Rockhurst beat Lancer Lacrosse 21-11 in the 3rd Annual Dan “Doc” Connelly Classic on Thursday, April 6. Heading into the game, Rockhurst and the Lancers were ranked number one and number two in the city. Junior Luke McNamara led the way for Rockhurst with nine goals in the game, followed by junior Croix Snow with four goals.

The Dan “Doc” Connelly Classic is held in honor of Dan “Doc” Connelly, who coached both Rockhurst and Lancer Lacrosse at different points.

Rockhurst and the Lancers have always had a bitter rivalry. Out of the last ten Lacrosse Association of Kansas City (LAKC) championships, nine have been won by either Rockhurst or the Lancers. Rockhurst, however, has had more recent success. Before the game, Rockhurst had won three straight games against the Lancers, including beating them in the last two championship games.

The Lancers quickly scored the first goal of the game, two minutes in, taking an early lead. However, Rockhurst bounced back with a goal by Snow, followed by a goal by McNamara. At the close of the first quarter, the score was tied 3-3.

Rockhurst started the second quarter hot, scoring six unanswered goals, including four consecutive goals by McNamara in less than two minutes. Rockhurst outscored the Lancers 8-3 in the second quarter making it 11-6 going into the half.

“At that point I knew that I had a good matchup, and that I should keep taking advantage of it,” said McNamara. “If they aren’t gonna change what they are doing to stop us from scoring, then I’m going to continue to abuse my matchup.”

The second half started off with a quick goal by senior Brock Narciso. McNamara scored two more goals in the third quarter, adding to Rockhurst’s lead.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the score was 14-8. Rockhurst dominated the final frame, scoring seven goals. The game ended with a final score of 21-11. This victory was sweeter than most wins because Lancer Lacrosse is mostly composed of players from Shawnee Mission East, one of Rockhurst’s biggest rivals.

“This win over East win will help us with our playoff seeding and puts us in the driver’s seat locally,” said head coach Tim Reidy.

The victory was a major statement for Rockhurst, who maintained their status as the team to beat in Kansas City. This win was the largest margin of victory over the Lancers since 2010. Rockhurst remained undefeated at 8-0 and became ranked No. 1 in Missouri and No. 10 in the Midwest.

“We gotta keep the momentum and carry that into the end of the season and the playoffs,” said McNamara.