The Jacksonville University men's lacrosse team made a powerful statement in the ASUN Semifinals, leaving no room for doubt this time around. After a heartbreaking 15-12 loss to Air Force in last year's semifinal—their first-ever ASUN Tournament game at home—the top-seeded Dolphins roared back with authority on May 1 at Rock Stadium. Led by four goals each from Bolles graduate Daylin John-Hill and Jack Russo, JU overwhelmed No. 4 Mercer with an 18-3 victory, securing a spot in the ASUN championship game against Air Force on May 3 at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
The win sets up a rematch that carries extra weight. Air Force punched their ticket by edging Utah 13-12 in the other semifinal, marking their fifth straight one-goal victory in the Rocky Mountain rivalry. Just six days earlier, the Falcons had won 14-13 in overtime in Salt Lake City to close the regular season. While Air Force holds a 9-8 all-time edge over JU, the Dolphins have found their stride lately, going 7-3 against the Falcons since snapping a six-game losing streak in the series back in 2018. Their most recent meeting—a 16-10 win in Colorado Springs on March 28—shows this JU squad is clicking at the right time.
From the opening whistle, Jacksonville was relentless. The Dolphins jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first period, with John-Hill scoring the first two goals and Jack Taylor adding the next two. Taylor, who finished with three goals and five assists, then set up John-Hill and Nicky Brown for back-to-back scores. JU carried a 10-2 lead into halftime, extended it to 12-2 through three quarters, and closed with a dominant 6-0 fourth quarter to seal the blowout.
Now, the Dolphins are eyeing their first conference tournament championship under head coach John Galloway. It won't be easy—JU has lost all three previous championship appearances by a single goal: 9-8 to Robert Morris in the 2024 ASUN final, 10-9 to Richmond in the 2022 Southern Conference final, and 11-10 in overtime to Richmond in the 2018 SoCon final. With the momentum of this decisive semifinal win and a home-field advantage at Rock Stadium, Jacksonville is poised to rewrite that narrative and bring home the title.