JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The first postseason opponent standing between Bellarmine and their first trip to a conference tournament final is all too familiar.
 
For the third time in four seasons, the fourth-seeded Knights (8-8, 2-3 ASUN) will lock horns with top-seeded conference co-champion Utah in the semifinals of the ASUN Championship. The game, to be played at Jacksonville's Rock Stadium, is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN+.
 
The Utes, despite their 5-8 overall record, won four of five ASUN conference games en route to their fourth straight season earning at least a share of the regular season conference title. The defending ASUN tournament champions had the chance to win the conference outright on Saturday, but fell 16-15 in overtime to Air Force resulting in a three-way tie for first, though they still claimed the top seed.
 
"It seems like a rite of spring that we play Utah in the conference tournament. This is the third time we've crossed paths with Utah in the postseason and seventh time overall in this senior class's career," said Bellarmine head coach Andrew Whitley, noting that six of the seven games have been decided by three goals or fewer, though they were all losses.
 
In fact, Bellarmine is 0-9 all-time against Utah, a streak that includes an 11-9 loss on March 29 at Frazier Stadium in which, though the box score would indicate they were outplayed, the Knights hung with the Utes and were competitive until the end.
 
Despite the earlier result, Whitley says his group is eager to get another shot at Utah.
 
"Our guys are excited for the challenge again as—to be the best, you have to beat the best—and Utah has been the class of our league the last few years, but we have played them as tough as anyone," he said. "They are as tough as ever and feature some big-time players we will need to account for."
 
Among those big-time players are First Team All-ASUN attack Ryan Stines, last year's conference Player of the Year, and a supporting cast that has the Utes tops in the ASUN and tied for 22^nd nationally averaging 12.23 goals per game.
 
"Ryan Stines, Chase Robertson and Cade Faulkner lead the way offensively and are more than worthy of the all-conference recognition they received. Stines is capable of exploding at any time and we'll have to be at our best to contain him," Whitley said.
 
A midfield duo, Robertson and Faulkner each earned Second Team All-ASUN honors. ASUN All-Freshman attack Luke McNamara, however, leads the Utes with 24 goals. Stines has scored just 20 goals, but is 8^th nationally averaging 2.38 assists. The redshirt junior handed out four helpers in the first matchup with Bellarmine and tallied a game-high six points.
 
While running their offense, Bellarmine's John Alie and Co. will again have to contend with the ASUN Defensive Player of the Year.
 
"Nikko DiPonio is the most prolific defensive player in the ASUN and makes plays all over the field. He disrupts the offense regardless of whom he covers and is an extraordinary ground ball player. We'll have to account for him on every possession," Whitley said.
 
DiPonio ranks 12^th nationally averaging 6.85 ground balls and is 3^rd in the ASUN causing 1.38 turnovers per game. He caused two turnovers and picked up a game-high seven ground balls against the Knights on March 29.
 
The all-conference honors were not limited to just the Utes' offensive and defensive players, but were also given to their top faceoff specialist and goalkeeper.
 
"Utah has as good a pair of specialists as anyone in the ASUN in Tyler Kloeckl at the faceoff X and Colin Lenskold in the goal," Whitley said. "Kloeckl has been instrumental in allowing Utah to dictate the tempo of the game and when he gets in a rhythm, Utah is tough to stop. Lenskold has always been a clutch player who made big plays in big moments. He has elevated his consistency this season and turned himself into a difference-making player while having his best overall year."
 
Kloeckl was named First Team All-ASUN after leading the conference with a .573 faceoff win percentage. He won 13 of 19 faceoffs against the Knights in their first meeting. Lenskold landed on the Second Team after finishing third in the ASUN with his .508 save percentage. He saved 12 of 21 Knights shots on goal (.571) in the teams' first meeting.
 
First Team All-ASUN middie Justin Wescoat and Alie, who is tied for 2^nd in the league averaging 3.00 goals, each scored twice against the Utes on March 29. With 48 goals, Alie enters the postseason two goals shy of becoming the fourth Knight with 100 career goals. The junior is also three goals shy of passing Christian Della Rocco's 50 in 2023 to set both new ASUN and Bellarmine single-season goals records.
 
The Knights' ASUN All-Freshman goalkeeper, Nolan Hudnut, made 22 saves in the first go-round with the Utes, a career high tying for the third-highest single-game total in Bellarmine history. He needs just nine saves to pass Dillon Ward's 208 in 2013 and set a new Bellarmine single-season record.
 
Though individual program records could potentially be broken, there is much more at stake Friday in Jacksonville and Whitley is keeping his outlook simple.
 
"We are looking forward to the challenge and it's great to still be playing lacrosse in May," Whitley said. "There are some great programs sitting at home with their seasons concluded and we are going to do everything we can to extend our season just a few more hours!"
 
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