FARMINGDALE, N.Y. I Top-seeded Farmingdale State followed through on the No. 1 distinction tonight at home, upending No. 2 U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, 14-7, to win back-to-back Skyline Conference crowns.
The Rams improved to 16-3, while USMMA finished the season 10-6.
The Rams have earned the Skyline's automatic bid into the 40-team 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship, which gets underway next week. FSC will learn their opponent in an online selection show at NCAA.com on Sunday night (May 4) at 9 p.m. Eight first-round games at home sites will take place Wednesday, with the winners advancing to Saturday's round of 32 – which will be contested at eight sites across the country.
Senior faceoff specialist Antonio Kaminskey was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship (below with Commissioner Melissa Reilly), as he followed his 18-for-26 showing on Tuesday versus Manhattanville with a 13-for-23 effort on Friday to help the Rams to the victory.
Farmingdale State led 3-1 after the first quarter after Tyler Kollar, Kamryn Gill and Skyline Conference Player of the Year, Andrew Giovinco each recorded goals.
After the Mariners (10-6) cut their deficit to 3-2 early in the second quarter, Kollar scored off the feed from senior midfielder Thomas Stock before senior Gerardo Maldonado tallied a score from classmate Thomas Mai to give FSC a 5-2 lead at the halftime break.
Merchant Marine opened the second half with a score, but the Rams responded with goals by Gill and Mai to jump in front, 7-3.
Leading 7-4 with five minutes to play in the third quarter, Giovinco, Mai and sophomore attack Adam Giovinco each registered goals to give FSC a commanding 10-4 advantage.
The Rams opened the fourth with three consecutive goals by Stock, Kyle Kolano and Gill to take a 13-4 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Andrew Giovinco produced the Rams final goal with 5:23 to play as Farmingdale State went on for the 14-7 Championship victory.
Gill finished with three goals and one assist, while Andrew Giovinco had three goals, one caused turnover and four ground balls. Mai contributed a game-high five points on two goals and three assists and Stock registered a goal and two assists. Kollar ended with two goals, one CT and four ground balls.
On defense, Sean Lawson, William Henry and Joseph Bleck each produced two caused turnovers and combined for eight ground balls.
Skyline Conference Defensive Player of the Year, senior goalkeeper Dan Erler, made 15 saves for FSC in the net, his second-highest total of the season.
-With Farmingdale State Sports Information