OFFICIAL SITE OF THE
SONOMA STATE
MEN'S LACROSSE TEAM
Sonoma Upsets Cal on Senior Day, 8-7
The Sonoma State Men's lacrosse team defeated WCLL foe UC Berkeley, 8-7, on April 5th at Sunrise Park. The Seawolves victory marked their first over the Golden Bears since 2015, and made for an extra special Senior Day for the three soon to be graduates. The Seawolves move to 6-5 on the season and 3-2 (3rd place) in WCLL play. The victory also guarantees a home playoff game for SSU in the first round of the WCLL playoffs.
Standout performances from the game include freshman DJ Santiago (3 G's), junior Captain Dylan Hardy (7 GB's), sophomore Liam Crow (5 GB's), sophomore Riley Corcoran (15 saves, 7 GA), senior Prentice Lohr (4 GB's), junior Captain Benen Powers (1G, 2A's), and freshman Bradey Tyler (1G, 1A). The Noma defense as a whole had a particularly strong showing, holding Cal to their lowest goal total of the year and successfully killing over 5 minutes of penalties without allowing a single goal.
The first quarter started with back and forth possessions between the two teams, with Cal scoring first on a nice inside roll. The Seawolves then looked to play a ball possession offense, using time to their advantage and controlling the tempo for most of the first quarter. Freshman sensation DJ Santiago got the scoring started for SSU, hitting an outside shot with less than 10 seconds left remaining on the shot clock.
Two possessions later it was Santiago again on a perfectly placed outside shot to the low corner, this time with only 3 seconds remaining on the shot clock. Late in the first, junior attackman Nick Frangione had the shot of the day, placing a righty rip in the top left corner on an assist from freshman midfielder Bradey Tyler. The Noma defense played well through the majority of first quarter, but gave up two quick goals prior to the end of the quarter to leave the game tied at 3.
The second quarter remained an even battle, with both teams denying the other's opportunity for momentum by trading goals throughout. Junior Captain Benen Powers scored first in the quarter on a lefty dodge from X. Powers slipped as he crossed GLE, but somehow still managed to beat Cal's goalie on a shot from the ground. Cal would score next on a fast break opportunity that tied the game at 4. To no surprise, it was Santiago who scored next for the Seawolves on a feed from Powers. Santiago was able to use his defender as a screen and then sniped the corner, showing off his ability as a time and room shooter. At the end of the first half, both teams took to the shade under the redwoods with the score tied 5-5.
To start the third quarter, Cal won the opening draw and looked for an opening against the SSU defense. With only seconds left on the shot-clock, Sonoma was called for an unnecessary roughness call to the head, leading to a two minute non-releasable penalty. The Noma defense stood strong, with close defender Liam Crow scooping up the ground ball and the offense effectively killing the remaining time on the penalty to return to even numbers.
Midway through the third, birthday boy Bradey Tyler found a matchup he liked and split to his left as he weaved through the Cal defense before burying a righty goal. It was an impressive game for the freshman, as he continued to draw slides on his dodges throughout the contest. Cal was able to tie the game at six on another fast break opportunity, but seemed to be completely stifled on offense throughout the quarter. With 40 seconds left in the third, junior Dustin Smith perfectly executed a stalled attack at cage, beginning his dodge with just 5 seconds left in the quarter. Smith was able to beat his man and wrap around GLE to bury a goal and give SSU the 7-6 lead going into the 4th.
The intensity continued to ramp up throughout the contest, leading to an exciting finish in the fourth quarter. Goalkeeper Riley Corcoran was particularly clutch to end the game, tacking on 7 of his 15 saves on the day in the fourth quarter alone, allowing only 1 goal. A save from Corcoran and a quick outlet pass to freshman Matt McCurdy led to the Seawolves scoring their final goal of the game to take an 8-6 lead. Cal would answer back on a nice inside feed to bring the game within one with 5:26 remaining in regulation.
The last three minutes did not disappoint, as both teams fought tirelessly until the final whistle. Sonoma's defense fought to get three consecutive stops, but a tough ride by Cal led to sloppy passes in the clear and provided additional opportunities for the Golden Bears. Finally, with 40 seconds left in the game, the Seawolves were able to clear the ball successfully and call a timeout in an attempt to run out the rest of the clock.
In a moment of desperation, Cal pulled their goalie out of the cage and double teamed on-ball and was able to turn the ball over immediately at midfield. The Seawolves then committed a costly penalty on a cross check to the head, leading to a two minute non-releasable penalty that gave the Bears the opportunity they needed for a chance to tie the game. Instead, the Noma defense played the last 30 seconds man-down, with senior Prentice Lohr selling out to deflect a pass by Cal. In the end, Sonoma State would celebrate their Senior Day with a well earned victory and a guaranteed home playoff game in the first round of the WCLL playoffs. As the final whistle blew, SSU stormed the field in celebration.
The Seawolves will go on the road to take on WCLL opponent University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) on Sunday, April 13th at 12pm. This marks the final game for the Seawolves of the 2024-2025 regular season.
As always, thank you to all the fans who were able to make it out to support the team! It was great to see all the recent alumni in attendance. 
(Pictured above: Seniors Mitch Stock (12), Devin Schulte (22) and Prentice Lohr (18) with long time fan Bismarc, prior to the Cal game on Senior Day on April 5th, 2025.)
For more pictures and videos from the game (including Sonoma storming the field), click on the link below.