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Emmitsburg, MD – Robert Morris completed another fourth quarter comeback to reclaim their throne as kings of NEC Men’s Lacrosse in 2019.

After trailing 6-5 entering the final 15 minutes of regulation, RMU (9-7) ripped off three straight goals to start the fourth quarter, and netted six fourth quarter tallies overall, to defeat Hobart (11-5) by an 11-10 score in the 2019 NEC Men’s Lacrosse Championship Game in Emmitsburg, MD. It was Robert Morris' third straight comeback victory after trailing by three or more goals. 

After starting the season with a 1-7 record in their first eight games, the Colonials won a program record eight straight games to become the first repeat NEC Men’s Lacrosse champion since Bryant won four straight from 2012 to 2015. The Colonials also become the first #4 seed to win the NEC Championship. 
 
The game began as a defensive chess match with each team managing just a single goal in the first quarter. Robert Morris junior Ryan Smith (Burlington, Ontario/Nelson) scored the first goal 1:56 into game. Hobart senior Stanny Gilbertson (Burlington, Ontario/Nelson) answered right back off of a turnover, pushing the ball up the field in transition, to record his 10th goal of the season and tie the game at one.  
 
Things opened up a bit in the second quarter with Hobart setting three NEC single season team scoring records. Junior Eric Holden’s (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln Sudbury) goal with 6:45 remaining in the first half gave the Statesmen their 217th goal of the year, surpassing the 2014 Bryant squad for most goals scored in a single season. 
 
Two minutes later, Justin Scott (Mississauga, Ontario/Trinity-Pawling School) fed the ball to freshman Jason Knox (Huntsville, Ontario/St. Andrew’s College) to give Hobart a 5-3 advantage, and surpass the 2012 RMU team for the most team assists and overall points in a single season. 
 
After their assault on the NEC recordbooks, the Statesmen took a 5-3 lead into the locker room. Hobart had been a perfect 10-0 on the season when holding a halftime lead.

The Statesmen would add an early third quarter goal by Ryan Archer (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) to build their biggest lead of the contest at 6-3, before setting the stage for the Colonial dramatics.
 
After Hobart goaltender Sam Lucchesi (Garden City, NY/Garden City) did his best brick wall impression for the majority of the third quarter, piling up eight of his game-high 15 saves, Robert Morris managed to net two quick goals in the final three and a half minutes of third to take the momentum into the decisive period. 
 
Trailing 6-5, the Colonials wouldn’t wait long to continue their rally, with senior defender Jack Toomb (Cincinnati, OH/Archbishop Moeller) finding faceoff specialist Trey Arnold (Suwanee, GA/Lambert) for his fifth goal of the season to tie the game at six. 
 
Just 1:12 later, junior Ryan Smith (Burlington, Ontario/Nelson) found senior midfielder Eddie Smith (Victoria, British Colombia/Claremont Secondary) to put Robert Morris back in front for good. Overall, Robert Morris would use a 7-1 run to go from three goals down to three goals up, 10-7, midway through the fourth quarter.
 
The Statesmen would rally, pulling to within a goal at 11-10, with 1:41 remaining. They would have a pair of final chances in the final minute to net the equalizer, however shot attempts by Holden and Derrek Madonna (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) both missed high, allowing Robert Morris to run out the clock and clinch the repeat.    
 
Robert Morris goaltender Alex Heger (Carmel, IN/Carmel) finished with 12 saves on the afternoon, and 28 overall for the tournament, to earn Tournament MVP honors for the second straight season. Heger becomes the first player to win multiple and win consecutive Tournament MVP’s. 
 
Ryan Smith led Robert Morris with three goals and one assist on the day, recording his 10th hat trick of the season. Corson Kealey (Ottawa, Ontario/Everest Academy), Matt Schmidt (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks East) and Jake Boudreau (Brampton, Ontario/David Suzuki) each added a pair of goals for the Colonials. The Statesmen were powered by Scott’s fourth hat trick of the season. 
 
Hobart finished the season with a program Division I record 11 victories. It was the third straight season the championship game was decided by a single goal and the first time in the tournament’s nine-year history that all three tournament games were decided by a slim one goal margin.   
 
Robert Morris will find out their postseason destination when the full 16-team 2019 NCAA men’s lacrosse bracket is revealed at 9:00 pm ET on Sunday, May 5th on ESPNU. The opening round game will take place on Wednesday, May 8th, with first round matchups transpiring on either Saturday, May 11th or Sunday, May 12th. 

NEC All-Tournament Team
Alex Heger, RMU (MVP)
Michael Autry, RMU
Corson Kealey, RMU 
Tyson Gibson, RMU
Sam Lucchesi, HOB
Matthew Pedicine, HOB 
Justin Scott, HOB
Jack Mangan, MSM
Brenden McCarthy, MSM
Logan Liljeberg, SHU
Max Tuttle, SHU