The Virginia Military Institute lacrosse team will play Detroit Mercy on April 23 in its final regular season game, with a Northeast Conference Tournament berth at stake.
A win would secure the Keydets their first postseason appearance since 2022. If VMI wins, they are guaranteed at least the No. 4 seed and could move up to No. 3 if Cleveland State defeats LIU this weekend. The team can still make the tournament with a loss, but only if Cleveland State, Mercyhurst, and Robert Morris all win their games Saturday.
Both teams enter the matchup following two consecutive victories and are aware of what is at stake. Detroit Mercy has three wins this season but faced strong non-conference opponents including Ohio State and Michigan. In conference play, Detroit started with four losses but recently defeated Cleveland State and Mercyhurst.
Detroit’s Marcus Thundercloud leads his team in points this season with 25, while Andrew Parker follows closely behind with 24 points. PJ O’Hanlon is tied for most goals on the team alongside Parker. Goalie Cooper St. Clair has played every minute for Detroit this year, recording a goals-against average of 11.33 and making 168 saves.
In their all-time series history, VMI trails Detroit by three wins to six but has won two of the last three meetings between the programs.
