SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Tournament Most Valuable Player Jason Longo (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia) had a hand in three goals as Le Moyne won its sixth consecutive Northeast-10 Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship 10-3 over Merrimack at the Thomas J. Niland Athletic Complex. The top-ranked Dolphins (16-0) have equaled a school record for wins, while second-seeded Merrimack ends its season at 11-5.
Longo, who scored four goals and assisted on one in Le Moyne's 11-3 semifinal win over Saint Michael's on Wednesday, was one of seven Dolphins to score in the game. Mike McDonald (Latham, N.Y./Shaker), Matt Cassalia (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) and Alex Bily (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) netted two each. Longo, Tom Donahue (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee), Craig Rosecrans (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) and Brian Cost (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) tallied one goal each.
The two teams traded two-goal bursts in the opening quarter. Chris Elia (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) scored twice in the first seven minutes as Merrimack hopped out to a 2-0 lead. Cassalia and McDonald scored in the final six minutes of the first quarter to pull the Dolphins even at two.
Merrimack took the lead for the final time with its final goal of the game four minutes and 42 seconds into the second quarter. Kyle Beaudoin (Acton, Mass./Acton Boxboro) flicked home a shot through traffic to make it 3-2.
Le Moyne's defense, the nation's best at 3.62 goals allowed per game, did not allow another Merrimack goal the rest of the way. Longsticks Travis Tarr (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn), Chris Doran (East Syracuse, N.Y./East Syracuse-Minoa) and Matt Juriga (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Forks) teamed in front of goalkeeper Jared Corcoran (Concord, N.H./Concord) to keep the Warriors off the board. Corcoran made four saves - all in the final three quarters - for his 44th career win.
Thirteen seconds after Merrimack's final goal, Cassalia won the ensuing faceoff and scored to tie the contest at three. Cost, Longo and Donahue scored to close out the opening half as Le Moyne took a 6-3 lead into the intermission.
After a scoreless third quarter, Rosecrans rocketed home his ninth goal of the season 48 seconds into the fourth. Bily sandwiched a pair of goals around McDonald's 30th goal of the season to close out the scoring.
Le Moyne, winners of every Northeast-10 Conference Championship since 2001, has won 72 consecutive games against league competition since the start of the 2001 season. The Dolphins will likely host an NCAA tournament semifinal round game on May 20. Selections for the four-team tournament will be announced on Sunday evening.
