DAYTON, Ohio – The Johnnies and Flyers were not scheduled to meet this spring – in the regular season anyway – but it was almost assured that they’d run into each other in the UMLC tourney or at nationals.

So it’s fitting that they get a crack at each other in one semifinal of the 2020 MCLA Virtual Tournament presented by New Balance.

D-II Semis: St. John's at Dayton | https://t.co/fFpPJWV0YR
— MCLA Tournament '21 (@MCLA_Tournament) April 27, 2020

St. John’s has a 3-2 mark against Dayton in the last five games dating back to 2016, although the Flyers won last year’s competition handily, 21-10.

With a student body nearly four times the size of St. John’s, No. 5 Dayton is certainly the favorite, as the seeds would indicate.

But the No. 9 Johnnies have tapped into an active alumni base to roll into the semifinals.

Who will be playing for a virtual national championship?

We’ll find out over the next four days.