LOUISVILLE, Ky.—A big-time save at crunch time by Bellarmine goalie Dante Batista preserved a hard-fought 11-10 win for the Knights over the visiting Air Force Academy Falcons in ASUN Conference action at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

"This was a huge win for our program," said Bellarmine Coach Andrew Whitley. "We hadn't beaten Air Force since 2013, and any time you end that kind of streak it is going to be a battle."
 
"This was as complete a team win as we've had in a long time," Whitley added, "Not because we played perfect lacrosse but because we battled and scrapped against a quality conference opponent. It felt like a typical conference battle between two opponents who knew each other extremely well and there weren't going to be a lot of surprises. To win a physical, gritty game like that is a credit to our locker room and the kids as they showed a tremendous amount of poise and determination and that's a real sign of growth for our program."
 
Air Force jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but the home-standing Knights strung together three straight goals to take the lead.  The Falcons tied it with just over 12 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, but that was enough time for the Knights to score one last time as Christian Della Rocco found the back of the net literally as the horn sounded to end the opening quarter.  The goal gave the Knights a 4-3 advantage, and Bellarmine never surrendered the lead in the final 45 minutes.
 
However, the Falcons didn't leave Louisville without making a valiant effort. After the Bellarmine lead grew to 8-4 at halftime, Air Forced played a strong second half, closing to within one goal on two occasions.
 
Gavin Peene's goal cut the Bellarmine lead to 11-10 with just 1:41 remaining in the game, and the Falcons won the ensuing faceoff before calling a timeout to set up their offense.  Ethan Grandolfo, who scored four goals, got off a shot but it sailed wide. Air Force retained possession, and Luke Vrsansky then unloaded a shot on frame with just over 30 seconds remaining.  Batista gobbled up the shot, and the Knights were able to get the clear and run off the remainder of the clock to claim the victory.
 
There were a lot of offensive stars on the field today with Bellarmine's Kyle Playsted and Air Force's Brendan Dodd entering play ranked 1-2 in the ASUN in points scored while Della Rocco entered leading the league in goals.  However, defense was perhaps the most impressive facet of today's game. Both goalies were tough in the crease today with Batista and Air Force's Jason Rose collecting 14 saves apiece. The Falcons fired off 44 shots, but 20 were off target.  The Knights fired just 38 shots but held a 25-24 edge in shots on goal.
 
"We continue to be defensive-driven at crunch time," Whitley said, "and I give those guys a ton of credit for making stops down the stretch. Dante Batista came up with some big saves when we needed them, and Harrison Pate and Nicholas Sheremetta made some timely plays in the 4th quarter. Brady Long played like the all-conference defenseman we believe he can be, holding Dodd to three points. That matchup was going to be a big part of who was going to come out on top today."
 
Offensively, Playsted continued to put up solid numbers with a hat trick and a pair of assists. The five points give him 56 for the season, which sets a new Bellarmine record.  His two assists bring his season total to 30, which also sets a new program record. (Playsted set the previous records last season with 53 and 28 respectively.)  Other top producers for the Knights today included Benny O'Rourk with two goals and two assists, Della Rocco with two goals and an assist, and Lukas Sinon with a pair of goals.
 
Whitley also lauded his offense. "Our attack did a great job today creating opportunities for each other," he said. "Kyle Playsted gets a lot of well-deserved recognition as our all-time points leader, but Benny O'Rourk and Christian Della Rocco complement him so well. It's a terrific group to see evolve. Their ceiling is still somewhere out there in the future, and that's extremely exciting for Bellarmine Lacrosse."
 
The Knights' coach also singled out the contributions made by Bellarmine's role players. "Great teams often go as far as their role players allow them to, and we are getting tremendous contributions from so many people," Whitley said. "Lukas Sinon, Wilson Murphree, and Pat Anderson deserve recognition for allowing us to play seamless offense. They collectively make great decisions and made some big plays in timely moments today."
 
The victory was crucial for the Knights in terms of ASUN standings as Bellarmine improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the league, which is currently in fourth place. The loss was just the second in league play for the Falcons as they fall to 7-5, 4-2 ASUN.
 
The Knights now go on the road for their next three games.  Next week, Bellarmine plays at Robert Morris on Wednesday and Cleveland State on Sunday before closing their road swing at Detroit Mercy on Saturday, April 22.
 
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