No. 14/15 Terriers Advance to PL Title Game with 12-10 Win over Lafayette

Friday, May 2

West Point, NY

7 PM

Boston University

11-4

Lafayette — PL Semifinal

10-6

LAF

BOSTON U.

Men's lacrosse players celebrating a goal

Photo by: Matt Woolverton

No. 14/15 Terriers Advance to PL Title Game with 12-10 Win over Lafayette

May 2, 2025 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Polley Postgame Interview Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Nine different Terriers found the back of the net and senior goalkeeper Will Barnes made 13 saves to lead the No. 14/15 Boston University men's lacrosse team to a 12-10 win over Lafayette on Friday night in a Patriot League semifinal contest at Army West Point's Michie Stadium.

Second-seeded BU (11-5) trailed third-seeded Lafayette (10-6) by a goal at halftime, but the Terriers outscored the Leopards, 8-5, in the final 30 minutes to advance to the Patriot League title game for the second straight season and third time in the last four years.

BU will face fifth-seeded Colgate in Sunday's championship contest, as the Raiders knocked off top-seeded Army West Point in Friday's first semifinal. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., with the game to be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.

Junior Jimmy Kohr led the Terriers with five points on two goals and three assists while senior Jimmy O'Connell notched four points on one goal and three assists. Freshman Timothy Shannehan (2g, 1a) and sophomore Tyler Fox (1g, 2a) tallied three points apiece while senior Zach Travaglini scored twice and freshman Ben Morris chipped in one goal and one assist. Freshman Andrew Pape, sophomore Donald Varnerin and junior Tommy Garofalo each found the back of the net as well.

In addition to his goal, Varnerin led the Terriers with six ground balls. Freshman Madden Murphy was excellent at the faceoff X, winning 15 of his 24 attempts and gathering four ground balls. O'Connell led the Terriers with two caused turnovers, including one that led directly to a goal and another that was due to a fantastic diving effort at midfield. Junior Matt Freeman totaled three ground balls and also had a caused turnover.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams traded goals in the opening quarter, with Fox and Shannehan each erasing a one-goal Lafayette lead to send the squads to the second stanza tied at 2-2.
The Leopards scored the opening two goals of the second quarter to grab a 4-2 edge with 12:04 on the clock.
BU responded with two goals in a span of 27 seconds to tie the game with just 2:33 remaining in the opening half.
First, Travaglini found the back of the net off a feed from O'Connell.
BU then won the next faceoff and drew a flag, leading to a Garofalo goal.
Nicholas Blalock scored with 36.5 ticks left to give the Leopards a 5-4 lead at the break.
The Terriers got off to a great start out of halftime, scoring the first two goals of the third quarter.
First, O'Connell picked off a clearing pass and quickly found Kohr for a goal at the crease.
Shannehan then dove and scored to give BU its first lead of the game at 6-5 at 12:38.
The Leopards converted on an EMO to tie the game at 6-6 with 9:43 left in the third.
Pape answered right back with a big rip to make it a 7-6 contest.
The Leopards tied the game in the final seconds of the third quarter and then opened the final frame with a goal to take an 8-7 lead.
Sophomore James Lapina made perhaps the play of the game to save a goal during a 10-man ride, running back to the crease to pick off a sure goal.
Travaglini tied the game at 8-8 on the ensuing offensive possession before Kohr gave BU a 9-8 lead during a man-up chance less than 2:00 later.
Off the ensuing faceoff, Varnerin scooped up the loose ball and scored himself to make it 10-8 with 9:25 to go.
A nifty toe drag by Morris led to a goal that extended the lead to 11-8 with 6:51 remaining in regulation.
O'Connell then pushed the lead to 12-8 with 5:43 on the clock.
Joseph Duggan cut the deficit to 12-9 with 4:25 to play thanks to a man-up marker.
Lafayette got one more man-up goal during a 6-on-4 advantage with 17 seconds on the clock and then won the next faceoff, but sophomore Logan Styles forced a turnover and junior Connor Kehm picked up the loose ball to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES

Kohr now leads the Terriers with 41 goals.
He is the fifth Terrier in the last three seasons to score 40+ goals, joining Brenden Kelly, Vince D'Alto, Louis Perfetto and Timmy Ley.
No other school in the country has produced that many 40-goal scorers during that span than BU.
Murphy has won 64.6% of his faceoffs over the past two games, going 31-for-48.
Varnerin matched his career best with six ground balls; he also gathered six ground balls against Holy Cross on March 29.
O'Connell extended his point streak to 16 games, dating back to last year's championship contest.
He leads BU with 65 points on 32 goals and a team-best 33 assists.
BU forced seven failed clears on Friday.
Both teams recorded 27 ground balls.

UP NEXT

BU and Colgate will face off for the 2025 Patriot League title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday morning.
Opening faceoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., with the game to be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.