Jackets Overcome South Carolina to advance to SELC Final

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets faced the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday evening in the SELC Semi-Finals.  The Gamecocks entered the game as the hottest team in the MCLA having won 8 games in a row after a slow start.  The game played at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida would be the eighth matchup between these programs for the seniors.  

 

The Jackets won the initial meeting this year 13-6, but everyone involved knew that that game had no bearing on this one.  As usual, the Gamecocks started the game with high energy.  The Jackets seemed to be hampered by some early jitters, which led to the Gamecocks taking an early 3-0 lead.  

 

The Jackets got on the board when Matt Seifert swept from the left side and beat the goalie from 15 yards.  The Gamecocks quickly answered to take a 4-1 lead.  Just before the end of the first quarter Carl Dagher fed Joseph Rose who finished to get the Jackets within 4-2.

 

The Gamecocks would score the first two goals of the second quarter continuing their early control.  The Jackets began to steady themselves about half way through the second quarter.  Pierce Quarles fed Michael Grosso who fired a high bouncer into the goal to pull the Jackets within three.  Two minutes later Joseph Rose fed Brooks Baro in an unsettled situation who scored before diving through the crease to bring the Jackets within two.  Carl Dagher got his second assist of the night a few minutes later when he fed Matt Seifert who bombed away from 16 yards and found the net.  The Jackets completed the first half comeback when Pierce Quarles fed Joseph Rose on an extra man opportunity.  

 

The comeback was fed by Charlie Ciardullo dominating the face dot and the Tech defense steadying themselves.

 

The first goal of the second half would be huge.  Tech created a beautiful opportunity inside on their first possession, but the Gamecock keeper turned the shot away.  It would be Brooks Baro who found the net first in the third quarter to give the Jackets the lead after some back and forth play.  The one goal lead held for several minutes of play as neither team could solve the opposing defense.  The Jackets then exploded with three goals in 90 seconds.  Baro, Seifert, and Aaron Pisczzek scored unassisted goals.  Tech finally had the lead and some breathing room before the Gamecocks scored with under a minute left in the third quarter.  The Jackets took a 10-7 lead into the final frame.

 

The Jackets got an early goal from Pierce Quarles to stretch the lead to four.  The team traded a few possessions before D.J. Louis scored on a low jump shot to put the Jackets up by five.  The teams would trade goals in the final four minutes with the Jackets taking the win 14-9.

 

Brooks Baro finished with five goals, Matt Seifert added three goals, Carl Dagher added three assists.  Charlie Ciardullo won 23 of 27 faceoffs which fed the Georgia Tech run across the final three quarters.  Peter Zagrobelny and Owen Armentrou combined for 11 saves on the day.

 

The Jackets will advance to their fifth straight SELC Championship game.  The game will be a rematch of the 2024 Championship between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Florida Gators.