They say to act like you’ve been there before. For Merrimack, the Warriors can follow that advice.

After making it to the NCAA Division II men’s lacrosse championship game in their home state a season ago, they have chance to avenge their loss (to Limestone) in a much different scenario (against Saint Leo) in the final Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

In last year’s instance, Merrimack was the underdog, the young team that hasn’t had the spotlight. Limestone was the dynasty.

With the roles reversed, the top-seeded Warriors are taking full advantage of what they learned last season.

“We have the opportunity to go back there and are obviously looking for a different result this time around,” coach Mike Morgan said. “Saint Leo is a very good team and they do a lot well. I’m sure they’ll be just as hungry as us.”

Merrimack took down NYIT in the opening round with an offensive onslaught, 24-6, before taking control early in the second half against Seton Hill in the semifinals Sunday.

The Warriors have had to win in different ways, and against Saint Leo, it’s likely going to bring out another different style of lacrosse.

“I’ve only seen them play one time, a live feed against New York Tech,” Morgan said. “They’re athletic, they have a good goalie and are well coached. They have a good transition game and in games like this, you have to handle their runs. I think they’ll do a good job pushing their pace. One of our strengths is we can play a bunch of different styles, we can play a slowed down six-on-six game or an up-and-down game. Push in transition. We can play a physical game. They’ve done a great job to be prepared to win in different ways.”

The offense is filled with underclassmen, with freshman Sean Black and sophomore Charlie Bertrand leading the way. But other than the freshmen, the entire team has been in this spot before. That aspect nearly ruins the youth narrative, with several sophomores and juniors having more experience than all of Saint Leo on this stage.

Take one look at the Warriors offense, and it seems like they’ve played together for years. Black tallied another hat trick against Seton Hill, while it was freshman Christian Thomas who broke out with five goals against NYIT, as they’ve continued to distribute the ball.

“Our leadership and being strong on the ball and being strong on both sides of the field is kind of why we are where we are,” Morgan said. “We got them prepared, and they’re very focused. I think this week will look a lot like last week.”

It’s at the faceoff X where the Warriors get another boost. Senior Blake Boudreau has broken out, winning every faceoff he took in the first half in the quarterfinals against NYIT before sparking a five-goal run in the second quarter with draw wins against Seton Hill in the semifinals.

“Blake is playing on another level right now,” Morgan said. “He’s established himself as the best faceoff man in the country. He wants to leave no doubt with that. Coming off last year, he knows he can make a big difference this year.”

Last time they were in this spot, the Warriors were still new to even being on the radar in college lacrosse. This season, they come in as favorites.

While the focus is more on what’s happening on the field, and trying to beat a Saint Leo team that has made an impressive run of its own, the Warriors have the distinct advantage of actually playing like they have been there before.

“When there’s so much uncertainty, it’s really hard to enjoy it,” Morgan said. “You’re thinking about what’s next and when you have to leave and that stuff. I think for our guys, they’re going to be experienced in everything they’re going to go through. They’ll have a little more calm to them and not be on edge all the time.”