Adelphi University Men's Lacrosse Win NCAA Division II Championship
Garden City, NY (05/28/2024) — For the first time in nearly a quarter century, the Adelphi University men's lacrosse program has hoisted a National Championship trophy, defeating Lenoir Rhyne Bears by a score of 12-10 over Memorial Day weekend at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The Adelphi Panthers overcame a four-goal deficit to capture the program's eighth National Championship title - Head Coach Gordon Purdie's first in his 17 seasons at the helm. Adelphi squandered the Bears' hopes to repeat its 2023 national championship victory.
"This is a long time coming - I got here in '86 in pursuit of a National Championship as a student-athlete and couldn't achieve that," commented Purdie. "Those alumni have been letting me know about that and having been given the opportunity to coach here at Adelphi some 17 years ago, it was my true hope to get our next championship. Winning this one, I can only thank everyone who helped us get here.
"There's a reason that Volpi and Cat have won [the title] Assistant Coach of the Year, because I have the best coaches, and they showed that today in preparing these student-athletes for today's victory," continued Purdie.
With a disadvantage on gaining possession off the faceoff, Adelphi found itself down by four after five minutes into the third quarter.
"We had a rough first half offensively, only putting four on the board, and we came into the locker room at halftime and had to make some adjustments," said senior midfielder Brian Harinski. "We just never gave up hope and we all felt confident shooting the ball, so as they started to find the back of the net, there was no better feeling."
Harinski hit his final stride with four goals to earn the game's Most Outstanding Player honors, while teammate Kyle Steinbach had a hat trick and was crucial in the comeback run.
Escaping the team pile up, USILA Goalkeeper and Player of the Year Dylan Renner ran toward the coaching staff. He had eight first-quarter stops and finished with 15 for the game.
"It just meant everything to me because of how long it's been and how hard we know they've worked for everything to come and the great teams in the past have fallen short," said Renner. "I've got so much joy and to watch these student-athletes never give up all year long is truly a blessing."
In addition to the men's team's success, the Adelphi women's lacrosse program also made a National Championship appearance - the 11th in program history - but fell to the University of Tampa, 13-8 on May 25. Adelphi earned a spot in the National Championship game following a 15-10 victory over East Stroudsburg in the semifinal round.
Learn more about the Adelphi Men's Lacrosse Team's championship win.
Videos:
NCAA MLAX Highlight (Rapid Reaction from NE10)
NCAA MLAX Postgame Press Conference
About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university in the United States with a personalized approach to higher learning
Adelphi University, New York, US, is a highly awarded, internationally ranked and powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students' lives. It is recognized for small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support academic and career success. Adelphi offers exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training at the undergraduate and graduate level with particular strength in its 'Core Four' academic areas: the Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness.
Recognized as a Best College by U.S. News & World Report, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. It serves more than 7,250 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York-just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities-and at dynamic learning hubs in Brooklyn, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, as well as online.
More than 119,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, engaged citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities, and the world.
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Media Attachments
Adelphi University men’s lacrosse team hoisting the NCAA Division II Championship trophy. Credit: Cosmic Fox Media