SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Powered by five goals from senior Alex Vijums, the University of Saint Thomas handed the College of Idaho their first loss of the 2019 season, stopping the Yotes, 18-7, in the semifinals of the 2019 Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division II National Championships at Salt Lake City Regional Athletic Complex.
The Tommies (9-4) advance to the championship game for the fifth-straight season, where the 5-time national champs meet Dayton in Saturday's final. The loss ended C of I's school-record 15-match win streak.
UST scored a pair of goals in the opening three minutes, before the Coyotes (14-1) struck on a nifty left-handed finish from
Ryan Henning. However, the Minnesota squad was able to dominate the face-off dot and use a physical defensive style to control the majority of ground ball opportunities – building a 10-2 lead at the break.
C of I hung around – getting nine saves from goalie
Cade Brown – with
Joey Brant scoring a pair of third quarter goals, the second to get the Yotes within 15-6. But the Coyotes were unable to get closer.
Casey Davies led C of I with three goals – closing a record-setting freshman season with a school-record 73 goals scored, No. 2 in the MCLA.
