Flames ride another huge game by Mohs to dethrone BYU, reach first MCLA DI final

Thursday, May 8

Round Rock, TX

1:45 PM

Liberty University Club Sports

Brigham Young University

Flames sophomore attack Easton Cahill (93) congratulates graduate attack Keaton Mohs after one of his four goals in the first half against BYU. (Photos by Andrew Musser)

Flames ride another huge game by Mohs to dethrone BYU, reach first MCLA DI final

5/8/2025 9:55:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

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All-time league-leading scorer Keaton Mohs scored four goals and set up five more to boost Liberty (18-1) to an early lead and sophomore goalie Ian Carvajal helped close out the Cougars.

Gallery: (5-8-2025) Men's lacrosse vs. BYU in MCLA semis

In a physical battle between faith-based programs, Liberty University's No. 1-ranked men's lacrosse team dethroned fifth-seeded reigning national champion BYU, 15-10, in Thursday's semifinal round of the MCLA Division I tournament played in hot and humid conditions at the Round Rock (Texas) Multipurpose Complex.

"It was a much closer contest than what we've had, not only in the playoffs but in the last few weeks of our season, and we knew to expect that against BYU, the defending national champion and team that knocked us out of the tournament last year," Flames Head Coach Kyle McQuillan said of the Cougars, who have made more MCLA DI tournament appearances than any other program and won a total of five championships. "We had a little additional motivation coming in as we found ourselves in this position last year and didn't play well. It was a hard-fought game, and we were able to repay the favor."

Liberty secured its first-ever place in the championship final, set for Saturday at 2 p.m. EST, streamed live on mclatv.us, when it will meet No. 3-seeded Georgia Tech, a 17-13 winner over No. 2 Utah Valley in Thursday's second semifinal.

"We want the guys to enjoy the victory today and use (Friday) as a rest day," McQuillan said. "Everyone's breathing a big sigh of relief, and that's going to speak volumes on Saturday as we should be able to play loose and free and be motivated to get over the hump of that national championship."

The Flames (18-1), winners of a program-record 18 consecutive games, started and finished especially strong, opening a 6-3 lead after the first quarter and pulling away from the Cougars (16-3) by outscoring them, 5-2 in the fourth.

Graduate attack Keaton Mohs, who became the all-time leading scorer in MCLA Division I in Tuesday's quarterfinal win over Arizona State, again paced the Flames, this time netting four goals and distributing five assists for nine points after recording 11-point and 10-point games against Minnesota and the Sun Devils, respectively.

"The pace Keaton is on in this tournament, averaging 10 points per game, is unreal," McQuillan said. "The way he's finishing out his career, the way he's leading this team, and what he's accomplished on this team is pretty unique and pretty special, and it's been fun to watch."

Mohs didn't let the scoring mark become a distraction as Liberty has cruised through the postseason, winning its third ALC Championship crown in five seasons and advancing to its third consecutive MCLA Final Four.

"He has been pretty focused all season not on those individual accolades, but really getting us to this game today, after advancing to the semifinals two years in a row and coming up short," McQuillan said.

Against BYU, a team the Flames had beaten in Provo, Utah, in 2023 but lost to four times previously — twice at nationals — Mohs dictated the tone from the start of the semifinal rematch, netting Liberty's first three goals and assisting the fourth.

He tied it at 2 by scoring the same way he opened the contest, emerging from behind the left post and sneaking a shot past Cougars goalie Easton Wilkey at the 8:16 mark. A minute and a half later, he gave the Flames a 3-2 lead by leaping high to slam home an alley-oop pass across the crease from graduate attack Braden Landry.

Then, after BYU tied it for a third time, Mohs, stationed behind the right side of the cage, spotted junior attack Luke Branham cutting toward the right crease for a crafty point-blank finish inside the right post and a 4-3 lead that the Flames would not relinquish.

Branham received a pass from Mohs at the top of the box and fed junior midfielder Gabe Dymmel cutting toward him in the left crease for a fantastic turnaround finish after a series of three to four dekes and fakes and a 5-3 lead at the 3:56 mark. Freshman middie Josiah Hoopman later capped the first-quarter scoring by taking a give-and-go pass from Mohs and putting away an overhand shot in the left side of the box for a 6-3 advantage.

BYU cut the deficit to 6-5 three minutes into the second quarter before graduate faceoff specialist Caleb Hammett won the ensuing faceoff with an incredible scoop from behind his body before taking halfway down the field and finishing with a diving shot despite being fouled on a push from behind, padding the lead to 7-5.

Hammett won 24 of 28 faceoffs for the contest, helping to turn the tides on the Cougars, who held nearly as decisive a margin against the Flames in last season's semifinal.

Mohs pushed Liberty's advantage to 8-5 with a spectacular move from behind the net, making two spins off defenders to again maneuver his way around the left post before pocketing a point-blank shot into the top-right corner with 8:36 left in the half.

Liberty gave its Flame Chain — awarded to its player of the game — to sophomore goalie Ian Carvajal, who stood on his head on several occasions.

"He had the best game of his career on the biggest stage, making 14 saves and many at really key moments when BYU had every reason to score and Ian denied them," McQuillan said.

Senior defender Conor Guiltinan created four turnovers to lead the Flames, including one phenomenal strip on a driving BYU attackman late in the third quarter.

"He had a pretty unreal check," McQuillan said of what may now be known as "The Gilly Special," a poke-and-pull, can-opener-styled steal. "He inverted his stick and used it as a spear, jabbed it between the defender's arms, and stripped the ball out of his stick. I don't know if he invented it himself, but it was unconventional and pretty creative, a moment from a defensive perspective that was exciting to watch."

Back-to-back sensational finishes by sophomore long-stick midfielder Graham Lilley and Branham early in the fourth quarter extended Liberty's lead to 12-8, its largest of the contest. BYU responded with a fantastic shot of its own before the Flames iced the victory with a 3-1 scoring run, including by a clutch driving shot by sophomore attack Easton Cahill with 3:04 to go and a half-field shot into an empty net by Landry at the 2:45 mark, as the Cougars resorted to using a 10-man ride.

McQuillan is confident Liberty has the endurance to go the distance in what is forecast to be another hot final, with temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity nearly as high.

"It's always hotter on the turf, but we've used a lot of our bench, and guys have had lots of water breaks," he said. "All season long, we've been great about preparing and putting ourselves in position to succeed. We have one more game to finish what we've started here, and we want to make sure we leave it all on the field. We don't have to worry about next week, just Saturday, so we can empty the tank. At this point of the year, there's no chance it will be an easy game. Logic has always been that you've got to beat the best to be the best. It will be a battle, and we are just excited to be a part of it."

While their graduating classmates are receiving their degrees during Liberty's 52nd Commencement in Lynchburg, Va., over the weekend, six seniors and three graduate students on this year's squad will celebrate their academic and athletic accomplishments on the field.

"The guys would rather hold a championship trophy than a diploma in their hands on Saturday," McQuillan said. "They will enjoy the benefits of graduation next week and for the rest of their lives, but this week it's all about lacrosse."

With BYU out of the tournament, a new trophy winner is guaranteed to be crowned as Georgia Tech, the SELC Tournament champions, lost its only previous championship game. The Flames used a five-goal spurt at the start of the second half to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 15-11, on Feb. 28 at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Andrew Musser/Club Sports Video & Media Coordinator