ROCHESTER, N.Y. – RIT sophomore attacker
Ryan Sanders scored a season-high five goals and seven points to lead the No. 3 Tigers to a 17-7 win over No. 3 Union in the Liberty League Championship, Sunday.
RIT wins its 13th Liberty League title. The Tigers won 11 straight conference championships from 2012-2023 and again in 2025.
Sanders was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player tallying nine goals in two Liberty League Tournament contests.
Sophomore midfielders
Ryan Bullock and
Ryan Langille each tallied a goal and two assists, and senior attacker
Tyson Allison scored two goals.
First year faceoff specialist
Philip Minardo won 7-of-12 faceoffs while junior long-stick midfielder
Logan Fletcher grabbed four ground balls. Fletcher, junior attack
Erich Acton, junior defenseman
Joe Holenstein, senior defensive midfielder
Joe Gibbons and senior long-stick midfielder
Tyler Kuchar each caused two turnovers. Senior goalie
Alex Zborowski made nine saves for the Tigers and junior
Chase Strychaluk made four saves in relief.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Union's Mekhi Taylor and Hayden Caulkins each scored early in the first quarter to give the Garnett Chargers a 2-0 lead.
- Sanders scored off an assist from Gibbons before Garrett Salit gave Union a 3-1 lead on his goal with 9:46 remaining in the first quarter.
- RIT ran off four straight goals, taking a 5-3 lead on Allison's goal with nine seconds to play in the opening frame.
- Sanders and senior attacker Ethan Harkins scored back-to-back goals to extend the Tiger's lead 7-3 midway through the second quarter.
- Emmette Lyne scored for Union that cut RIT's lead to 7-4.
- Allison and Sanders each scored late in the second quarter to give RIT a 9-4 halftime lead.
- RIT outscored Union 7-0 in the third quarter to extend its lead to 16-4. Langille, Bullock, Holenstein, first year midfielders Ewan Patrick and Sutter Pilon and junior midfielder Jackson McEnerney each scored for RIT in the third.
- First year midfielder Quinn Kailbourne scored in the fourth quarter to give RIT a 17-4 lead.
- Mac McGovern, Joe Hennessey and Bo Bensely each scored late for Union to make it a 17-7 final.
GAME NOTES:
- Union outshot RIT 41-36.
- The Tigers went 24-of-27 on clearing attempts and won 11-of-26 faceoffs.
- RIT went 1-for-2 on man-up and had 37 ground balls.
WHAT'S NEXT:
RIT, who won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022, earns the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. It is the 27th time the Tigers have competed in the tournament, including 16 straight seasons. The 2026 NCAA Division III Tournament selection show will air on Sunday (May 3) at 9:00 p.m. in
NCAA.com.
