BOSTON - For the first time in program history, the Boston University men's lacrosse team defeated the top-ranked team in the country, as the Terriers topped No. 1 Army West Point, 14-9, on Friday night at Nickerson Field.

BU (6-2, 3-1 PL) went wire-to-wire to end Army's (7-1, 3-1 PL) perfect season, jumping out to a 4-0 lead that it never relinquished. This is the Terriers' second top-five win and fourth top-10 win in program history. BU previously bested No. 2 Loyola Maryland, 18-11, on April 13, 2019 at Nickerson Field. The Terriers also defeated No. 9 Army West Point in the 2023 regular-season finale and bested No. 10 Bucknell in the 2018 PL quarterfinals.

Junior Will Barnes was once again outstanding in the cage, making 15 saves and allowing just nine goals to an offense averaging 15.71 goals per game entering the night.

Graduate student Louis Perfetto (1g, 3a) and senior Tommy Bourque (3g, 1a) led the Terriers with four points apiece while junior Brenden Kelly notched three goals for his second straight hat trick. Graduate student Jake Cates scored two goals, including a highlight-reel strike late in the game, and added a nifty assist to complete a three-point night. Graduate student Thomas Niedringhaus tallied two goals while classmate Miles Lipton, junior Zach Travaglini and junior Matthew Fritz also found the back of the net.

Graduate student Roy Meyer recorded seven ground balls and also caused one turnover in another excellent performance for the two-time All-American. Senior Dane DeGoler had three ground balls and also made an incredible save on a wide-open Army chance in the fourth quarter to keep BU in front by three.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• BU scored the first four goals of the game and they came from four different players - Lipton, Perfetto, Bourque and Travaglini.
• The Black Knights halved the deficit with the final two tallies of the opening quarter, including a goal in the final second by Christian Mazur.
• Niedringhaus opened the second-quarter scoring and the Terriers reestablished a four-goal cushion at 7-3 on goals three minutes apart from Kelly and Bourque. 
• Army went on to score the final goal of the opening half and the first tally after halftime to make it a 7-5 BU lead.
• BU put together a huge 3-0 run over the final 10:09 of the third quarter to take its biggest lead yet at 10-5.
• Niedringhaus notched his second marker of the contest before Fritz won the ensuing faceoff and took it all the way in for his second tally of the season and a 9-5 advantage.
• Kelly closed the run and created the five-goal advantage with just 24 seconds in the quarter off a pass from Jake Cates.
• The visitors clawed back into the contest with a 4-1 run in the opening 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, creating an 11-9 BU lead.
• The Terriers scored the final three goals of the game to seal the statement victory.

GAME NOTES

• The Terriers were 27-of-28 on clears and forced five failed Army clears (15-of-20).
• Army held slim advantages in shots (45-41) and ground balls (31-29).
• On faceoffs, the Black Knights won 17 to BU's nine.
• Each team went 0-for-1 on extra-man opportunities. 
• The Terriers and Black Knights are now tied for second in the Patriot League standings at 3-1 behind Colgate, which is 3-0.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers will return to action on Wednesday (March 27) when they visit No. 4/3 Duke.
• Game time in Durham, North Carolina, is set for 3 p.m.