ROCHESTER, NY – The top-ranked RIT (19-0) men's lacrosse team began play in the 2015 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship in style with a 24-3 win over Morrisville State (12-6) in the first round from Tiger Stadium Wednesday afternoon. RIT advances to the second round where they will face Union College on Saturday, May 9 at Tiger Stadium.

"Any time you can get a win in the NCAA Tournament is a good win," said RIT head coach Jake Coon. "The guys came out and did what they had to do today and it is nice to be moving on to the second round."
 
Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Lee (Sharon, Ontario/The Hill Academy) led a potent RIT attack with six points on four goals and two assists. Eddie Kiesa (Syracuse, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt), Brad Gillies (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) and Kyle Aquin (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean De Brebeuf) each had five points, Kyle Sterzin (Fairport, NY/Fairport), Zack Thompson (Orangeville, Ontario/Culver Academy), John Hill (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) and Allister Warren (Toronto, Ontario/Malvern Collegiate Institute) each tallied three points.
 
The Tigers now have 354 goals this season, breaking the previous school mark of 347, set in 21 games last year. RIT leads all of Division I in scoring this season, averaging 18.63 goals per game. The Tigers scored 20 goals in a game for the eighth time this season and tallied at least 15 goals in a contest for the 14th straight games

Aquin now has 174 career goals, three shy of the school mark of 177, held by Chris Copeland, who played from 2001-04. With the six-point effort today, Lee now has 87 on the season on 54 goals and 33 assists, tied for fourth most in one season at the university. He has scored at least one point in all but on of his 40 career games played.

Pat Johnston (Norwell, MA/Norwell) got the win in net for RIT making four saves. Jarryd Lee (Melbourne, Australia/St. Leonards) played nearly 23 minutes and made three saves. Nick Nesbitt (Burlington, Ontario/Salisbuury School) played the final 7:01 and did not allow a goal. Steven Ricci (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) won 13-of-16 face-offs and had seven ground balls to go along with an assist. Jake Quay (Latham, NY/Shaker) won 12-of-15 draws and had six ground balls. Matt Hossack (Port Perry, Ontario/Port Perry) had four ground balls, two caused turnovers, and two goals, while Gillies finished with four ground balls and four assists. In all, RIT caused 11 Morrisville turnovers.

RIT controlled play from the opening face-off leading 8-2 after the first quarter, 14-3 at the half and out scored the Mustangs 10-0 in the second half.

Louie Geswaldom Andrew Donoghue and Eliud Evans each scored goals for the Mustangs who finish their season with a 12-6 record. Chris Fiore got the start in net for Morrisville making 10 saves. Tyler Catalfano played the final 17:42 making four saves.

RIT head coach Jake Coon is now 107-14 since taking over at RIT in 2010. The Tigers are 39-1 since the start of the 2014 season and have started 19-0 for the third time in the last five seasons.

This is RIT's 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and sixth in as many years. Overall, RIT is now 17-16 all time in NCAA Tournament games, and has made five straight trips to the national quarterfinals. RIT has appeared in the national semifinals seven times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2014) and advanced to its first championship game in 2013. Since Coon took over in 2010, RIT is 11-5 in NCAA Tournament play.

Saturday's game versus Union will be the third meeting between the two schools this season. RIT defeated the Dutchmen 22-7 in Schenectady on March 15, and defeated Union 25-14 last Sunday in the Liberty League title game at Tiger Stadium.