Hufford's OT Winner Secures Keiser's Third NAIA National Championship
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
|
|
3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Cumberlands (KY) | Keiser |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 37 | 52 |
| Ground Balls | 37 | 43 |
| Saves | 14 | 13 |
| Clears | 22-25 | 18-25 |
| Turnovers | 20 | 18 |
| Face Offs Won | 10 | 20 |
| Man Up | 0-3 | 0-4 |
SAVANNAH, Ga. - A pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) squads battled it out for the 2025 NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Championship, as Keiser needed overtime time to squeak past Cumberlands for the red banner.
Knotted at 13-all at the end of regulation, Kegan Hufford scored 27 seconds into overtime to give Keiser the 14-13 win and its third consecutive national championship.
The �� goal!
— AAC Sports (@AACsports) May 10, 2025
Kegan Hufford secures @KUSeahawks' third consecutive #NAIAMLAX National Championship with this overtime winner#ProudToBeAAC #AACMLAX #BattleForTheRedBanner #TheRightWayToPlay pic.twitter.com/3wee4SFRnI
The national tournament was held at Memorial Stadium in Savannah, Ga.
Hufford's goal completed a Seahawks comeback as the Patriots led for much of the game. Up 8-7 at the half, Cumberlands built a two-goal lead in the third and led 11-9 going into the fourth. Owen Hebenstreit scored 23 seconds into the fourth, upping the Patriots' lead to 12-9.
However, Keiser went on a 4-0 run to a 13-12 lead with 7:02 to play. Hufford accounted for the last two goals of the run. Cumberlands pulled even on a Nick Kava pinpoint shot that snuck in just under the crossbar, making it 13-all with 3:51 remaining.
Both teams had opportunities to find a go-ahead goal down the stretch, but the game went into overtime, and Hufford scored the winner for Keiser.
Hufford scored six goals in the title match and was named the Tournament MVP.
2025 NAIA Men's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team
Attack -Kegan Hufford, Keiser (Fla.)
Attack – Ryan Stowell, Keiser (Fla.)
Face-off – Chris Rayburn, Keiser (Fla.)
Midfield – Ryan Rundle, Keiser (Fla.)
Midfield – Ross Preston, Concordia (Mich.)
Midfield – Nick Kava, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Midfield - Ty Grooms, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Midfield - Donovan Barnshaw, Keiser (Fla.)
LSM – Demario Williams, Madonna (Mich.)
Defender – Zach Crotwell, Keiser (Fla.)
Defender – Gabe Schwaiger, Cumberlands (Ky.)
Goalkeeper – Nathan Foskey, Cumberlands (Ky.)