SAVANNAH, Ga. - [Bracket]The first game of the 2025 NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Championship at Memorial Stadium, the top-seeded Keiser Seahawks dominated eighth-seeded William Penn (Iowa) with a decisive 16-7 victory. The Seahawks improve to 13-1 on the season, while the Statesmen conclude their season with a 12-4 record.

The Seahawks set the tone early, winning the opening faceoff, and on that possession, Kegan Hufford netted the first goal in NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Championship history to put Keiser up early.  The two teams picked up the defensive intensity, combining for four caused turnovers over the next several minutes of play.  Midway through the first quarter, William Penn netted the equalizer as Kenny Bohney found Garrett Katrana for a goal to make it 1-1.  Keiser retook the lead as AJ Badik made an athletic move to cause a turnover, and on the ensuing transition, Marek Albeiro found Ryan Stowell for the goal, making it 2-1 with 5:24 remaining. The Seahawks added a late goal, taking a 3-1 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter saw William Penn start to close the margin, with Nate Levy connecting with Max Taylor for a goal 26 seconds into the quarter.  Both goalies made saves at point-blank range to keep it a one-goal game until the Seahawks went on a 5-1 run over the final eight minutes of action in the first half, extending their lead to 8-3.  Hufford netted a pair of goals on the run to complete the hat-trick.   

Both teams came out with a strong defensive effort in the third quarter, with the two goalies combined for seven saves.  Prather started the scoring in the quarter with an unassisted goal at the 7:16 mark.  The Statesmen looked to rally, netting three of the next four goals, including a man-up goal from Nate Blasingame to cut the deficit to 10-5.  Keiser responded quickly as Chris Rayburn scored off the faceoff five seconds later, while the Seahawks took a 12-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

After the two teams traded goals to open the fourth quarter, Connor Russell made three straight saves for William Penn, keeping the score 13-7 in favor of Keiser.  The Seahawks tacked on three more goals as Kyle Davis added a goal and two assists for the 16-7 final.

Keiser's defense, led by goalie Lucas Green, was instrumental in stifling William Penn's attacks, making 17 saves. The Seahawks also excelled on the faceoff as Chris Rayburn went 13-16 with three ground balls.  Kegan Hufford led the way for Keiser with six points, while Ryan Shotwell netted four goals in the win.

Leading the way for the Statesmen was Nate Blasingame, who finished with three goals.  Bradley Howell notched six caused turnovers, while Connor Russell made 12 saves and scooped six ground balls. 

The victory propels Keiser into the semifinals, where they are set to face the winner of the match between #4 Webber (Fla.) and #5 Concordia (Mich.). The next round is scheduled for May 8 at 3 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium as the quest for the championship title continues.