Men's Lacrosse Picks Up a BIG AAC Win over Cumberlands; Postseason Positioning on the Line
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Reinhardt (GA)
(9-1, 5-1)
|
3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
|
Cumberlands (KY)
(8-3, 4-3)
|
3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
Team Stats
Cumberlands (KY)
| Game Statistics | Reinhardt (GA) | Cumberlands (KY) |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 42 | 40 |
| Ground Balls | 28 | 34 |
| Saves | 11 | 7 |
| Clears | 22-22 | 16-22 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 13 |
| Face Offs Won | 11 | 15 |
| Man Up | 0-1 | 0-0 |
Williamsburg, Ky - With the 2025 regular season coming to an end, RU Men's Lacrosse has both the AAC Tournament and the NAIA Tournament in their sights. They knocked off the #1 team in the country last weekend, which helped them in both the AAC and national standings. Saturday's game versus the University of the Cumberlands continued the upward trend by the Eagles as they finished victorious in Kentucky with a 12-10 final score. The Eagles, led by a stellar performance from their offensive line, continued their strong season push, improving their record to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
The game was tightly contested in the first half, concluding with Reinhardt leading 6-5. However, the Eagles widened the gap in the third quarter, building a decisive 10-5 lead. Cumberlands mounted a significant comeback, narrowing the score to a one-goal difference early in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, strategic plays by Reinhardt players, including Carter Garrison's crucial goal assisted by Luke Greer, secured the Eagles' lead and victory. Benjamin Shackelford put the icing on the cake with the twelfth goal for the Eagles with just about two minutes left in the game.
Reid McDowell and Shackelford were pivotal in Reinhardt's success, with McDowell contributing assists and Shackelford scoring the game-winning goal among his three goals for the day. McDowell led the Eagles with 4 goals followed closely by Shackelford with 3 goals. Greer and Garrison ended the game with 2 goals each and Cameron Ison had one.
The defensive efforts were equally notable; Zach Dixon and Austin Scales were instrumental in maintaining the Eagles' lead through their defensive plays and control over ground balls. Goalkeeper Ethan Rogers also played a crucial role in thwarting the Patriots' attacks. He ended the game with 11 saves from 21 shots on goal.
Looking ahead, the Eagles are set to face the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs in Athens, Tennessee, on April 9, 2025. With their current momentum and strategic gameplay, the Eagles have almost secured a second-place spot in the AAC standings. They still have conference games with Tennessee Wesleyan and Point University coming up this week, but those are winnable games for the Eagles. Second place in the conference gets they a first-round bye and a spot in the semi-finals. The AAC semi-finals and finals will be held at Life University again on April 25th-26th.
AAC Standings