March 4, 2010
Game Preview
• Looking to build off its 8-3 win over Patriot League foe Lehigh on Tuesday, Navy will look to upset 13th-ranked Bucknell when the Midshipmen play host to the Bison on Saturday afternoon ... the two Patriot League rivals will square off for just the 10th time in the series in a nationally-televised contest beginning at 3:00 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
• After dropping back-to-back games at home, Navy got back to business on Tuesday when it scored an 8-3 victory over Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. ... the Mids saw solid performances on both sides of the field, as Navy's defense held Lehigh scoreless for better than 17 minutes twice (1st, 4th Qtrs) ... meanwhile Navy's scoring was evenly dispersed throughout the starting lineup, including a two-goal, three-assist effort by junior attackman Andy Warner.
• Bucknell heads to Annapolis riding a two-game winning streak and for the first time in series history, the Bison are ranked ahead of the Midshipmen ... senior attackman Tim Brandau picked up Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday after scoring six goals and adding two assists in Bucknell's win over Towson last weekend.
• Saturday's contest will be televised by CBS College Sports with Bob Socci (play by play) and Leif Elsmo (analyst) calling he action.
• Additionally, the game will be broadcast over the radio waves by WNAV 1430 AM with Pete Medhurst handling the call, beginning with the Navy lacrosse pregame show at 2:45 pm ... the game will also be streamed online via Navy All-Access with live stats available at www.NavySports.com.
Navy Among Winningest Programs
• Navy is one of just six Div. I men's lacrosse programs that has produced 700 wins.
• With 740 wins, Navy is the third-winningest team in Div. I men's lacrosse history behind Johns Hopkins (895 wins) and Syracuse (795 wins).
The 700 Club
1. 895 Johns Hopkins (3-0) 895-283-15
2. 795 Syracuse (2-0) 795-308-16
3. 741 Navy (2-2) 741-293-14
4. 720 Hobart* (0-1) 720-428-20
5. 706 Maryland (2-0) 706-238-4
706 Army (1-2) 706-334-7
* Hobart played at the Div. III level prior to 1995
Taking the Field In ...
10 - Navy has reached the 10-win marker in each of the last six seasons, a program record.
9 - Opponents have scored double digits against the Mids just nine times in games played on Navy's home field over the last seven seasons (46 gms).
8 - Among Navy's active roster, senior attackman Brendan Connors has scored the most points against Bucknell ... he has recorded eight points on five goals and three assists, including a 3G, 1A effort in last year's Patriot League Championship
7 - Seven of Navy's 2010 opponents are ranked in this week's USILA Preseason Coaches Poll - North Carolina (4), Johns Hopkins (5), Maryland (6), Loyola (10), Bucknell (13), Georgetown (14), Lafayette (20).
6 - Navy (72) is one of just five programs to win 70 games since the start of 2004, joining Duke (80), Virginia (77), Johns Hopkins (75), Cornell (70) and Syracuse (71).
5 - Junior attackman Andy Warner is coming off a career-high five point (2G, 3A) performance against Lehigh on Tuesday evening.
4 - Senior midfielders Joe Lennon and Patrick Moran are the only players who have produced points in each of the Mids' four games this year ... Lennon's point streak is seven dating back to last year's Patriot League Tournament.
3 - Since playing all of its home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (2004), Navy has lost three straight home games just once ... in 2008, the Mids dropped regular-season contests to Georgetown and Johns Hopkins and failed to beat the Blue Jays a second time when the two programs met in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament ... Navy heads into Saturday's game having lost two in a row at home.
2 - Since 2004, Navy has lost just two games (40-2) when scoring 10 or more goals since 2004.
1 - Navy owns a 6-3 advantage in the series over Bucknell ... all three losses (1996, `05, `09) have been decided by one goal.
Previewing Bucknell
• In his fifth season, head coach Frank Fedorjaka's Bucknell Bison are off to a solid start with a 2-1 record ... the Bison quickly got the lacrosse community's attention after forcing overtime against Duke in both teams' opener in which the Blue Devils eventually won, 12-11 ... since that game, the Bison have picked up wins over Ohio State (11-5) and Towson (13-9).
• Four-year starter Tim Brandau has had the hot hand this year, scoring a season-high 11 goals and two assists ... six of his 11 goals were recorded in Bucknell's win over Towson last week, along with both of his assists ... three of his 11 goals have been scored a man up and he has scored three of the four total extra-man goals for the Bison.
• Senior attackman Austin Winter was selected the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the year and, like Brandau, has found early success in 2010 ... Winter has produced nine points on two goals and a team-best seven assists.
• Bucknell has won 54.9 percent of the draws this season with junior Jake Clarke taking the majority of the faceoffs. He has won 33 of the 58 draws for a 56.9 win percentage.
• If there is a question at any position on the field for the Bison, it is at goalkeeper ... junior Sam Finnell has started twice, while newcomer Kyle Feeney has earned one start with both playing in all three contests ... Finnell has given up 16 goals (9.92) and has made 14 saves (46.7), while Feeney has surrendered 10 goals (7.19) and stopped 14 shots (58.3).
Series History
• Saturday's contest between Navy and Bucknell marks only the 10th game in a series that began in 1996 ... Navy holds a 6-3 advantage, including wins in four of the last five contests.
• Navy had won three straight in the series before rookie Charlie Streep's goal as time expired snapped the Mids' winning streak a year ago during the regular season.
• However, the Mids got sweet revenge on Bucknell's home field when they scored a 9-8 win in the Patriot League Championship Game to earn an automatic bid to play in the NCAA Tournament.
• Five of the nine games in the series have been decided by one goal, including each of the last three ... just one of the eight games has entered into extra minutes, however, that being the 2008 matchup that was won, 4-3, by the Mids in Annapolis.
• Navy owns a 3-1 record in games played in Annapolis ... its lone loss was in the inaugural meeting between the two programs when the Bison claimed a 6-5 win in Annapolis on April 3, 1996.
2009 Navy-Bucknell Recap (Part 1)
• Patriot League Rookie of the Year Charlie Streep waltzed in from out of bounds to deliver the final blow as unranked Bucknell upset 12th-ranked Navy, 8-7, at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in both teams' Patriot League opener. With five seconds remaining in the contest, Streep ran the ball in unscathed, as his diving shot managed to break the plane as time expired.
• Bucknell put itself in fine position to win the game by taking a 6-3 lead at the half and 7-3 after three quarters. The Bison were mindful of the clock on the offensive side of the field in the early stages of the third quarter, while their defense held the Mids to just four shots.
• The Mids clawed their way back into the contest thanks to four unanswered goals in the fourth. Sophomore attackman Andy Warner started the Navy run when he took a feed from rookie middie Nikk Davis and netted his third goal of the year less than three minutes into the quarter.
• The loss marred what could have been a memorable day for RJ Wickham, who became the first rookie keeper to start for the Mids since two-time Kelly Award winner Mickey Jarboe in 1997. Wickham came up with six saves in his first varsity appearance.
2009 Navy-Bucknell Recap (Part 2)
• Attackman Brendan Connors scored three goals and assisted on another, while senior goalie and tournament MVP Tommy Phelan came up with 10 saves to lead No. 3 seed Navy to a 9-8 upset of No. 1 seed Bucknell at Christy Mathewson Stadium in the Patriot League Championship Game.
• The game was tied at seven late in the fourth quarter when extra-man specialist Evan Sullivan scored on a rocket shot from 10 yards out on the left wing to give Navy an 8-7 lead with three minutes remaining.
• Bucknell's John Scally won the ensuing faceoff, but the ball was knocked loose and rolled 25 yards right down the middle of the field past numerous Bucknell players and found the back of the net to give Navy what would prove to be the game-winning goal. The goal was scored as a team goal for Navy since the ball was never shot.
• Joe Mele cut the Navy lead to 9-8 with 1:10 left off an assist from Austin Winter. The Bison won the faceoff, but Zack Schroeder caused a turnover and the ground ball was picked up by Tom Mansfield. Navy failed to clear the ball and it was given back to Bucknell with 46 seconds left.
• Bucknell's Charlie Streep's shot was denied by Phelan with 24 seconds left and Navy's Geoff Leone picked up the loose ball. Navy was able to burn 17 seconds off the clock before turning it back over to Bucknell at its own end of the field with seven seconds left. Tom Izard's desparation pass with seven seconds left sailed out of bound and Navy had secured its fifth Patriot League Tournament Championship in six years.
Upon Further Review: Navy 8, Lehigh 3
• Navy junior attackman Andy Warner provided a career-high five-point effort (2G, 3A) to lead the Midshipmen to their 33rd Patriot League win in what is their seventh season as a member.
• The Midshipmen have won 25 straight games against the Mountain Hawks.
• After turning the ball over a combined 48 times in its two losses to Loyola and North Carolina, Navy did a good job of cutting down its errors (14) against Lehigh.
• The two teams combined for no goals on 12 extra-man opportunities ... the last time Navy did not score on EMO when afforded an opportunity was last year's Holy Cross game when the Mids were 0 of 2.
• Starting middie Joe Lennon extended his point streak to seven straight games by punching in a pair of goals against Lehigh, including the first of the game..
• The three goals by Lehigh were the fewest by a Navy opponent since last year when the Mids defeated Mount St. Mary's 6-2.
Meet the Mids
• Navy will hold its annual "Meet the Mids" event on Saturday, March 20, following Navy's game against Holy Cross (12:00 pm) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Members of the Navy men's lacrosse team will be available for autographs on the Blue Concourse, with the first 300 kids in line for the postgame autograph session receiving a Navy lacrosse "Meet the Mids" t-shirt, compliments of Chick-fil-A.
• In addition, Navy's 2010 lacrosse poster and an autograph card will be available, while prizes will also be handed out.
Home Field Advantage
• This is the 49th season Navy has played at least one game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Navy owns a 33-12 record (.733) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2004 campaign, outscoring its foes, 476-304.
• Since playing its entire home schedule at home since the 2004 season, Navy has lost back-to-back games at home just three times ... in 2006, the Mids lost to Georgetown, 9-5, and then suffered a 9-8 setback against Johns Hopkins ... in 2008, Navy again lost regular-season decisions to the Hoyas and Blue Jays before the Mids' season concluded with a 10-4 loss to Hopkins in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament ... Navy heads into Saturday's game having lost back-to-back home games to Loyola, 8-7 OT, and North Carolina, 11-4.
• The back-to-back-to-back losses in 2008 marks the only season in which Navy has lost three straight home games at the stadium.
• In its 103-year history, Navy has lost three straight home games just four times ...
1980 #1 Virginia, #2 Johns Hopkins, #9 N. Carolina
1985 Washington College, N. Carolina, Army
2003 #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown, #4 Maryland
2006 #4 Georgetown, #7 Johns Hopkins, #4 Johns Hopkins
... and four-straight home games just once
2003 #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown, #4 Maryland
• Having played at least a game a year at the stadium for 42 consecutive years, Navy stepped away in 2003, allowing for state-of-the-art renovations to take place, including the astroplay surface and two video boards ... Navy has played all of its home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the beginning of the 2004 campaign.
• Navy had won 20 consecutive home games against Patriot League foes before dropping a 10-9 decision to Colgate last spring.
• Opponents have scored double digits against the Mids just nine times in games played on their home field over the last seven seasons ... Navy has held 18 of its 46 opponents to five or fewer goals since 2004 in games played at home (includes 2010 game vs. VMI played at Rip Miller Field).
• Navy owns a 73-34 (68.2) record at home under the direction of head coach Richie Meade ... the Mids have reached four wins at home every season Meade has been the head coach ... Navy has recorded five or more wins at home in six of Meade's 16 seasons, including seven wins in 2004, `05, `06 and `07.
Take Note
• Dating back to last season, at least one Navy player has turned in a hat trick in eight of the last 11 games (did not vs. Duke `09 or the last two gms vs. Loyola & North Carolina), including Patrick Moran, who produced hat tricks in each of the first two games this season ... junior attackman Andy Warner also turned in a trio of goals in Navy's win over VMI in its opener.
• A year ago, Patrick Moran and Evan Sullivan were responsible for a combined 12 of the Mids' 15 extra-man goals ... Moran has scored three of the Mids' four man-up goals this season, while Sullivan is responsible for the other.
• Senior middies Joe Lennon and Patrick Moran are the only players to produce a point in all four games this season ... furthermore, Lennon owns the team's longest current point producing streak, turning in a point in seven consecutive games ... the last game he did not score a goal or deliver an assist was last year's Johns Hopkins contest.
• After leading the Midshipmen in goals a year ago with 21, senior attackman Brendan Connors has scored just twice this season ... perhaps the more surprising stat is the fact he took only one shot in the first two games combined and just five in the four games this season.
• Since 2004, Navy owns an amazing 50-1 record when holding its opponents to six or fewer goals, including a 8-0 mark in the last two seasons combined.
• Sophomore keeper RJ Wickham's 19-save effort against Loyola (2-20), which earned the Feb. 22 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award, was the best by a Navy keeper since former Navy team captain Seth DiNola turned away 21 shots on goal in a losing effort against Penn State (5-4) on April 12, 2003 ... Wickham recorded 42 saves (7.00 sv/gm) in six games a year ago and four games into 2010 he has turned back 54 shots on goal (13.5 sv/gm).
• Wickham has recorded double digit saves in three of the four games this season, coming up just one short at Lehigh.
• After leading the nation a year ago, Navy's man-down defense has given up seven goals on 22 attempts (.682) ... last season the Mids surrendered six goals on 40 attempts.
• Navy owns a 40-2 record when scoring 10 or more goals since 2004, including a 7-0 mark in 2009 and `10.
• The Mids have won 16 in a row when leading at the half, including an 8-0 mark over the last two seasons ... Navy has won 18 straight when leading after three quarters.
• Navy owns a 14-1 record in Patriot League regular-season games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium ... its lone loss, a 10-9 decision against Colgate last March.
|
|
 |
