ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Luke Pilcher recorded a game-high seven points to lead the nationally second-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) men's lacrosse team to a 19-10 victory over 16th-ranked Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), on Wednesday afternoon in the Liberty League Semifinals at RIT Turf Field. With the win, the Tigers improve to 16-1 overall and advance to Saturday's title game. The Engineers drop to 10-5 on the year.

RIT jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, thanks to tallies from three different players. Quinn Commandant got the scoring started, just three minutes in, before Marley Angus and Ryan Barnable made it 3-0 with 7:04 remaining in the opening quarter.

Rhys Zoldi got the visitors on the board with his 20th goal of the season. Commandant and RPI's Tyler Nalls then traded tallies to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead after one quarter of play.

The hosts started the second quarter as strong as they started the first, netted three straight goals to open up a 7-2 lead. Pilcher capped the rally with RIT's third man-up goal of the game.

RPI answered by scoring five of the next six goals in the game to draw to within 8-7 with early in the third quarter. Five different players found the back of net, including Trey Froelich and and Connor Glosner, who netted their 19th and 28th goals of the season, respectively. Angelo Venuto stuck home the first of his three goals on the day to cap the rally.

Clifford Gaston, Caiden Perry and Pilcher ran off three in a row to answer the Engineers scoring run, pushing the RIT advantage back to four at 11-7.

Venuto scored directly off a face-off for the second time with 10:09 left in the third, bringing RPI within 11-8, but the Tigers stormed back with seven straight goals over a span of almost 12 minutes of game time to put the game away. Pilcher got the run started with a man-up goal – his third of the game and 45th of the season.

RPI finally the ended its scoring drought with 12:23 to play, when Venuto won a draw and raced down field for his team-best third goal of the day and 13th of the year.

Miles Tillman fired his sixth of the season into an open net with the Engineers pressing, before Rensselaer freshman Trey Berry took a feed from Cooper Urban to pot his eighth of the season and bring visitors into double-digits for the game.

Drew Hutchison (16-1) finished with eight saves to pick up the win in net, while RPI freshman Joseph Perry (10-5) had 20 stops, including 13 in the second quarter alone, at the other end of the field.

RIT finished 4 for 6 on extra-man opportunities, while Rensselaer was 1 for 1.The Engineers won the face-off battle, 18 to 15, but the Tigers had the edge in shots (60 to 38) and ground balls (41 to 33).

The Tigers will face St. Lawrence University at home on Saturday in the Liberty League Championship Game (TBA).