VMI will make its first appearance at the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament when the Keydets face top-seeded Robert Morris in the semifinal round on April 30. The game will take place at Joe Walton Stadium in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
This marks VMI’s first postseason contest in four years and comes after the team secured a spot as the No. 4 seed by winning its last three games of the season. The Keydets clinched their tournament berth with a decisive 14-5 victory over Detroit Mercy.
Junior Dayton Bagwell leads both VMI and the conference with 41 goals this season, while sophomore Beau Durkin is atop the league standings in assists with 22. Head Coach Taylor Mendoza said his team is prepared for its postseason challenge against a strong opponent.
Robert Morris enters the matchup as host and No. 1 seed, having completed an undefeated run through conference play with a record of 7-0 and an overall mark of 12-3. The Colonials are currently on an eleven-game winning streak, their longest ever, and have not lost since February.
Freshman Dylan Anderson leads Robert Morris with 35 goals this year, averaging more than two per game, while goalie Nate Fechter has played nearly every minute for his team and holds a goals-against average of under ten per game. In previous meetings between these teams, VMI won their first two matchups but has lost six straight to Robert Morris since then.
The winner of Thursday’s semifinal will advance to Saturday’s championship game to face either LIU or Cleveland State.
