Yale takes down Duke for NCAA crown

Gaudet leads Bulldogs with 4 goals for 1st title since 1883

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — No need for Yale to continue referring to its last “national championship” in lacrosse.

The Bulldogs claimed an undisputed title with a 13-11 win over Duke in the NCAA lacrosse championship game on Monday, scoring 36 seconds in and fighting off every rally the Blue Devils could put together.

“It’s just an incredible, incredible experience,” said Yale captain Ben Reeves, who closed out his college career with a goal and three assists.

Jack Tigh scored 36 seconds into the game for his first of three goals in the opening half and Matt Gaudet scored four goals for Yale, which last claimed a lacrosse national title in 1883 — long before the NCAA existed.

The third-seeded Bulldogs (17-3) scored the first three goals and struck first in all four quarters while holding off the three-time national champion Blue Devils.

Jack Starr made nine saves for Yale, which led 10-5 midway through the third period and never let Duke (16-4) get closer than two.

“We were one of the better teams at the start of the season and now we’re the best team at the end. That, to me, is mission accomplished,” said Yale coach Andy Shay, who has taken the Bulldogs to six of their nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

Yale never made it past the NCAA quarterfinals before beating top-seeded Albany 20-11 on Saturday in the semifinals, when Gaudet scored six and Reeves had five goals and four assists.

Gaudet got his first goal on Monday with 9:13 left in the first period, after Tigh had already scored two, and added three more in the second half to help the Bulldogs stay in control.

“As soon as I saw the back of my defender’s helmet, I just went under him,” Gaudet said. “They’d be able to draw the slide and I was able to get my lay-ups. “I just owe it all to my teammates.” Yale is the first Ivy League school to win the title since Princeton in 2001.

Justin Guterding and Joey Manown had two goals and an assist each for Duke, which fell to 3-3 in the championship game.

“They played great and they came out hot,” Guterding said. “We started on our heels. It’s tough to play from behind.”