CARLISLE, Pa. — Ryan Bannon scored three times to pick up Player of the Game recognition as Rocky Mountain Division Champion/No. 19-ranked the University of Colorado never trailed in dispatching Atlantic Division Third Place finisher the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), 11-6, to reach the 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Fifth Place game.
The Buffaloes will return to the water at the Carlisle YMCA Aquatic Center in a battle for Fifth Place at 10:15 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, November 9, against the winner of a consolation game matching Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 1 California State University-Chico and Florida Division Champion/No. 11 the University of Florida. Virginia Tech will take on the fallen from the Chico-Florida game at 9:00 a.m. in the Seventh Place contest.
Colorado jumped ahead 2-0 as Bannon (5:40, penalty shot) and Alex Rusich (3:29) delivered prior to Owen Fritz (Lansdale, Pa.) putting the Hokies on the scoreboard with a successful shot at the 52 seconds mark of the first quarter.
Bannon (5:44, man-up) expanded the lead to 3-1 to commence the second quarter and Fritz fired in another response at 5:32 before Julian Hull hurled home back-to-back chances at 4:15 and 3:48 to increase Colorado’s margin to 5-2 heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, Fritz trimmed Colorado’s lead to 5-3 with 6:51 on the clock.
However, the Buffaloes roamed into the Hokies’ defensive end for consistent offense over the next two and a half minutes as Tyler Patay (6:32), Chase King (5:19, penalty shot) and Bannon (4:01) built Colorado’s lead to 8-3.
Max Pagon (San Diego, Calif.) (3:36, penalty shot) and Ben Farls (25 seconds) put away shots to close out the third quarter and shrink Virginia Tech’s deficit to 8-5 heading into the fourth quarter.
A comeback, however, was not meant to be for the Hokies as Matteo Petty (5:50), Rusich (2:19) and Dylan Armstrong (56 seconds) tacked on insurance goals in the fourth quarter to surround a score by Farls (3:12).
For Colorado, Bannon (three), Rusich (two), Hull (two), King, Armstrong, Patay and Petty combined for the team’s offense.
Fritz (three) and Farls (two) accounted for five of Virginia Tech’s scores with Pagon chipping in a solo strike.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 19 University of Colorado | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 11 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | 6 |
| Virginia Tech Goals: | Owen Fritz (3); Ben Farls (2); Max Pagon | |||||
| Colorado Goals: | Ryan Bannon (3); Alex Rusich (2); Julian Hull (2); Chase King; Dylan Armstrong; Tyler Patay; Matteo Petty | |||||
| Exclusions: | Virginia Tech – 10 ; Colorado – 9 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Virginia Tech – 1-for-9 ; Colorado – 3-for-10 | |||||
| Sprints: | Virginia Tech – 0-for-4 ; Colorado – 4-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Kevin Jauregui, Matt Stuckwisch | |||||
The University of Colorado’s Ryan Bannon (#3) & Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University’s Ben Farls (#11)
The University of Colorado’s Chase King (#21) & Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University’s Owen Fritz (#15)
The University of Colorado’s Chase King (#21) & Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University’s Tim Schwar (#4)
