SAVANNAH, Ga. – The inaugural NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Championship season reached its peak Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Savannah. It was an all-Appalachian Athletic Conference title game between top-seeded Keiser (Fla.) and third-seeded Cumberlands (Ky.). Even before the opening face-off, the game had significant delays due to severe weather conditions, forcing multiple game time adjustments, however, it was Kegan Hufford's game 27 seconds into overtime that was the difference as the Seahawks captured the Red Banner 14-13.

KU got on the board early in the title game against AAC foe UC, as AJ Badik found the back of the cage just 27 seconds into the opening quarter. The Patriots looked to equalize, but back-to-back saves from Keiser goalkeeper Lucas Green preserved the lead. Will Rodgers threaded the needle to tie the game at 1-1 with just over eight-minutes to play in the first quarter, the tie was short lived as Caden Abbott of the Cumberlands (Ky.) picked up the ground ball right in front of the net, before burying it to give UC a 2-1 advantage. Keiser responded on the offensive end of the field as Kegan Hufford collected on the equalizer with just under six and a half minutes to play. Almost three minutes after scoring the tying goal, the Seahawks turned defense into offense as Zach Crotwell connected with Ryan Stowell to give the lead back to KU late in the opening period. Nathan Foskey came up big with 2:05 to play in the opening quarter, making a point-blank save out of the stick of JP Prather, then again on a shot from Marek Albiero.

After 15 minutes of play to open the first-ever national championship game in the NAIA, the Seahawks led by one goal and in multiple stat categories, including shots (14-6), shots on goal (8-5), and turnovers (2-1). KU and UC had seven and three face-off wins each.

Johnathon Vanover stung the back of the net after Mason Miller found him open to tie the game just 44 seconds into the second quarter. Maalek Wilson had a great look on goal with 12 minutes to play before halftime, but drew a foul, allowing UC to capitalize on a man-up chance, which they did just six seconds after play resumed as Vanover connected with Rogers to lead 4-3. Vanover then, just 19 seconds later, he adds one of his own with a laser to the bottom corner for three straight goals to open the second quarter. Cumberlands continued to pour on the goals in the second half with two more from Alex Heck and Maalek Wilson, pushing the lead to 7-3. Patriots’ goalkeeper Foskey continued to build a wall in the second quarter between the sticks, coming up with multiple key saves to keep the momentum in favor of UC. It wasn’t until the 9:29 mark of the second quarter that KU answered one of the five UC goals, and it came on a nifty no-look, behind-the-back shot from Hufford to cut the deficit back to four. Keiser looked to cut the margin even more on back-to-back man-up opportunities, but was only able to convert on one as Vincent Cerasuolo netted the unassisted goal to trail by two with 6:21 to play before half. Ryan Rundle closed the deficit to one with 4:33 to play in the first half. As the first half was in the closing 126 seconds, Nick Kava decided to get in on the scoring action of the second quarter as he collected on his first of the day to give UC an 8-6 lead, forcing a Seahawks timeout with 1:43 to play. JP Prather netted a stinger late after the timeout for a one-goal margin as the end of the first half neared.

At the half, Foskey is credited with eight saves, some of which were at point-blank range, and others through traffic as he stood tall in the cage, helping UC to turn defense into offense and hold the lead. Lucas Green played a strong first half himself for KU, making six saves after 30 minutes of play.

Badik looked to make some noise with under ten to play in the third quarter as he crow-hopped and let one loose towards goal, but sent it just high as the Seahawks continued to trail by one. Cumberlands responded at the opposite end of the field with Wilson and Kava connecting with 8:36 to play in the third quarter for a 9-7 lead. Vincent Cerasuolo had some space with four minutes to play in the third quarter as he ripped a shot, sending it wide of the cage, but Ryan Rundle put one away just 20 seconds later to draw the game to 9-8, still in favor of UC. In the final three and a half minutes of the third quarter, the Seahawks and Patriots traded goals, as the game headed to the final 15 minutes of play at 11-9 with Cumberlands ahead.

Owen Hebenstreit opened the fourth quarter, scoring for UC with a long stick goal that was a rocket to the upper corner for the 12-9 lead, just a mere 23 seconds in after UC won the face off. Keiser responded quickly, with a pair of goals just six seconds apart from each other, out of the sticks of Prather and Cole Nappi to cut the margin back to one. Kegan Hufford knotted the game up for the first time since the second quarter as Rundle connected with Hufford in traffic before Hufford put it away with a highlight behind the back goal with 8:19 to play in regulation, but he wasn’t done there as Hufford put the Seahawks on top 13-12 with 7:02 remaining. Jack Sidwall picked up a ground ball in traffic and turned it into what ended up being the game-tying goal off a spectacular shot from Kava with under four minutes to play in regulation. As the final 79 seconds of regulation appeared on the scoreboard at Memorial Stadium in Savannah, Keiser called a timeout as the game and shot clock difference was 16 seconds. Hufford and Prather both had a chance to put the game away in the closing seconds of regulation, but the opportunities were sent wide as KU and UC needed extra time to decide who would claim the first NAIA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship crown.

As the golden goal overtime period began, tied at 13-13, four minutes were put on the clock, and the Seahawks won the opening face-off of OT as KU took a timeout to game plan. The Seahawks of Keiser came out of the timeout as Kegan Hufford called game to send the first-ever NAIA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship Title back to West Palm Beach, Fla.

The Keiser Seahawks head back to the beach, national champions with an overall record of 15-1, while the Cumberlands Patriots will head back north as 2025 runner-up, ending the season with a 13-5 overall record.

2025 NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament MVP

Kegan Hufford, Keiser (Fla.)

2025 NAIA Men’s Lacrosse All-Tournament Team

Attack -Kegan Hufford, Keiser (Fla.)
Attack – Ryan Stowell, Keiser (Fla.)
Face-off – Chris Rayburn, Keiser (Fla.)
Midfield – Ryan Rundle, Keiser (Fla.)
Midfield – Ross Preston, Concordia (Mich.)
Midfield – Nick Kava, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Midfield - Ty Grooms, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Midfield - Donovan Barnshaw, Keiser (Fla.)
LSM – Demario Williams, Madonna (Mich.)
Defender – Zach Crotwell, Keiser (Fla.)
Defender – Gabe Schwaiger, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Goalkeeper – Nathan Foskey, Cumberlands (Ky.)