Memphis - Led by a stellar defense and two strong quarters, the Rhodes men's lacrosse team made history Saturday by winnings its first-ever Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Championship.

The Lynx topped Sewanee, who has been in every SAA title game since the league was started in 2013, 14-8 at Crain Field. With the victory, Rhodes earned the league's automatic bid into the 2018 NCAA Division III Tournament.

After an evenly played first quarter, Rhodes pulled away over the next 30 minutes after outscoring the Tigers 8-0 during the second and third periods. Eventually, Rhodes took a 13-3 lead with 9:01 left after David Perez scored the team's 10th consecutive goal and his third of the game. Sewanee rallied late with five goals over the final 7:30, however, the deficit was too much to overcome.

Overall, SAA Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Fennelly led the attack with four goals and three assists as he earned All-Tournament MVP honors. Ryan Marasco also tallied three goals alongside Perez while the Lynx defense finished with eight caused turnovers. This year's Defensive Player of the Year, Steven Yowan, recorded the game-high six ground balls.

Additionally, Cameron Link added nine saves for Rhodes. SAA Newcomer of the Year Jake Vaughn paced the Tigers with three goals on seven shots.

Marasco and Justin Powers have also been named to the SAA Men's Lacrosse All-Tournment Team. The full list can be found below. 

Rhodes, who sits with a 13-2 record, will here Sunday, May 6th who and where they will play in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will be at 9 p.m. ET here.

2018 Men's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team
Rhodes – Ryan Fennelly (MVP), Justin Powers, Ryan Marasco
Sewanee – Ryan Stubits, Henry Burns
Berry – McKinley Gannon
BSC – Christian Englehart
Centre – Leland Gray
Hendrix – Garrett Brown