YORK, PA – The York College men's lacrosse team erupted with six consecutive goals to start the second half to explode past Christopher Newport University on Saturday at Kinsley Field in the Capital Athletic Conference semifinals. Cameron Leech dished out seven assists, a new school record, while Brendan McGrath scored four times and added two more assists. Thomas Pfeiffer added five more points for the fifth-ranked Spartans, who advanced to their third-ever CAC Tournament championship.

Records

#5 York: 16-2

Christopher Newport: 11-6

Game Statistics

Shots: York 43, Christopher Newport 29

Shots on Goal: York 32, Christopher Newport 17

Saves: York 8, Christopher Newport 13

Face Offs Won: York 10, Christopher Newport 20

Ground Balls: York 32, Christopher Newport 20

Turnovers: York 10, Christopher Newport 19

Caused Turnovers: York 13, Christopher Newport 4

Man Up: York 4-for-7, Christopher Newport 0-for-6

Penalties: York 6-for-3:30, Christopher Newport 7–for- 5:30

How it Happened:
• Hunter Davis kicked things off for the Spartans just 1:53 into the game, giving York the early lead. He received the pass from Cameron Leech, his first of seven assists in the game, a new school record. Leech also reached 42 assists for the season, a new single-season record. Soon after the opening goal, CNU responded with one of their own to tie the game at 1-1. Then the Spartans would go on a three-goal run from Matt Whitcher. Whitcher entered the game with 14 goals before burying three in just 3:04 in the first quarter, extending the York lead to 4-1.

• Each team would net a goal following the Whitcher hat trick, Brad Casale scoring the goal for the Green and White, pushing the York lead to 5-2 inside a minute to go in the opening quarter.

• The Captains were holding for the last shot and converted with four seconds left on the clock. Then, CNU won the ensuing faceoff and Randy Foster launched a shot from midfield, hitting the net with less than one second left on the clock. CNU scored twice in the final four seconds to cut the deficit to one, 5-4, after the first quarter.

• The Captains tied it up at the start of the second period, finishing off a three-goal run of their own. Despite the flurry of goals, York remained steady. Austin Glab provided the spark that the Green and White needed. Just 45 seconds after CNU tied the game, Glab put the Spartans back in front after a pass from Brendan McGrath. Glab returned the favor a few minutes later, assisting on a McGrath goal. Thomas Pfeiffer would add another from Ryan Cook, and McGrath scored one more, from another Leech assist to take a 9-5 lead with 5:45 left in the half.

• CNU scored with 4:31 left to cut the deficit to three, but that would be the closest the Captains got for the rest of the afternoon. Before the half, McGrath scored his third of the quarter to push the lead back to four.

• McGrath scored to open the second half, scoring four of the latest five Spartan goals. Then, a slew of penalties offered an opportunity to York, and the fifth-ranked Spartans took advantage. In less than two minutes, York scored four man-up goals, two from Glab, another from Davis and one more from Dillon Hannah. The damage wasn't done, though, as Pfeiffer scored again to make it 16-6 York.

• Pfeiffer and Davis scored once more to end the third quarter, and Hannah finished the only Spartan goal of the fourth quarter, topping off a convincing 19-9 win over the Captains.

Spartan Leaders:

Cameron Leech: 7 assists, 7 points

Brendan McGrath: 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points, 3 ground balls

Thomas Pfeiffer: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points, 2 ground ball, 1 caused turnover

Hunter Davis: 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points, 3 ground balls, 2 caused turnover

Captain Leaders: 

Matthew Crist: 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points, 3 ground balls

Will Geise: 2 goals, 2 points, 1 ground balls

Landry Marshall (YCP): 46:12 minutes, 7 goals against, 5 saves (Win, 16-2)

Jake White (YCP): 13:48 minutes, 2 goals against, 3 saves

Matt Hayden (CNU): 60:00 minutes, 19 goals against, 13 saves (Loss, 11-6)

York is going to back-to-back CAC Tournament championships for the first time in school history … they will play in their third-ever CAC championship game … last year, the Spartans won their first CAC championship after defeating Salisbury, who they will face in this year's title game … York improved to 8-16 all-time in the CAC Tournament … the Spartans are 2-0 against CNU in CAC Tournament action … the 19 goals scored are the most scored in a CAC Tournament game in program history … the Spartans have won three consecutive CAC Tournament games dating back to last season, the longest win streak in school history … Cameron Leech recorded a school-record seven assists (Andrew Gamble, 6, at Misericordia, 3/26/13) … Leech now has 42 assists for the season, a new single-season school record … as a sophomore, Leech is just five assists from fifth-place on the all-time career assist leaders … Brendan McGrath scored four goals, totaling 51 on the year, placing him in a tie for fourth in school history in a single season … McGrath's 73 points slots him in third all-time for points in a season … Landry Marshall's 16 wins in the net ties Caleb Abney for second in wins in a season (Abney also holds the record, 17).

Up next:
The Spartans will head to Salisbury to take on the Sea Gulls for the CAC Tournament championship. The Spartans fell to Salisbury in the lone meeting this year, 17-10, but defeated them in the tournament championship game last season.