Conference

There were a couple must-win games for Northeast Conference men’s lacrosse teams in the final weekend of regular-season action. The top seed in the upcoming NEC Men’s Lacrosse championship wasn’t decided until this past weekend, when Robert Morris upended then-No. 20 Bryant, 13-12, to clinch the program’s first-ever regular-season title. This week’s NEC Offensive Player of the Week, Jake Hayes, fueled the Colonials with three goals and six points, claiming the honor for the second straight week. The six-point outburst also put him in a tie for the conference scoring lead, as the Calgary, Alberta native now has 58 points to match teammate Kiel Matisz. The rookie honor was also dealt to a Colonial, as freshman Matt Bukovac stonewalled the Bulldogs with nine saves, including three key stops in the fourth quarter. The other must-win affair occurred over on Staten Island, where the winner of the Mount St. Mary’s-Wagner tilt was awarded the fourth and final spot in the NEC Tournament. Behind a 16-goal outburst, the Mountaineers grounded the Seahawks and assured themselves a chance at defending their title, prevailing 16-7. Heading up I-95, NEC Defensive Player of the Week Ryan Hughes of Sacred Heart shut the door on Quinnipiac gaining any momentum heading into the conference tournament with a game-high 16-save performance, 10 of which came in the first half, to give the Pioneers their first NEC win of the season on Senior Night, 13-9. Check back later this week for a full tournament preview as the second-ever NEC Men’s Lacrosse Championship is set to get rolling.