ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's lacrosse team is set to take on the University of North Carolina in the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The game is set for Saturday, May 9, in Chapel Hill. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.
 
The Great Danes captured the program's 12^th America East title on Saturday afternoon, taking down archrival Vermont in comeback fashion. After trailing by as many as three goals in the third quarter, the Great Danes erupted for seven of the next eight to take a 12-9 lead in the fourth, holding on for a 14-11 victory.
 
The offense was led by the trio of Ryan Doherty, Silas Richmond, and Jackson Palumb. Doherty went off for five goals and two assists to lead the team, taking America East Most Outstanding Performer honors after registering another four goals in UAlbany's Semifinal victory over UMBC. Richmond matched Doherty's seven points in the Championship Game after scoring four goals and adding three assists. Palumb tacked on a hat-trick of his own, leaving the trio responsible for 12 of UAlbany's 14 total goals. Richmond (3) and Palumb (2) accounted for all five of UAlbany's third-quarter goals, fueling the comeback victory.
 
Defensively, Brady Smith turned up his play in net during the second half. The sophomore goaltender registered 13 saves en route to a spot on the league's All-Championship Team. Captain Max Neeson recorded two caused turnovers and six ground balls, while Cade Galko followed with one caused turnover and five ground balls.
 
At the X, Austin Oppenheim matched Vermont's Walter Zhao, going an even 13-26 on faceoffs. Oppenheim's performance was particularly notable after Zhao was recently named the America East's Faceoff Specialist of the Year.
 
The title was the third-straight for the Great Danes, who will now move on the NCAA Tournament for the 13^th time in program history. UAlbany has competed in NCAA Play-In Games the previous two years, hosting Sacred Heart in 2024 and Siena and 2025. In both seasons, the program has fallen in the First Round to the Tournament's No. 1 overall seeds and eventual National Champions – Notre Dame (2024) and Cornell (2025).
 
The Tar Heels enter the NCAA Tournament with a 12-4 overall record, including a 2-2 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Ranked No. 3 in the nation, the Tar Heels reached the ACC Championship game following a hard-fought 12-10 victory over Syracuse in the semifinals on May 1. While they ultimately fell to Virginia in the conference final earlier today, North Carolina's season includes wins over Johns Hopkins, Army, Penn State, Syracuse (twice), and Virginia (regular season).
 
UAlbany and UNC have met just once before in history – a 2017 NCAA Tournament matchup at Casey Stadium. The Great Danes took an electric 15-12 victory on that occasion, forever known as the "Rain Game" in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,472 fans at Casey Stadium. To this day, the attendance mark is still an NCAA men's lacrosse First Round attendance record. Bennett Drake led the team with five goals, while UAlbany legend Connor Fields collected five points after tallying a goal and four assists.

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