Men's Lacrosse | 4/30/2024 1:05:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher University men's lacrosse team goes for its fifth straight Empire 8 title and an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament this week in the 2024 Empire 8 Men's Lacrosse Championship. 

The Cardinals (10-7 overall, 6-0 conference) enter the tournament as the top seed and hold home field advantage throughout. The tournament features four teams playing a simple semifinal and final format. Should Fisher defeat No. 4 seed Hartwick on Wednesday (4 p.m.), they'll then host the finals on Saturday at a time to be determined.
 
Here's what you need to know:

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Last Time Out
The team finished the regular season with a 16-5 road victory over Utica. Senior attacker Timmy Salit led the way with five goals, while senior Jordan Leuze had five assists. Three different goalkeepers saw time in net, with senior Ben Hammond earning the win for a scoreless first half that included four saves.
 
Championship History
The Cardinals have won four straight Empire 8 titles in full seasons (the 2020 conference season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). All four of those titles- the only ones in the program's history- have come under head coach Dave Dobbins. 
 
Last season, Fisher took home the title by defeating Nazareth University, 19-7, in the championship game. 
 
Know Your Foe: Hartwick
The fourth-seeded Hartwick College Hawks enter the tournament with a 5-8 record overall and a 3-3 mark in conference play. They played Fisher tough on April 6, holding a lead against the Cardinals until the third quarter before falling to the red-and-yellow, 18-13. It was the closest the Cardinals came to a conference defeat all season.
 
Hartwick is led by junior midfielder Garrett Frost. Despite only starting two of the 13 games he's played this season, Frost leads the team with 34 goals and 44 points. The native of Wading River, N.Y. had two goals in Hartwick's previous game with Fisher, and he is fifth overall in the conference in goals per game (2.62). 
 
Fun Fact: Hartwick's men's soccer program played in Division I until 2017.
 
Possible Final Foes
Should Fisher win on Wednesday, they'd face the victor in Wednesday's other semifinal between No. 2 seed Nazareth and No. 3 seed Alfred.
 
Nazareth (11-6 overall, 5-1 in conference) is looking for its 12th conference title in men's lacrosse and its first since 2017. Led by 2023 Empire 8 Player of the Year Quinn McKercher (67 points on 41 goals and 26 assists), the Golden Flyers' 239 total goals this season are behind only Fisher (248) in the conference. The Cardinals beat Nazareth in their regular season match-up on April 12 by a score of 12-4. 
 
Alfred (10-4 overall, 4-2 in conference) has four players with at least 20 goals this season, most notably Owen Zimmerman, who leads the Saxons with 44 and leads the entire Empire 8 in goals per game (3.14). Alfred is strong in the fight for control,leading the conference in ground balls per game (39.36) and faceoff percentage (.627). The Cardinals beat the Saxons on April 17, 18-11. 
 
Kemmis the Menace
Senior Matthew Kemmis leads the Cardinals in several categories, including goals (44), assists (21), and points (65). He's also been one of the best players in conference play, leading the Empire 8 in points per game (4.83) during the league's schedule. The Jamesville native had a team season-high eight points (including a team season-high six goals) on April 17 against Alfred.
 
Hammond Time
Senior goalkeeper Ben Hammond leads the Empire 8 in goals-against-average with a mark of 9.07, over a whole goal better than the second-place goalie in the conference. Against conference foes, he's been even better, holding a GAA of 4.02, over five whole goals lower than the next-best conference goalie! The Manlius native also had a saves percentage of .688 against conference opponents this season, the best in the league. 
 
What Comes Next
Should the Cardinals win the Empire 8 tournament, they'll automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament, which runs from May 8 through May 26. 
 
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