The University of Richmond men’s lacrosse team ended its season on May 10 after a 14-12 loss to Duke in the NCAA Tournament First Round at Robins Stadium. The match drew a record-setting crowd of 6,805 fans, marking both the highest-attended Richmond lacrosse game and the most attended first round game in NCAA history.
This season was significant for the Spiders as they hosted an NCAA Tournament game at Robins Stadium for the first time. The team reached new milestones, including tying their program-high with 14 wins and recording only two losses—the fewest in program history.
Gavin Creo led Richmond offensively with four goals. Aidan O’Neil contributed one goal and two assists, breaking Richmond’s single-season points record with his third point of the night. Joe Sheridan and Daniel Picart each scored twice, while Leo Caine and Lucas Littlejohn also added goals. Connor Knight made 12 saves in goal for Richmond.
Despite efficient play—finishing 25-of-26 on clears—and forcing eight turnovers, Richmond struggled to maintain possession as Duke won the ground ball battle (35-27) and controlled faceoffs (21-for-28). The Spiders built a three-goal lead early in the fourth quarter but were overtaken by Duke’s late five-goal surge.
“It’s a game of runs and who can control those runs and the overall pace of the game,” said Gavin Creo. “I think Duke did a better job of that today, and that’s definitely something we can learn from.”
Richmond’s historic season concluded with notable achievements despite falling short against Duke.
