the Blue Hens. A storied conference rivalry; it marks the fourth time in the past five seasons that the teams will match up in the conference tournament.
Delaware (10-4, 6-1 CAA) won its third straight CAA Regular Season title this spring under CAA Coach of the Year Ben DeLuca. The Blue Hens will attempt to be the first repeat tournament champions since the 2016-17 seasons. Delaware was impressive during the regular season, posting a +51 goal-differential in CAA play and leading the league in goals per game (14.64) and goals-against average (9.29). The Blue Hens are led offensively by CAA Offensive Player of the Year Tye Kurtz and JP Ward. The duo ranks first and second in the conference in points per game. Kurtz tallied 70 points on 46 goals and 24 assists, while Ward recorded 67 points on a league-best 38 assists and 29 scores. Defensively, Owen Grant won CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors for the third straight season. He is fifth in the NCAA with 32 caused turnovers. In between the pipes, Matt Kilkeary leads the CAA in goals-against average (9.28) and ranks second in save percentage (.524).
Towson (6-8, 5-2 CAA) is a perennial contender for the team title as the Tigers own a conference-best eight CAA Championship titles. It will be Towson’s 10th appearance in the conference tournament over the past 11 seasons, and the Tigers have reached the championship game the last six times they’ve qualified for the tournament. The Tigers are one of the best defensive units in the league, leading the CAA in save percentage (.523) and ranking second in goals-against average (10.58). Evan Long leads the conference in save percentage (.529) and is third in goals-against average (10.81) for the Tigers in goal. At the X, Matt Constantinides is one of the best in the business, leading the CAA in face-off wins (196), and is third in face-off winning percentage (.566). On the attack, Nick DeMaio leads the Tigers in points (48), goals (28) and assists (20) this spring.
Drexel and Stony Brook met for the first time in men’s lacrosse earlier this season, and it did not disappoint. The game featured 11 ties and 12 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than two for the duration of the contest, and 60 minutes wasn’t enough time to decide the outcome. The Dragons prevailed 15-14 in overtime.
Drexel (8-5, 5-2 CAA) is making its fourth straight appearance in the CAA Tournament and is two years removed from winning the title in 2021. The Dragons are second in the league in shot percentage (.328) while ranking third in goals (12.54) and points (19.38) per game. Sean Donnelly leads the Drexel attack with his third straight 40-plus-point season. Donnelly has team highs in points (42) and goals (32). Jack Mulcahy anchors the midfield, the 2021 CAA Offensive Player of the Year, leads the team in assists (17) and is second in points (35). Luke Tomak is the third Dragon with over 30 points this spring after returning from a season-ending injury before the start of last season. Tomak is third on the team in points (32), goals (22) and assists (10).
Stony Brook (8-6, 5-2 CAA) is the newcomer on the block, making an instant impact in its inaugural CAA Season. Although making their first appearance in the CAA Tournament, the Seawolves qualified for the America East Championship every season from 2002-2021. Stony Brook has a high-powered offense, ranking second in the CAA in points (20.21), goals (13.29) and assists (6.93) per game. Dylan Pallonetti steers the ship as the senior attackman leads the CAA in goals (47) and goals per game (3.36) while ranking third in points (65) and points per game (4.64). Matt Anderson (28g, 13a) and Noah Armitage (24g, 17a) have 41 points each to add to the threat. Christian Lowd anchors the defense, ranking third in the league in caused turnovers (28) and leads the team in ground balls (58).
Tickets for the 2023 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship can be purchased by clicking HERE. All-Session tickets are $25 for adults (ages 13+) and $15 for youth (ages 3-12). Individual game tickets will also be available for adults at $15, youth at $10 and $5 for students with a valid school ID. Club access can be added for $10 online or $15 at the door. Children two and under are free.
Full coverage of the CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship will be streamed on Lacrosse TV (https://streamstak.com/lacrossetv/). To stay up to date with what is happening be sure to follow the CAA on Twitter (@CAASports), and Instagram (@caasports) and join the conversation using the hashtag #CAAChamps. For live results, recaps, and more, visit CAASports.com/MLax.
2023 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Thursday, May 4 – CAA Championship Semifinals
Game 1: #1 Delaware vs. #4 - 5:30 p.m.,
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Game 2: #2 Drexel vs. #3 - 8:30 p.m.,
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Saturday, May 6 – CAA Championship Final
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 3:30 p.m.,
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