Men's Lacrosse Looks to Win its Third in a Row at Brown
3/28/2002 8:51:32 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Game 8: at Brown
Sat., March 30, 2002, 12 p.m., Stevenson Field
Syracuse (6-1), the top-ranked team in the nation, plays on the road for the fifth-consecutive weekend this Saturday at Brown in Providence, R.I. The Orangemen have won their last two games - a 19-4 victory against Hobart on Wed., March 27, and an 11-8 triumph against defending national champion Princeton a week ago.
Brown is 2-3 on the season, but its three losses have only been decided by a combined four goals, including two one-goal setbacks at the hands of Faifield (9-8) and Massachusetts (15-14). The Bears' two wins were against Sacred Heart (14-5) and Hartford (15-4), while their only other loss was an 8-6 decision versus Loyola last Saturday.
SU and Brown will faceoff against one another for the 15th time since 1986. The Orangemen control the all-time series, 13-1, and have won the last four meetings. SU posted a 15-4 victory against the Bears last season. Brown is one of eight schools to ever record a win at the Carrier Dome in men's lacrosse. The last time Brown defeated SU was at the Dome on March 29, 1997. The Bears posted a 20-12 victory.
On the Air
Radio
SU's games will be broadcast on the school's flagship radio station for lacrosse, ESPN Radio 1260 AM. Andy Jones will handle play-by-play duties, while Syracuse equipment manager Kyle Fetterly will serve as the color analyst. The games can be heard through the internet at www.suathletics.com.
WAER FM 88 will also broadcast all the games, led by sports director Andy Demetra.
Television
Time Warner 13 in Syracuse will broadcast the four remaining home games and air them on a tape-delay basis. Doug Wright will handle play-by-play duties, while Dale Drypolcher provides analysis. SU's next home game versus Loyola will air Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m.
Syracuse vs. The Ivy League
The Orangemen are 155-46-2 all-time against teams from the Ivy League -- good for a winning percentage of .768. They are 1-0 against Ivy League teams this season, having beaten Princeton, 11-8, last weekend. In addition to Brown this weekend, Syracuse will also face Cornell and Pennsylvania in the very near future.
Since 1990, Syracuse has posted a 47-7 record against teams from the Ivy League.
Cornell is the Ivy League team with the most wins against Syracuse (30). The Big Red have played the Orangemen more times than any other Ivy League school (85).
By percentage, SU has had the most success against Harvard (17-0).
Orange Career Scoring vs. Brown
Scoring (Goals-Assists=Points) Coffman 6-4=10 Springer 6-2=8 Powell 2-4=6 Wright 2-0=2 Nee 2-0=2 Hardy 0-1=1 Goalie Saves/Goals Allowed Mummolo 2/2 (2001) Donatelli 1/1 (2001) Faceoff Wins/Total Faceoffs Bickel 2/4 (2001)
Powell Surpasses 100-Point Milestone vs. Hobart - Leads the Nation in PPG
Sophomore attackman Michael Powell (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage), the Preseason Player of the Year, is leading the nation in scoring according to the March 26th NCAA Division I Statistics for points per game (4.83). He scored a career-high five goals and had a game-high eight points in Syracuse's 18-11 season-opening victory against No. 20-ranked Army. The eight points were a personal best for Powell and it marked the most points registered by an Orangeman since the 2000 NCAA quarterfinals when older brother, Ryan Powell, torched Georgetown with four goals and four assists.
In SU's last outing against Hobart, Powell had a goal and three assists. His assist on the first goal of the game just 42 seconds into the contest marked his 100th career point.
Against Virginia, Powell scored four goals and had two assists. In Denver, he had three goals and three assists in each of SU's two games. Against Johns Hopkins, Powell was held to one assist. It was only the third time in his career (first time this season) that he was held without a goal. Last year, the only games he did not score a goal were against Notre Dame in the NCAA semifinals and at Hobart. The second-year attackman bounced back at Princeton with a goal and an assist.
In 23 career games, Powell has registered at least five points, 11 times. He had three games last season in which he posted six points (vs. Loyola, Brown and Virginia).
Presently, Powell leads the team in scoring with 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists), or a 4.83 point-per-game average.
He is the owner of 103 career points (47 goals, 56 assists). Powell has never been shut out of a game. He has either scored a goal or had an assist in all 23 games of his career.
Wright Hits Hot Streak With Six Goals and an Assist in SU's Last Two Games
Senior midfielder Spencer Wright (San Diego, Calif./Junipero Serra) has six goals and an assist in SU's last two games. He had three goals and an assist in the win against Princeton and three goals Wednesday night versus Hobart. He is fourth on the team in points (17) and goals (12). Last season, Wright totalled 28 points (18 goals) in 16 games.
Hobart was Wright's second three-goal game of the season and just the fourth of his career. Last year, he scored three goals against Virginia and had a career-high four goals at Georgetown.
Wright is now the owner of 49 career points (34 goals, 15 assists). He has tallied a goal or an assist in 18 consecutive games for the Orangemen dating back to last season.
His .545 shooting percentage (12 goals on 22 shots) leads the team.
Springer Becomes 17th Orangeman to Score 100 Goals
Junior attackman Michael Springer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) had a game-high four goals and an assist against Hobart which helped him surpass the century mark for career goals this Wednesday. He is now 17th on the all-time goals chart with 102 career tallies. Springer is SU's third-leading scorer with 19 points (14 goals, five assists). Against Princeton, he was held without a point for just the second time in his career (the first time was against Princeton in last year's national championship game). It was only the fifth time in 38 career games that Springer had fewer than two points. He scored four goals and had one assist in the win against Denver.
In his 38 games for the Orangemen, Springer has recorded three or more goals 22 times.
Park Finds Scoring Touch - Records Season-High Two Goals vs. Hobart
Freshman midfielder Jarett Park (Tully, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) has scored three goals in SU's last two games. He tallied his first collegiate goal at Princeton and it turned out to be the game-winner. Against Hobart, Park found the back of the net twice.
Park has found a niche on this year's team as part of the face-off unit. He leads the team with 30 groundballs (4.30 per game), has run with the third middie line and has been on defense during important moments in big games (i.e. the fourth quarter against Johns Hopkins).
Because of his strength and quickness, Park is an asset for SU. A two-sport athlete, Park also plays soccer for the Orangemen. He was the 2001 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year in soccer and was voted the National Freshman of the Year by Soccer America Magazine. He led the team, the BIG EAST and the nation in assists (14).
Coffman Records Career-High Five Assists Against Hobart
Senior attackman Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) dished out a career-high five assists in the win against Hobart Wednesday night. He set up the final four first-quarter goals to help SU jump out to an early 6-1 lead against the Statesmen. That effort moved him into a tie for 19th on the school's all-time scoring chart.
Coffman currently owns 155 career points (95 goals, 60 assists). His 95 goals place him 18th on the all-time goals ledger at SU. He registered four goals in the win against Denver, tying his career high. Coffman also tallied four goals in the win at Virginia.
Last week at Princeton, Coffman helped Syracuse come back from a 4-0 deficit in the first half by tallying two goals and an assist which sparked the SU offense and helped the Orangemen tie it up 4-4 by halftime. Coffman finished the game with three goals and an assist.
Out of 56 career games, Coffman has recorded at least four points 20 times. During his first three seasons at SU, he played primarily at midfield. At that position on the field, Coffman was considered one of the best in the nation, as evidenced by his first-team All-America accolades last season and his preseason All-America nods at midfield this year.
Syracuse is 34-8 when Coffman scores a goal. He has 16 hat tricks to his credit during his time at SU.
Defense Holds Hobart to Four Goals - Lowest Opponent Total of the Season
John Glatzel (Ellicott City, Md./Boys' Latin), Billy St. George (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) and Sol Bliss (Tully, N.Y./Tully) are back for their second straight season as SU's starting close defense unit. The trio, combined with starting goaltender Jay Pfeifer (Towson, Md./Gilman) and sophomore Nick Donatelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott), helped hold Hobart to just four goals, the lowest opponent scoring total of the season.
Syracuse's team goals against average now stands at 9.00.
As a unit last season, the SU defense posted the lowest goals against average since 1988. The 128 goals Syracuse gave up in 2001 was the fewest since 1990 - when the team yielded just 124 goals in 13 games. The SU "D" - with Glatzel, St. George and Bliss - finished eighth in the nation in scoring defense, giving up a measly 8.00 goals per game. That was the lowest average a Syracuse defensive unit allowed since 1988 when the Orangemen gave up an average of 7.87 goals per game.
Nee Notches Second Hat Trick of the Season Against Hobart
Sophomore attackman Brian Nee (Cockeysville, Md./Boys' Latin) recorded his second hat trick of the season Wednesday against Hobart. He had three goals against the Statesmen, one of which was a man-down goal in the fourth quarter.
Nee is the team's fifth-leading goal scorer so far this season (eight goals). He has 11 points on the year.
He has seen valuable minutes all season. In the fourth quarter against Johns Hopkins, Nee had several scoring opportunities. His teammates were trying to feed him because of his ability to finish.
He sees most of his time on extra-man situations. A 6-foot, one-inch lefty, Nee is highly effective for SU when opposing teams commit penalties. This season, Nee scored twice at Virginia. He followed that up with three goals in SU's 20-8 win against Air Force out in Denver. In the win against the host Pioneers, Nee dished out his first two career assists.
Last season, Nee registered 17 goals and had the best shooting percentage on the team at 50 percent.
A great knack for finding the back of the net, Nee is shooting the ball with a .439 accuracy mark for his career (25 goals on 57 shots).
He has three hat tricks for his career. Last season, he posted a season-high three goals in a win against Fairfield.
Man-Down Unit Limits Opponents to an 0-for-13 Showing in Last Two Games
SU's man-down unit has not allowed a goal in its last two games (0-for-13). The Orangemen held Hobart to an 0-for-7 showing and yielded zero goals to Princeton on its six chances.
Overall, SU's man-down unit has done an excellent job of limiting the opponent's success on extra-man opportunities. Syracuse opponents are a combined 5-of-39 (.128) on the man-up.
Conversely, the Orangemen's man-up unit has scored on 16-of-35 opportunities so far this season, good for a .457 success rate. The Orangemen scored a season-high five extra-man goals (out of seven opportunities) in the win against Air Force.
Prior to the two games versus Denver and Johns Hopkins, Syracuse had tallied at least two extra-man goals in each of its first three contests. The Orangemen went 1-for-4 on the EMO against both the Pioneers and Blue Jays, but were 1-or-2 at Princeton and 3-for-8 against Hobart. SU is now a combined 6-for-18 on the man-up in their last four outings.
SU's extra-man unit is primarily made up of the same players from last season (Michael Powell, Brian Nee, Michael Springer, Spencer Wright, Brian Solliday and Josh Coffman).
Smith Registers Three Goals in SU's Last Two Games
Junior midfielder Mike Smith (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) has contributed three goals in Syracuse's last two victories. He had his first career two-goal game against Hobart this Wednesday and he tallied once in the win at Princeton.
A definite team leader, Smith has played on the third middie line during much of the past two seasons. He now has five career goals. Mike?s older brother, Chad Smith, was an All-America defenseman at Syracuse in 1994 and 1995. He helped the Orangemen win their sixth national title in ?95.
Powell, Glatzel and Now Coffman on the U.S. National Team
Senior John Glatzel (Ellicott City, Md./Boys' Latin), sophomore attackman Michael Powell (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) and senior Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) are among 23 players who will represent the United States in the 2002 International Lacrosse Federation World Championship. The World Championship will be played July 6-14, 2002 in Perth, Australia. The U.S. is the defending ILF champion, having won the 1998 World Championship by defeating Canada, 15-14 in overtime at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field. The 2002 U.S. team is coached by Army's Jack Emmer.
