Syracuse, N.Y. – The top-ranked and top-seeded Le Moyne College hosts seventh-ranked and second-seeded Mercyhurst University in the NCAA Championships semifinals on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The Dolphins are appearing in the NCAA semifinals for the fourth straight season and for the 17th time in the last 21 seasons. The Dolphins and the Lakers will meet for the 11th time, including the fourth time in NCAA Championships play, while the Lakers will be making their first trip to the Le Moyne campus.

Le Moyne advanced to the semifinals with an 11-7 victory over fourth-ranked and fifth-seeded Adelphi University last Sunday. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Ethan Loun (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) tallied a career high-tying three goals to lead eight scorers. Graduate student attackman Kevin Sheehan (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) had two goals and one assist, while sophomore attackman Olin Stanat (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) posted one goal and two assists as the duo joined Loun with three points. Fifth year faceoff specialist Nico Mattia (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) went 14-of-21 at the faceoff dot and scooped up eight ground balls, which gives him 103 on the season to pass Sam Kury '22 from 2022 for the third-most in a season in the program's history. Graduate student goalkeeper Matt Vavonese (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/Canisius) registered 10 saves, including four in each of the first and second quarters, to earn his 17th victory of the season.

Mercyhurst advanced to the semifinals for the ninth time with a 10-9 victory over sixth-seeded Saint Anselm College. The Lakers scored the final two goals of the game, including the game-winner by Jeremi Phoenix-Lefebvre with 2:06 remaining. Myles Hamm led the Lakers in the win with three goals, while Phoenix-Lefebvre and Ethan Landymore each scored twice.

The last matchup between the teams came last season, on February 26 in Victor, N.Y. and resulted in a 10-9 victory for the Dolphins. Each of Le Moyne's six goal scorers from the game exhausted their eligibility last year, while Landymore scored three times for the Lakers and Hamm scored twice.

The last NCAA matchup between the programs came in the 2021 semifinals, an 11-9 Le Moyne victory at Mercyhurst. After the Lakers went up 6-4 just 23 seconds into the third quarter, the Dolphins rattled off six straight goals. Of Le Moyne's point scorers in the game, only Seth Benedict (Stanley, N.Y./Marcus Whitman), who had an assist, remains, while Nicholas Mabe, who scored the game's first goal, is the only Laker still on the team.

The Dolphins are led offensively by junior attackman Joey Pezzimenti (Victor, N.Y./Victor/UAlbany), who has 68 points on 42 goals and 26 assists. The Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, his 68 points are tied for the fifth-most in a season in the program's history, while his 42 goals are tied for the ninth-most. Benedict is second on the team in points (43) and assists (22), while scoring 21 goals. Loun is third on the team in points (39) and assists (18) to go with 21 goals. Junior midfielder Kyle Caves (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) has the second-most goals with 29 and Sheehan is third with 22, while each has nine assists. Mattia is 197-of-348 at the faceoff dot with the aforementioned 103 ground balls. Redshirt sophomore short-stick defensive midfielder Dom DelPonte (Upper Saddle, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) leads the Dolphin defense with 13 caused turnovers, while junior defenseman Justin Chenaille (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) has 11 caused turnovers. Senior defenseman Nick Noel (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) has the most ground balls amongst defenders with 46. In his first year as a Dolphin, Vavonese has a nation-best 6.96 goals against average, .598 save percentage (second nationally) and 158 saves.

Hamm leads the Lakers in points (66) and goals (52) to go with the third-most assists, 14. Landymore is second in points (64), goals (49) and assists (15). Colin Tardif is the team leader in assists with 20 to go with 25 goals for 45 points. Faceoff specialist Shawn Doran has a nation-best .739 win percentage at the dot by going 264-of-357 with 170 ground balls. In the NCAA semifinal two years ago, Doran went 19-of-23 with 16 ground balls. Stephen Katz and Liam Bogedain lead the defense with 16 caused turnovers apiece, while Katz has 32 ground balls, the third-most on the team. Senior goalkeeper Brett Olney is 14-2 and has an 8.50 goals against average (fourth nationally), .582 save percentage (seventh nationally) and 167 saves. In last year's meeting with the Dolphins, he made 16 saves in the loss.

Tickets for the game are available at the front entrance and are $10 for adults (18 and up) and $5 for senior citizens and children (17 and under).