Jackets Claim Record Sixth SELC Title
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets took a trip south to Jacksonville, Florida for the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) tournament. The Jackets entered the weekend having played in the last three SELC championship games and looking to defend their 2023 conference title. The Jackets were tied with the Georgia Bulldogs and Virginia Tech Hokies for the most SELC championships with five each.
As a result of finishing second in the SELC North, the Jackets faced the Florida State Seminoles, who finished first in the SELC South, in the semifinal game on Saturday. The Saturday heat was oppressive for late April, but Jackets were eager to take the field. The Jackets played the second game of the day after the Florida Gators upset the SELC North Champion South Carolina in the first game. The Seminoles got on the board early and took a two-goal lead. The Jackets, having faced deficits several times this season, were undeterred and scored three straight goals to take the lead. The Seminoles tied the game with just over two minutes left in the quarter. In what became a trend in the game, the Jackets scored two goals in the final two minutes of the first quarter to build a two-goal lead.
The Seminoles punched right back in the second quarter by scoring five straight goals to take an 8-5 lead. The Jackets did not hang their heads, but instead stiffened their resolve. Matt Seifert ran off a pick from Michael Grosso, that drew a flag as the Seminoles cross-checked Grosso, got to the middle and fired home a shot with 1:17 left in the second quarter. Asher Wagnon scored on the ensuing extra man opportunity with 29 seconds remaining and the Jackets bench erupted as they could feel the game tightening up. With three seconds remaining, Pierce Quarles fed a cutting Michael Grosso on the crease who scored the tying goal, giving Tech three goals in the final two minutes of the second quarter. Despite the tie score, the momentum was on the side of the Jackets.
The third quarter started much the same as the Jackets scored two goals in the first minute of the quarter giving Tech five goals in two minutes of game time. The Seminoles, like the Jackets before them, would not relent and answered the bell, scoring two goals to once again tie the game. The teams traded goals in the middle of the quarter before the Jackets scored three of the final four goals of the quarter to take a 14-12 lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Jackets build the biggest lead of the game at 16-12. Tech managed the clock through the middle of the quarter taking long possessions, but could not score at the end of the long possessions. The Seminoles kept their resolve and chipped away at the lead and eventually got within one goal. Ben Skopicki continued his dominant day at the faceoff dot winning 29 of 33 faceoffs on the day and gave the Jackets the next possession. Grosso collected a wide shot and beat his man to the goal and scored to put the Jackets ahead by two with 1:31 remaining giving Tech eight goals in the last two minutes of quarters. The Seminoles got the next possession and called timeout. The Tech defense stopped the initial action, but gave up a goal on the restart. Skopicki won the faceoff and the Jackets were able to complete a Hail Mary clear against the tenacious Seminole ride and were able to kill the remaining clock. The Jackets would advance to face the Florida Gators in the Championship game in roughly 19 hours.
The Jackets and Gators faced off in a rematch of a 2023 semi-final game that the Jackets won, defeating the top-ranked at the time Gators. The Gators, like the Seminoles, threw the first haymaker with three straight goals to open the game. The Jackets remained calm, they generated good shots, but could not finish. The Jackets scored two quick goals to get the game back within reach. The Gators, brimming with confidence, answered right back. The Jackets, as they did the day before, scored two goals in the final two minutes to tie the game.
The Jackets took their first lead four seconds into the second quarter when Brooks Baro hammered home a shot on a fast break after Skopicki pushed the faceoff forward. The Gators tied the game less than a minute later. The Jackets took a two-goal lead when D.J. Louis and Ben Skopicki scored goals four seconds apart. The Gators answered with two goals of their own. Pierce Quarles fed Joseph Rose with 1:35 left in the half to give the Jackets an 8-7 lead at the half. Peter Zagrobelny saved 7 of 10 shots faced in the second quarter to help push the Jackets ahead.
Just as they did the day before, the Jackets scored in the first 40 seconds of the third quarter to push the lead to two. The Jackets added another early goal to push the lead to three. The Tech defense was playing connected lacrosse and swarming to the Gator dodgers, and Zagrobelny, who finished with 20 saves on the day, turned away the shots that got through. The Gators did manage one goal in the third quarter. Tech closed with two goals late in the fourth quarter as Brooks Baro scored a goal of his own and assisted Andrew Belli to give the Jackets the 12-8 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter opened with strong defense from both teams before Pierce Quarles and Asher Wagnon each added an unassisted goal to put the Jackets ahead by six. The Tech defense, led by George Corbin, Curran Myers, and Carrington Kelsey, remained locked in and wrestled with the Gator dodgers. When the Gators did get on the board, Joseph Rose answered with a behind-the-back goal to get the lead back to six. The Jackets were able to hold on through the fourth quarter playing nearly the entire roster and claim the SELC Championship for the second year in a row and their sixth overall. As the horn sounded, Head Coach Ken Lovic received the customary Gatorade shower as the Jackets swarmed the field to celebrate.
The Jackets have secured the automatic qualifying bid to the MCLA National Tournament in Round Rock, Texas, which will begin on May 6. The Jackets will learn their seed and opponent on Sunday, April 28.