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 Info
Saturday, May 9
12:00 p.m.
Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, N.C.
ESPNU | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Scouting the Great Danes
The Great Danes enters the postseason with significant momentum, finishing the regular season with an 11-5 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in America East play. The Great Danes secured the regular-season title and the top seed, bringing the conference championship back to Casey Stadium.
 
UAlbany has maintained a scoring average of 11.25 goals per game with a .311 shot percentage, while the defense ranked first in the conference with a 9.73 goals-against average—a number that dropped to 7.03 during conference games. A major factor in their success has been their ability to disrupt opponents, as they led the America East with 154 caused turnovers and maintained a highly efficient .915 clear percentage.
 
UAlbany Top Performers

• Silas Richmond: The focal point of the offense, Richmond totaled 72 points on 38 goals and 34 assists. He led the conference in goals per game (2.53), assists per game (2.27, and points per game (4.80).
• Ryan Doherty: A primary finisher with 46 points (35 goals, 11 assists), including a .438 shooting percentage.
• Max Neeson: The defensive anchor, Neeson led the team and the conference with 35 caused turnovers while adding 34 ground balls.
• Cade Galko: Provided a consistent presence on the close defense, leading all pole players with 54 ground balls.
• Brady Smith: Started all 16 games, recording 147 saves with a .503 save percentage and a 9.70 GAA.

 
Major Award Winners
The Great Danes cleared the major conference awards this season, securing 14 total honors that included three major awards.
 
Major Awards

• Coach of the Year: Scott Marr (Eighth career honor)
• Offensive Player of the Year: Silas Richmond (Second consecutive year)
• Defensive Player of the Year: Max Neeson (Second consecutive year)

 
All-Conference First Team

• Silas Richmond (A)
• Jackson Palumb (M)
• Cade Galko (D)
• Max Neeson (D)
• Jacob Smith (LSM)

 
All-Conference Second Team

• Ryan Doherty (A)
• Koleton Marquis (M).

 
All-Rookie Team

• Peter Marietta (M)

All-Academic Team

• Max Neeson
• Cade Galko
• Ryan Doherty

America East Championship Recap
The Great Danes captured the program's 12^th America East title last 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.
 
Scouting the Tar Heels
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 on Sunday, North Carolina's season includes wins over Johns Hopkins, Army, Penn State, Syracuse (twice), and Virginia (regular season).
 
Carolina is making its 35^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and collected the No. 3 seed for the fourth time in program history. The Tar Heels are 35-29 all-time in the national tournament and have advanced to 14 Final Fours, winning five NCAA Championships.
 
North Carolina Top Performers

• Owen Duffy: The primary engine of the Tar Heel offense, Duffy led the team with 69 points, including 30 goals and 39 assists. He was just announced as a 2026 Tewaaraton Finalist.
• Dominic Pietramala: A consistent scoring threat who finished the season with 50 points on 43 goals and 7 assists.
• Brady Wambach: The specialist at the X, Wambach led the team with 263 faceoff wins and collected 167 ground balls.
• Josh Marcus: With 16 games started in the cage, Marcus recorded 134 saves with a .470 save percentage.

 
The "Rain Game"
Saturday's matchup carries historic weight, as it marks the first time these two programs have met since their legendary 2017 NCAA First Round clash in Albany. In that contest, the 8-seeded Great Danes hosted the defending National Champion Tar Heels in front of a record-setting crowd of 6,472 fans—the largest ever for a UAlbany home game and an NCAA First Round record.
 
UAlbany dominated the early stages of that game, using a staggering 14-3 first-half scoring run to build an 11-goal lead. Despite a furious 9-0 second-half rally by North Carolina that pulled the Tar Heels within two goals in the fourth quarter, the Great Danes' defense locked down for the final ten minutes. A late goal by Adam Osika and crucial saves from JD Colarusso secured the 15-12 victory, advancing UAlbany to the quarterfinals. The game featured standout performances from Bennett Drake, who netted five goals, and TD Ierlan, who dominated the faceoff X by winning 23-of-30 draws.
 
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's lacrosse by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMLax), Instagram (@ualbanymlax), and Facebook for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.