Madonna (Mich.) Strong Second and Third Quarter Against William Penn (Iowa) Propels Them into Title Game
DECATUR, Ala. – [Watch On-Demand] Madonna (Mich.) recovered from a slow start and used dominant second- and third-quarter performances to defeat William Penn (Iowa), 19-7, Thursday afternoon, punching its ticket to the 2026 NAIA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship Game on Saturday, May 16 at 5 p.m. CT.
William Penn (13-4) controlled the opening quarter and built a 3-0 lead behind goals from Blake Cyboron, Kenny Bohney, and Matt Scott. Madonna (20-1) responded quickly after the first period, outscoring the Statesmen 19-4 over the final three quarters to secure the victory.
WPU opened the game with strong offensive pressure, getting goals from Cyboron, Bohney, and Scott to take a three-goal lead after the opening quarter. The Crusaders’ offense found its rhythm in the second quarter, scoring eight goals in a 10:46 stretch to erase the deficit and take control. Benjamin Reidy started the comeback, while Ryan Davis scored three goals in the period. WPU briefly stopped the run with Scott’s second goal of the game, but Madonna closed the half with three goals in the final 2:15 to carry an 8-4 lead into halftime.
MU continued to build separation after halftime, outscoring the Statesmen 8-1 in the quarter. Spencer Guppy scored twice during the stretch, while Ross Preston added three goals, including two in the final two minutes of the period. Harley Williams scored William Penn’s lone goal of the quarter. Madonna added three more goals in the final quarter from Davis, Reid Dunavant, and Cooper Regimbal, while William Penn received late goals from Cyboron and Isaac Heitschmidt.
Key Performers
Madonna
- Ryan Davis: 5 goals.
- Cooper Regimbal: 3 goals.
- Ross Preston: 3 goals.
- Benjamin Reidy: 2 goals and 3 assists.
- Spencer Guppy: 2 goals.
- Jonathan Bendfeldt: 23 saves.
William Penn
- Blake Cyboron: 2 goals.
- Matt Scott: 2 goals and 18 shots.
- Isaac Heitschmidt: 1 goal and 1 assist.
- Kenny Bohney: 1 goal.
- Harley Williams: 1 goal.
- Connor Russell: 10 saves.
By the Numbers
- Shots: William Penn 64, Madonna 41.
- Ground balls: Even at 39-39.
- Turnovers: William Penn 25, Madonna 27.
- Faceoffs: Madonna’s Elvis Syroka won 13 of 21 faceoffs.
- Goalkeeping: Bendfeldt recorded 23 saves for Madonna, while Russell finished with 10 for William Penn.
