This is what brotherhood is all about.

As the clock hit triple zeroes last Sunday at Army’s Michie Stadium in West Point, the Colgate men’s lacrosse team officially secured the Patriot League Tournament title with a 17-10 victory over Boston University in the championship game.

Rory Connor raced over to his younger brother, Liam, tears flowing as the two shared a long embrace amid a championship-winning moment.

Rory, a 6-1 senior, and Liam, a 6-4 sophomore, helped lead the Raiders, who had to win three games in six days, from a five-seed in the conference to their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015. The Manhasset High School products and former Newsday All-Long Island selections play on the same attack line and are both among the nation’s leaders in points.

“It's hard to put into words, but it was definitely, truly the best day of my life,” Rory said. “... Once that final buzzer hit, I just walked over to Liam, and we just took our helmets off and gave each other the biggest hug of our lives and we're crying in each other's arms. It was a feeling that was so special, just knowing how much hard work it's taken to get here from not only us, but our team and our coaching staff and everything.

“It was just the culmination of so much work and is the best day of my life so far.”

Said Liam: “That moment of me getting to play with my best friend, someone that I've been looking up to my whole life – it's just been so special. From that first moment getting to run out to practice together on my first day at Colgate to the most recent game, it's been an unbelievable experience and definitely two years I’ll never, ever, ever forget.”

The Raiders (10-7) will play at No. 5 Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU.

Liam, the younger brother by 20 months, has 85 points entering the first round, tied with Army’s Jackson Eicher for the third-most in Division I. His 47 assists rank fourth nationally.

Rory’s 79 points are tied for fifth in the country with Cornell’s Ryan Goldstein ahead of the weekend. His 47 goals are tied for eighth in the nation with Saint Joseph’s Ben Dutton.

Rory’s first two seasons with the Raiders were filled with adversity. Colgate went 4-9 during his 2022 freshman season and 2-9 in his 2023 sophomore year. The team improved to 8-7 last season but lost in triple overtime to Boston University in the Patriot League quarterfinals.

“My freshman and sophomore year we had a lot of losses and some tough times,” Rory said. “... I think if you would have told us to fast forward two years [and] we'd be Patriot League champions heading into the first round of the tournament? I mean, I don't think anyone would even believe you.”

Colgate’s conference tournament run started with a 14-10 quarterfinal win at No. 4 Lehigh on April 29. Three days later in the semifinals, it knocked off top-seeded Army, 16-13, on the road. The Colgate senior class, Rory included, had lost all four of its regular-season meetings with Army dating to 2022.

Both brothers were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Rory had six goals and seven assists in the three-game stretch, including two goals and three assists in the championship game. Liam had 10 goals and nine assists in the run, scoring four goals in the title game.

“I think it just came down to the belief that we have in ourselves, the belief that we have in each other,” Liam said. “Knowing that, hey, if we go out there and play hard and play the way that we know how to play and be aggressive and do all the things that we've been doing since Day 1 here, anything can happen.”

The brothers have been living in the moment, but the time will eventually come where they can soak it all in.

“I try and remind myself now, each and every day, not to take this moment for granted, whether it's with the team, but most importantly playing with my brother,” Liam said. “But I think that the reality will definitely, I hope, set in a little bit down the road when this season is all said and done, how unbelievably special this has been. Not only to get to play alongside Rory, but with how unbelievable our offense has been, how unbelievable Rory has been individually all season leading the way. So it's definitely been super special.

“I think a little bit down the road, we'll be able to fully embrace and recognize how special it is, what we’ve accomplished.”