Final Home Game for Men's Lacrosse This Saturday Against #3 Georgetown
5/3/2002 10:04:11 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Game 14: vs. #3 Georgetown
Sat., May 4, 2002, 2 p.m., Carrier Dome
Listen to the Game
Both Syracuse and Georgetown come into this contest fighting for one of the top four seeds in the upcoming 2002 NCAA Tournament. The benefit of a top four seed is a bye in the tournament's first round and automatic advancement to the NCAA quarterfinals on the weekend of May 18-19.
The Orangemen are the No. 2-ranked team in the land with an 11-2 record. They have won their last three games by an average of 7.3 goals and will be looking to cap off an undefeated season at home with a win against Georgetown.
The Hoyas are tied for third with Princeton in this week's STX/USILA Coaches Poll. They have only lost one game this season, a 16-13 decision to Massachusetts, on April 20. That loss cost the Hoyas the ECAC's automatic bid. Georgetown is now looking to secure one of six at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. With just one loss and quality wins against Cornell, Duke, Navy, Brown and Loyola, the Hoyas are in good position, but a win against the Orangemen would just about guarantee a first-round bye.
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 has broadcast all of the Orangemen's home games this season and will air this week's Georgetown contest on Sunday, May 5, at 7 p.m. Doug Wright will handle play-by-play duties for the Georgetown game, while Dale Drypolcher will provide analysis.
Orangemen Lead the Nation in Scoring Offense, Man-Up Offense and Scoring Margin
According to the April 28th NCAA Division I Statistics, Syracuse is leading the nation in three team categories: scoring offense - 14.38 goals per game, man-up offense - 47.5% and scoring margin - 5.31 goals per game. The NCAA releases the Division I statistics each Tuesday on its web site, www.ncaa.org.
SU also ranked high in face-off winning percentage (12th - .573), man-down defense (3rd - .836) and overall winning percentage (3rd - .846).
Individually, Michael Powell is leading the nation in points per game (5.08), while Josh Coffman is tied for 8th with 4.00 points per game. Powell is also third in assists per game (2.54).
The Syracuse vs. Georgetown Series
This will mark the 10th meeting between Syracuse and Georgetown in men's lacrosse action. The Orangemen currently own a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series which began in March 1995. SU has won the past four meetings with the Hoyas, including a 19-9 victory last season in Washington. The last time Georgetown defeated Syracuse was May 8, 1999. The Hoyas won a 17-13 decision in the final game of the regular season, but SU came back in the national semifinals to knock off Georgetown, 13-9.
The Orangemen have had some of their most productive offensive games against the Hoyas. SU averages 15.7 goals per game when it plays Georgetown. In the last four meetings, Syracuse has averaged 18.25 goals versus the Hoyas.
DOME-ination
Syracuse owns a record of 131-11 (.923) at the Carrier Dome. The Orangemen are 4-0 at home so far this season. They will finish a perfect 5-0 if they can defeat Georgetown. The Orangemen went a combined 12-1 at home during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. SU posted a record of 7-1 at home last season. Its last loss at the Dome was an 11-10 loss to Johns Hopkins on March 17, 2001. The first season the Orangemen began playing under the white bubble was 1981.
Syracuse vs. The Nation's Top 10
Going against No. 3-ranked Georgetown, the Orangemen will be meeting their seventh opponent this season that is ranked in the top 10 in the country according to the 2002 STX/USILA Coaches Poll. So far, SU is 4-2 going against top-ten competition. Four of the six contests were played on the road. The game versus Loyola that was played at home was SU's largest of margin of victory against a top-ten team (nine goals) this season.
March 2 at #5 Virginia W 15-13
March 16 at #2 Johns Hopkins L 8-9
March 23 at #6 Princeton W 11-8
April 6 vs. #3 Loyola W 15-6
April 9 at #9 Cornell L 11-15
April 26 vs. #8 Massachusetts W 18-10
Warm Weather Means Orangemen Heat Up
As the warm weather comes to Central New York, the Syracuse lacrosse team also tends to get hot. Since 1990, SU is 62-6 in the month of April and 11-1 in regular-season May games. The only May regular-season loss the Orangemen have suffered since 1990 was a 17-13 defeat at Georgetown on May 8, 1999. Add those numbers to the 26-8 NCAA record since 1990 (all in the month of May) and Syracuse is a combined 99-15 in April and May since 1990, good for an .868 winning percentage.
Tewaaraton Trophy Race Might Just Be Decided at the Dome This Weekend
Who is the top player in all of college lacrosse this season? The answer may stem from the Syracuse vs. Georgetown matchup this Saturday. Afterall, SU has five players that were announced as candidates for the Tewaaraton Trophy, the most cherished and prestigious award a varsity lacrosse player can receive. SU's four candidates are seniors Josh Coffman (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage), John Glatzel (Ellicott City, Md./Boys' Latin), junior Michael Springer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) and sophomore Michael Powell (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage). Senior Spencer Wright (San Diego, Calif./Junipero Serra) is the Orangeman described as a 'player to watch' on the list.
Georgetown has two candidates on the list in Steve Dusseau and Kyle Sweeney. However, at this point in time, many believe that the race might just be down to Powell and Dusseau. Powell is leading the nation in scoring (5.08 ppg) and has 33 goals and 33 assists, while Dusseau is second in the country in goals per game (3.67). He has 44 goals and 14 assists.
Other legitimate contenders are Coffman, who was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy last season when he played primarily at the midfield position. He was a first-team All-American. Now as a starting attackman for SU this year, Coffman is second on the team in scoring with 52 points (4.00 ppg).
Depending on which direction the voters go, Glatzel could certainly be in the running for the trophy. He is widely recognized as one of the top defensemen in the country. He is a two-time All-American, garnering second-team laurels in 2000 and first-team honors last season. He is currently second on the team with 50 ground balls.
Springer is 13th on Syracuse's all-time goals chart with 114 career tallies. He has been SU's leading goal scorer the past two seasons and is considered one of the best finishers in the game. He is also a two-time All-American.
Wright, a midfielder, emerged as one of the Orangemen's most dangerous threats a season ago. He scored two goals and had two assists against Princeton in the 2001 NCAA championship game and finished with a career-high 28 points overall (18 goals, 10 assists). This season at Virginia, Wright registered the game-winning goal in a 15-13 Orangemen victory. He had a goal and an assist in the loss to Johns Hopkins and at Princeton, he tied for a game-high four points (three goals, one assist). Presently, Wright is fourth on the team in scoring with 27 points (17 goals and 10 assists).
The Tewaaraton Trophy is presented annually following the collegiate season to the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse players in the United States. Scholarship money is given to the award recipient's college or university general scholarship fund. Five finalists will be announced in May. The Tewaaraton Trophy Awards Dinner will be held at the University Club of Washington, D.C. on June 5, 2002 at a banquet honoring the finalists and winners.
Powell Takes Over This Week as the Nation's Leading Scorer (5.08 ppg)
Sophomore attackman Michael Powell is now leading the nation in scoring with 5.08 points per game. He was able to edge in front of Hartford's Brian LaMastro after registering his fourth-straight game with at least six points. He posted three goals and dished out four assists last week against Massachusetts. His hot streak began at Cornell on April 9 when he was the game's high scorer with seven points (three goals, four assists). He kept it going with back-to-back six-point performances at Rutgers and Penn. The most points Powell accumulated in a game this season were the eight he tallied in the season opener against Army when he scored a career-high eight points on five goals and three assists. The eight points Powell put up against Army 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.
Michael Powell, the Preseason Player of the Year, had three goals and an assist at Brown. His third goal against Brown, marked his 50th career tally. Against Hobart, Powell reached the century mark for career points. He had a goal and three assists vs. the Statesmen. 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. At Denver, he had three goals and three assists in each of SU's two games. He was named the MVP of the Denver Pioneer Face-Off Classic.
In 29 career games, Powell has registered at least five points, 15 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 66 points (33 goals, 33 assists), or a 5.08 point-per-game average. He is the owner of 136 career points (63 goals, 73 assists). Powell has never been shut out of a game. He has either scored a goal or had an assist in all 29 games of his career. He is already tied for 13th on the school's career assist chart and needs 21 points to break in among SU's top 20 all-time leading point scorers.
Wright Has Fond Memories of Georgetown
Senior midfielder Spencer Wright tallied a career-high four goals and had two assists in SU's 19-9 victory at Georgetown last season. He and his teammates are hoping for similar results this year against a team that recruited Wright hard coming out of high school. After scoring 16 goals in SU's first nine games of the season, Wright failed to find the back of the net in each of SU's next three outings. But last week, Wright busted out of his mini scoring slump with a goal and two assists against Massachusetts. On April 6, in a win against Loyola, Wright tallied a hat trick. He equalled his career high with two assists at Rutgers, something he has done three times this season. Wright is the team's fourth-leading scorer with 27 points (17 goals, 10 assists). Last season, he totalled 28 points (18 goals) in 16 games. He has three hat tricks on the season and five for his career. Wright was highly effective for SU early in the season. He scored the game-winning goal at Virginia, finishing 2-1 that day. He had three goals and an assist in the win against Princeton, three goals versus Hobart, and a goal in the overtime win at Brown.
Wright is the owner of 59 career points (39 goals, 20 assists).
Park Leads the Team With 70 Groundballs
Freshman midfielder Jarett Park is leading the team with 5.38 groundballs per game. He has 70 groundballs in 13 games. Park is also the team's seventh-leading scorer with 13 points (eight goals, five assists). He has tallied 12 of his 13 points in seven of SU's last eight games. He scored his first collegiate goal at Princeton on March 23, and it turned out to be the game-winner. Against Hobart, Park found the back of the net twice. In the overtime win at Brown, Park registered two goals and an assist. He scored versus Loyola and had a goal and an assist at Cornell. His niche on the team is as part of the face-off unit. He is quick off the wing getting to loose balls. A two-sport athlete, Park 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 Tied for 8th in the Nation in Points Per Game (4.00)
Senior attackman Josh Coffman is SU's second-leading scorer with 52 points. He is second on the team with 31 goals and 21 assists. Coffman is coming off a four-goal, two-assist performance against Massachusetts. It was his third game this season with four goals. He registered four goals in the win against Denver, tying his career high, and also tallied four goals in the win at Virginia.
At Rutgers, Coffman had three goals, the first of which marked the 100th goal of his career. This week, Coffman was tied for eighth in the nation in points per game (4.00). He had a three-goal, three-assist performance against Loyola, finishing as the contest's leading point-getter. He had a one-goal, two-assist performance in the overtime win at Brown. Against Hobart, Coffman dished out a career-high five assists. He set up the final four first-quarter goals to help SU jump out to an early 6-1 lead against the Statesmen.
Coffman currently owns 178 career points (108 goals, 70 assists). His 108 goals place him 15th on the all-time goals ledger at SU. At Princeton, Coffman finished the game with three goals and an assist.
Out of 62 career games, Coffman has recorded at least four points 23 times. During his first three seasons at SU, he played primarily at midfield. At that position on the field, Coffman earned first-team All-America accolades. Syracuse is 39-8 when Coffman scores a goal. He has 19 hat tricks to his credit during his time at SU.
Coffman will play for the U.S. team that will compete in the International Lacrosse Federation World Championship this July in Perth, Australia.
Bickel Ranks 16th in the Nation in Face-Off Winning Percentage
Junior midfielder Chris Bickel is winning 59.0 percent of the faceoffs he takes this season, currently the 16th-best mark in the nation. He has won 167-of-283 faceoffs so far this year. In SU's last game vs. Massachusetts, Bickel won 72 percent of the draws he took (18 of 25), his top single-game performance of the season. He has improved as the season has progressed. In SU's last six outings, Bickel's success rate has risen to .636 (89-of-140). He won a career-high 21 draws at Brown. Bickel won the last five faceoffs against the Bears, including a critical draw in overtime. At Princeton, he won 14-of-22. He was impressive in the fourth quarter against the Tigers, winning the final five draws to help SU gain possession. Assisting Bickel from the wings has been a number of different players. Freshman midfielder Jarett Park has had the most success. Another freshman, midfielder Jake Plunket, has also taken some faceoffs for Syracuse this season. Plunket won six-of-seven draws at Rutgers. He is 30-of-62 for the season (.484).
This week in the national statistics, the Syracuse face-off unit ranks 12th with a .573 success rate (199-of-347). Towson is the best team in the country in faceoffs with a .635 success rate (190-of-299).
Pfeifer Has Started All 13 Games in Goal for Syracuse This Season
Jay Pfeifer recorded 14 saves and allowed six goals in 54 minutes of action against UMass last week. The 14 saves were his third-highest total in a game this season.
A red-shirt freshman, Pfeifer has started in all 13 games for Syracuse this season. He has lowered his goals against average to 8.80 and is currently the owner of a .536 save percentage.
Pfeifer sported a new look against Hobart, wearing orange football pants which were specially ordered for him with his #2 stitched on. He played the game's first 34 minutes and had 10 saves, while allowing just one goal. It was his best single-game save percentage of the season (.909). He slipped the pants on again for the game against Loyola. In that contest, Pfeifer recorded seven saves and allowed six goals.
At Virginia, Pfeifer had a terrific showing. After allowing six goals in the first quarter, he settled down to record 18 saves, including 10 in the second half. He was solid in the win against Denver with 11 saves against the Pioneers, including 10 following the game's opening quarter. Pfeifer's toughest day yet was at Cornell where the Big Red tallied 15 goals on 31 shots (.484 shooting percentage) and marched on to a 15-11 victory. He was able to stop only five shots.
Pfeifer has strong lacrosse genes. His father, Jerry, played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins and served as an assistant coach for the Blue Jays. At JHU's Homewood Field on March 16, Pfeifer had his best performance of the season. He made 15 saves, including a few at point-blank range. He also showed his ability to come out of the cage and initiate the break.
Nee Has 15 Goals and Two Assists in SU's Last Seven Games
Sophomore attackman Brian Nee has surpassed his point total (25) from last season. He is now SU's fifth-leading scorer with 20 goals and five assists. He is the team's fourth-leading goal scorer. Nee registered a hat trick against Massachusetts. He now has 15 goals and two assists in SU's last seven games.
Nee has contributed to SU's attack with either a goal or an assist in 11 of 13 games this season. He has tallied a goal in each of SU's last seven games, totalling 15 goals and two assists during the stretch. He recorded his fifth hat trick of the season against UMass. He also had three goals against Loyola, Hobart, Air Force and Rutgers. Nee 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. He has the best shooting percentage on the team right now at 44.4%. He also has six hat tricks for his career.
Solliday Has Produced 11 Points in SU's Last Six Games
Senior midfielder Brian Sollidayis now sixth on the team in scoring with 21 points (14 goals, seven assists). He has seven goals and four assists in SU's last six games. He had two goals at Pennsylvania and a goal against Massachusetts.
Solliday was only supposed to see playing time on man-up situations against Hobart and Brown because of sore ribs he was trying to recover from. Solliday took a hit in the Navy scrimmage on February 9, and is slowly recovering from the injury.
Solliday was asked to play more minutes by head coach John Desko when the Orangemen found themselves unable to shake the Brown Bears on March 30. Solliday finished with two goals and an assist in SU's 14-13 overtime win. He scored twice within the final five minutes of the third quarter. His first goal gave SU a 10-9 lead and his second, a man-up tally, gave the Orangemen an 11-10 advantage heading into the fourth period.
Solliday intercepted the ball on a Brown clear attempt with the seconds ticking away and the Orangemen trailing, 13-12. He found sophomore midfielder Sean Lindsay for the game-tying assist with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, which forced overtime and enabled SU to escape with a victory.
He has five two-goal games on the year (vs. Army, Air Force, Johns Hopkins, Brown and Penn). He had a season-high four points (two goals, two assists) versus Air Force.
For his career, Solliday is the owner of 55 goals, 19 assists and 74 points.
Watch the 2002 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Selection Show This Sunday
The Empire Sports Network will broadcast the 2002 NCAA Division I, II and III Men's Lacrosse Selection Show this Sunday,
May 5, at 6:30 p.m. The Orangemen, who are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation with an 11-2 record, will be looking to earn their 20th-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has qualified for 22 of the NCAA's 31 Division I tournaments.
The NCAA Women's Lacrosse Selection Show can be caught LIVE via the internet, beginning at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 5. Visitors to the site must first register at:
http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=3968
The No. 16-ranked Orangewomen have appeared in the past two NCAA Tournaments. They are currently the owners of a 9-5 record with one regular-season game remaining. On Saturday, May 5, the Orangewomen entertain No. 13-ranked Dartmouth at the Carrier Dome at noon.
Thank You, Seniors! It's Their Final Game at the Dome
The Georgetown contest will mark the final home game for eight Syracuse seniors. Prior to the opening faceoff against the Hoyas, the Orangemen with the help of the Stickmen's Fund board members, will honor eight players who will be called out to the center of the field along with their parents. John Glatzel and Brian Solliday, two players in their final campaigns at SU, will not be called out because they were honored last year with the class they came in with. That is what Mike Nockunas and Brian Herloski are opting to do this year.
The eight seniors who will be honored at the start of the Georgetown game will be:
John Burns, Josh Coffman, Tom Hardy, Brian Herloski, Alex Mummolo, Mike Nockunas, Billy St. George and Spencer Wright.
