The Ducks started Saturday against the number one seeded team, SUNY-Geneseo. The team came out firing, but the overbearing defense from Geneseo was more than the Ducks could handle. A few critical turnovers later, and Stevens found themselves in a hole that would be tough to overcome. Despite a second half push from Marques Brownlee and Andrew Misthos, the Ducks could not answer. Late in the game, in order to conserve energy for the rest of the weekend, the Ducks rested many starters, and Geneseo pulled out to a commanding 15-5 win.

The next game for the Ducks was against the host team, SUNY-Oneonta. Energized by the earlier loss, the Ducks came out with intensity, and immediately racked up a few breaks. Oneonta kept pace with the Ducks for much of the middle of the game, but could never quite close the gap, eventually falling to Stevens 15-9.

After a bye round, Stevens faced an up and coming Hamilton College team. The beginning of the game again went well for the Ducks, who led 5-1 when Hamilton called a timeout to regroup. As the rain became heavier and the wind increased, Hamilton surged and nearly tied the score. Stevens leaders rose to meet the challenge, especially Junior Jon Lee, who scored an impressive 11 times during the game, a new team record for a single game. In the end, the veteran leadership and overall talent allowed the Ducks to close out the game with an important win, 15-11.

The previous win had secured a 2nd place finish in the pool for the Ducks, and a guaranteed berth in the championship bracket for Sunday. The final game of Saturday, against Marist College, was an opportunity for some of the younger players on the team to get some experience and allow the Ducks to try some new defensive sets that might become useful on Sunday. The Ducks cruised to an easy win 15-6, and finished the day with a record of 3-1. This cemented 2nd in the pool and led to a game against Wesleyan in the quarterfinals. This game was a rematch of the Regional Championship game from 2013, and would further fuel the rivalry between the teams.

On Sunday morning, the Stevens Ducks arrived to the field with an air of confidence and focus. They knew that three tough wins were all that separated the team from their third consecutive Nationals appearance, and the veterans on the team were eager to return. The beginning of the game against Wesleyan proved just how much the team wanted to win, as the team rattled of 5 consecutive scores to bring the game to 5-1. The Ducks knew that Wesleyan was a talented opponent and that there was still a long game ahead of them and that the pressure could not be let up. Senior Captain Andrew Misthos led the charge and came up with some great plays, including two point blocks on the same point, and three assists in the first half. The rest of the Ducks lineup was playing just as well, with great defensive plays from all over the roster, including a fantastic block in the end-zone from Sophomore Miles Wascher. The Ducks never looked back from their 8-4 halftime lead, and eventually closed the game with a 15-10 win.

The semifinal match-up was against a relative newcomer to the top of the Metro East Region, Hartford College Lighthouse. On Saturday, Lighthouse beat the second overall seed in the tournament, SUNY-Fredonia, and they were looking to show that they were a contender on Sunday. This game was gritty from both sides of the disc. Spectacular defensive plays from both teams abounded, but it was the Ducks who were able to find the early edge. As the rain intensity increased, the Ducks seemed to adapt better, and were able to score on some critical offensive possessions. The defense from the entire Stevens team was intense, including a Callahan from Senior Captain Andrew Misthos, and several great blocks from Charles Cannon. The game took the full allotted time, but in the end, the Ducks were able to pull out a 12-10 win over an impressive Hartford squad.

That win placed Stevens in the "Game-to-go" for the third consecutive year. A win in the Regional final would mean an invitation to Nationals, but first the Ducks would have to beat the number one overall seed, SUNY-Geneseo. In a rematch of the first game of the tournament, the last game would prove to be similar. While the Ducks started well, the top end talent from Geneseo was simply too much for the Stevens Ducks to handle. Geneseo got off to an early lead, taking the game to 5-3 before the Ducks called for a time out to think over some strategy and give the starting players a rest. Geneseo brought the heat immediately out of the time out, and took full advantage of some of the miscues from the Stevens players. Increasingly intense rain made it difficult for Stevens to play the fast-paced offense that they were used too, and Geneseo did well to stifle whatever the Ducks could come up with. In the end, the Ducks fell 13-7 to a very talented Geneseo team, and missed out on Nationals for the first time in three years.

We wish our friends at SUNY-Geneseo good luck at the DIII College Championships, and hope to see them represent our region well in Ohio. For the Ducks, this weekend marks the end of the season. They will return to action in the fall semester for some out of season tournaments, and again next spring to once again chase a National Championship.