'We Ball:' Keiser men's lacrosse captures first NAIA national championship behind team effort
"We ball."
That was the motto for the Keiser University men’s lacrosse team en route to a program-record 17 wins and their first NAIA National Championship. The Seahawks also won the Appalachian Athletic Conference title and had four players earn First-Team NAIA All-American honors.The Seahawks’ impressive season included two wins over Division II opponents and 10 victories over top 10 competition, including six straight to take the national crown over Indiana Tech. Head coach Patrick Johnston was also recognized as the NAIA Men’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year.“It was fun, I can’t think of a better group of guys,” said Johnston. "Constantly working hard and doingeverything that we asked of them on and off the field. It was just a fun group. Really coachable and hardworking. They were accountable to one another and probably the tightest team that I’ve ever beenaround.”The Seahawks were led by freshman AJ Badik with 43 goals and in net by former Oxbridge Academy standout Christian Tomei, who had a single-season program record 212 saves. Badik also scored a season-high eight goals in the national championship game while Tomei logged a single-game record with 20 saves against Cumberland (Ky.) in the AAC title game. Tomei also led the nation with a 68.9 save percentage. Both players were two of Keiser’s All-Americans.
The Seahawks also placed Martin County graduate Cam Provines and Jackson Marshall on the All-American team. Provines registered a single-season record of 260 faceoff wins and 157 groundball pickups. He also recorded a career-high .737 faceoff win percentage. Marshall forced 23 turnovers as Keiser’s top long stick midfielder.
“We probably should have had more,” Johnston said with a laugh. “We had six guys with 30 or more points on offense, which blows my mind. It was just a selfless group. It wasn’t about one guy. Christian came in and really set the tone with leadership and work ethic. He’s just a phenomenal player. As a person and leader, he set the bar high and elevated the work ethic of everyone around him. Cam Provines is a special person not just a player, but he’s a great leader. Generational talent at the faceoff position. He was 75 percent and unstoppable.
"AJ Badik came in. We moved him around all year. He played attack in high school. Then moved him to offensive midfield, which is a little bit of a change. I think he finally found his rhythm down the stretch. We knew he was a special player and convinced him of that. As a freshman he had a lot of self-doubt. Once he got the confidence of us telling him to keep shooting, he really grew. The national championship was the culmination with eight goals. He just wouldn’t be denied.”
Another homegrown product and key contributor to the Seahawks’ historic season was Vincent Cerasuolo. The Wellington native finished tied for third on the team with 29 goals while registering a second-best 139 shots.
Cerasuolo, who played at Oxbridge Academy, also tallied 12 assists and finished fourth on the team with 41 points. He tied his season-high with four goals against Division II Palm Beach Atlantic and netted two scores against Indiana Tech.
“The two words most said throughout the season was 'We Ball,' " said Cerasuolo. “We wanted to make sure nobody was playing too individually. We played as a team on offense, especially because our offense has a lot of opportunities for everybody to contribute. I think the more we drove 'We Ball' home, the more everybody started to come along and, next, people were scoring that we didn’t expect to score. It helped everybody else come together and produce.”
At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, Tomei was Keiser’s rock in net. He set a program record with 17 wins while playing 954 minutes in goal. Tomei was also consistent with 10-or-more saves in 14 games. His season accolades included being named first-team All-ACC and ACC Tournament MVP. Tomei then capped his dominant freshman year by being selected to the NAIA Invitational All-Tournament team and earning the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
“I used to be a lot bigger,” said Tomei. "My style of play was a lot different. I tried to use my body and angles. Then after I lost a lot of weight, I had to completely change my game. I rely a lot on my quickness just to see the ball and get there. Mobility and flexibility are a huge thing for me. The biggest thing is probably patience. As a goalie, you can’t be too energetic or too down. So, just becoming more patient and waiting for the ball and being where my feet was the whole time. If I give up a goal, it doesn’t matter. If I save it, it doesn’t matter. Being calm and being patient. That set the tone for me this year and how I would play.
Keiser University has certainly put its stamp on the sport of lacrosse in South Florida and across thestate. The Seahawks have cemented a winning standard and blueprint for future classes as the sportcontinues to grow in popularity in the Sunshine State.
“It was a blast,” added Tomei on the season. "We didn’t really have team identity yet. Going into thespring and right when we started, we kind of all came together as one especially down the stretch whenit really mattered.
"When conference started, that team that played those last six games was a wholedifferent team then who played the first 10. It was just building the identity throughout the year. But if Ihad to use a word, it was just a blast. I couldn’t have asked for a better band of brothers."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Keiser Seahawks dominate men's lacrosse on NAIA level, win first national title
