Game Essentials
#4 Middlebury 7, Williams 6 – Wednesday, April 2 – The Middlebury Panthers used two three-goal runs to fend off the Williams Ephs. Williams had seven different players register points in their balanced six-goal day. A pretty even match-up stayed in Middlebury’s favor as junior goalie Pete Britt contributed three of his nine saves as Williams tried to mount a late comeback.
St. John Fisher 12, #19 RIT 11 – Wednesday, April 2 –One of the exciting things about college lacrosse is how St. John Fisher could enter a game with seven wins and two losses (not too many people knew that) and be the underdog to a team with five wins and four losses. The Cardinals held a solid 8-4 halftime lead on the heels of seven first half saves by goalie Jon Cortina. Down 11-9, the RIT Tigers got goals with 2:30 and 1:47 remaining in the game from Garrett Johnson and Wes Adam to send it to overtime. With just 41 seconds remaining in OT, Mike Cortina fed Dave Malone for the game winner.
Tufts 11, #14 Western New England 7 – Wednesday, April 2 – Just when you think you had things figured out, leave it to a NESCAC team to screw that up. Both of these teams had high hopes coming into the season, and suffice it to say, neither has quite lived up to them. Both are still on pace to accomplish their goals of winning their respective leagues. Tufts junior Matt Harrigan came up big in this game with 18 saves, while WNEC senior Chris Body did his part with 16 saves. WNEC’s Travis Brown won 16-of-20 faceoffs, while the Golden Bears outshot the Jumbos 46-35, and had 15 more groundballs.
On the Fly
6 – The number of points by uniquely numbered Washington College senior attackman Chris Read (#85) in a strong 12-6 win over Haverford. The Shoremen also got 16 saves from their junior goalie Gordon Cohen who was integral in negating a 47-31 Haverford shot advantage. With the win, Washington moved to 9-0 for the first time since 2004 when they started 15-0.
4 – The number of losses in a row by the Whittier College Poets. The Poets started out promising, but after an overtime loss at home to Keene State, they’ve dropped three games on their latest East Coast trip (by three to Goucher, six to Roanoke, and 10 to Lynchburg).
38 – The number of goals by Virginia Wesleyan senior attackman/finisher Jordan Kenney. In helping VWC get to 6-4, Kenney has scored four or more goals in all six of the Marlins’ wins, while he has been limited to three or fewer in all four of their losses.
109 – The combined point totals by Villa Julie sophomore attackmen Steve Kazimer and Richard Ford. Kazimer’s 55 points are tops in the country while Ford is tied for second as they are both leading Villa Julie to a 8-2 record, a #12 ranking, and the sixth-most productive offense in DIII.
27 – The combined point totals of Cortland senior attackmen Ryan Heath and Billy Fuchs in back-to-back games this past week. After dropping an overtime game at Ithaca, the Red Dragons looked to their experience to regain their footing. The seniors wasted no time as Cortland hammered #9 Cabrini (13-4) and #11 Nazareth (21-5), leaving no doubt as to whether or not Cortland could respond to a loss.
4 – The remaining number of undefeated teams in DIII. The Salisbury Sea Gulls are ranked #1 at 12-0, while Washington is third at 9-0, Middlebury College is fourth at 7-0, and Keene State is 4-0 and eighteenth.
21 – The number of saves that the sixth-ranked Ithaca Bombers got from junior goalie Ben Connery against Empire 8 foe RIT. Despite Connery’s efforts, RIT managed to ruin Ithaca’s perfect season on an overtime goal by senior Dan Rago 33 seconds in for the 11-10 win.
Sea Gull Perch
94, 74, and 35 – The numbers of Salisbury’s various winning streaks. Currently the Sea Gulls have won 94 consecutive Capital Athletic Conference games (including the postseason), as well as 74-straight regular-season games since 2003, and 35-straight games overall since 2007.
3 – The number of games this year that senior Ryan Brown and sophomore Ryan Finch have both failed to win more than 50 percent of their faceoffs. This happened on Wednesday, as they only managed to win 9-of-19 on the day. The duo has won 217 of the 304 draws they’ve attempted for a 71 percent success rate. Trailing Gettysburg, the duo combined to win 10-of-12 in the second half comeback victory.
19 – The groundball advantage that #1 Salisbury (33 gbs) held over #2 Gettysburg (14 gbs) en route to Salisbury’s 11-8 win at the battlefield.
0-for-5– Salisbury and Gettysburg combined for an 0-for-5 day man-up with Gettysburg failing on four tries.
4:23 – The time remaining in the third quarter against Salisbury when Gettysburg midfielder Ben Sufrin scored to give Gettysburg an 8-5 lead. This would prove to be Gettysburg’s last goal. While dominating the faceoffs, Salisbury scored with 1:28 remaining in the third. Gettysburg’s defense and goalie Zach Furshman (four saves in the fourth quarter) held tight before Salisbury poured it in. The Gulls tied it at the 5:02 mark with goals 24 seconds apart. They then reeled off three more unanswered scores to take the game.
Games of the Week
Saturday, April 5th
#1 Salisbury @ #12 Villa Julie – Is Salisbury ripe for the picking or are they back to life after an 11-8 victory over #2 Gettysburg?
#2 Gettysburg @ #3 Washington College – WAC handled Haverford to keep themselves at the top of the Centennial. Their 9-0 for the first time since 2004, which was also the last time they beat Gettysburg. Is this the game that they stop being second fiddle? Gettysburg will look to come out firing after a bit of a disappointment at home against the Sea Gulls.
#4 Middlebury @ Amherst – Cinderella stories happen nearly every April Saturday in the NESCAC. Middlebury survived one-goal wins over the Lord Jeffs in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
#11 Nazareth @ #6 Ithaca – Both of these teams have something to prove. With Ithaca dropping a tough overtime game to RIT, they’ll look to get back on track in the Empire 8. Nazareth has been up and down so far this year with wins against Wesleyan and WNEC, then a loss at Utica and a drubbing at Cortland State. They’ll need to find consistency soon as they head into the meat of the Empire 8 schedule.
#8 Haverford @ Dickinson – Haverford has dropped two tough Centennial losses, and with Ursinus and F&M playing so hot as of late, they can’t afford another, especially with a midweek game at Ursinus on Wednesday. The Red Devils got spanked by Gettysburg and dropped a close one to F&M so they too are looking for a win. Dickinson dropped Haverford 7-5 last year.
#15 St. Lawrence @ Hamilton – Despite being 4-3, Hamilton beat Geneseo a week ago. The Saints better not be looking past this game to next weekend’s match-up against RPI.
Gordon @ #17 Endicott – Gordon might be 2-4, but their early season schedule was designed to have them ready to play games like this. Last year Endicott beat Gordon twice, first 13-11 and then 17-3. Expect this one to be closer to the former.
Tufts @ Colby – While the Jumbos are no longer in the USILA rankings, don’t count them out just yet. That being said, Colby is a quiet 5-2.
Muhlenberg @ F&M – The 7-2 Diplomats better take care of business in this game, because if they don’t, they have a tough road to the Centennial Conference playoffs with back-to-back games on the road at Haverford and Washington and then playing host to the Gettysburg Bullets.
Sunday, April 6
#19 RIT @ Stevens Tech – RIT has beaten Stevens the past two years, but this is the first time it really counts as it is finally an Empire 8 game. Who knows what to expect from RIT. If it’s the team that could only score four goals against Clarkson, then this might just be the spark Stevens needs heading into the rest of E8 play.
Tuesday, April 8
#4 Middlebury @ RPI –Middlebury dominated last year, but RPI might just have the firepower to pull of a midweek upset as Middlebury hits the road to Upstate New York.
Tufts @ #17 Endicott – A win could push Tufts towards their final four NESCAC games with just the right momentum. Endicott still has to prove it can play on a day-to-day basis with the NESCAC teams.
Wednesday, April 9
Union @ #6 Ithaca – Union is 6-1 and capable of beating quality teams as they’ve proven with wins over RIT (who just beat Ithaca) and RPI. If Ithaca plays like they can, this shouldn’t be a game, but the Bombers better not be looking ahead.
Saint John Fisher @ #11 Nazareth –Two teams that couldn’t be at different ends of the spectrum right now. 8-2 Saint John Fisher coming off an overtime win at RIT and a week to prepare. Nazareth, at 5-3, coming off a pounding at Cortland, a showdown at Ithaca, and then have to do it again four days later with Stevens Tech on the horizon.
