Men's Lacrosse | 5/8/2011 2:31:56 PM

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ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT men's lacrosse team won its second straight Empire 8 championship with a convincing 24-10 win over Nazareth College in the title game on Sunday.  The Tigers earn the automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament which begins next week.  RIT has now won 17 straight games and is 17-0 this season.

Senior midfielder Jordan MacIntosh (Oakville, ON/Holy Trinity) was named the Tournament MVP, scoring three goals and dishing out three assists in the championship.

Click here for the link to NCAA.com to watch the Division III Selection Show which airs tonigth at 10 pm.

The 24 goals scored by RIT in the title game was the most goals the Golden Flyers had allowed in the program's history.

The Tigers dominated from the opening face-off scoring the first two goals of the game and led 8-3 after the first quarter. RIT added seven more goals in the second quarter and led 15-5 at the half.

"I thought we came ready to play today," said RIT Head Coach Jake Coon. "I knew if we played the way we are capable of we'd win."

RIT scored six goals in the third quarter and cruised home in the fourth quarter, getting everyone a chance to play, picking up its program-best 17th win of the season and clinching the university's third Empire 8 championship.

Senior Kelso Davis (Freeport, ME/Deerfield Academy) led the Tigers with seven points on a career-best six goals and an assist. MacIntosh added three goals and three assists, while Iric Bressler (Stafford, VA/North Stafford) had a goal and five assists, tying his career-high for assists in a game.

Tyler Russell (Livonia, NY/Livonia) added three goals, bringing his total to 59 on the season, which is fourth all-time at RIT for goals in a season.

Jordan Collins-Hartwig (Buffalo, NY/Clarence) added a pair of goals along with Mac Keehfus (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt) and Tom RIley (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) who each had two.

MJ Kiekebelt (Caledon, Ontario/St. Andrews College/Aurora) had a goal and two assists, grabbed five ground balls, and caused one turnover.

Bob Tonnessen (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) picked up his 17th win of the season allowing seven goals, making 12 saves and scored his first collegiate goal early in the fourth quarter. His 17 wins is a record for wins in a season by a RIT goalie.

"Bob played really well today," said Coon. "He bailed us out with some key saves and got us into transition."

Nazareth held a slight edge in shots 42-40, but RIT won the ground ball battle 55-35. The Tigers were 21-of-37 on face-offs and were 18-of-25 on clears.

"Face-offs were a big key for us today," said Coon. "Doug and Jordan did a really nice job winning the draws and getting us into our transition game."

RIT has won three straight against Nazareth and are now 11-18 against the Golden Flyers in the all-time series between the two schools.

RIT will make its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second in as many years. Last season, the Tigers defeated Connecticut College in the second round, losing to SUNY Cortland in the quarterfinals. Overall, RIT is 7-12 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. The Tigers have made four trips to the national semifinals, the last coming in 1999.