Live Stats vs. FDU-Florham
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – After losing six starters from a second-place team in 2010, you’d think the Lycoming College men’s lacrosse team would be at least a little content with a fourth-place finish and a No. 5 seed in the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs. Then again, after losing a one-goal game on Saturday at the Shangraw Athletic Complex that would have assured the team its fourth-straight top two finish in the league and a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, you may understand the chip on the team’s shoulder heading into Monday, May 2’s MAC Championship first round game at No. 4 seed FDU-Florham.
There’s no doubt the Warriors will be out for revenge on Monday at 7 p.m., as the Devils dealt them a 6-5 loss on Saturday, April 30, knocking the Warriors down three slots in the playoff seeds and lifting the Devils up a slot to earn the home game.
The Warriors (9-7 overall, 8-3 MAC) have developed into a grinding team this year under first-year head coach Todd Hodgson, capable of winning tight defensive struggles like the 7-6 double overtime win at Elizabethtown on April 21 and also of winning offensive slugfests like the 14-10 win over No. 2 seed Messiah on April 26.
So, as the team enters the playoffs, it may be capable of the best chameleon act in the league, led by the league’s top offensive player in sophomore Stephen Romano (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) and paced by a solid defense that allowed 10 goals in a conference game just once this year. No matter what game the opponent wants to play, fast-paced or slow, the Warriors are capable of playing the same way as they look for their first postseason win since 2005.
The Warriors’ offense features three of the most dynamic attackmen in the conference in Romano, junior Ethan Payne (Farmington, N.Y./Victor) and freshman Brett Farrell (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder). Romano leads the conference in goals (2.44), assists (1.50) and points (3.94) per game. Payne is close behind, sitting tied for fourth in goals (2.12) and fifth in points (2.81) per game. Farrell has come on strong in conference play, where he is fifth in the league in goals (2.00).
In the midfield, the team has a pair of offensive-minded players that have helped throughout the season in junior Ben Walker (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) and senior Kevin Pfister (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South). Walker has moved into fourth on the team in points and he set a career-high in assists with his 12th against the Devils on Saturday. Pfister has career highs in both goals (5) and assists (7) and sophomore Tom Lurie (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) has also added a career-high 11 points this year.
In the faceoff circle, the Warriors have one of the best in the league in junior Tim Clemente (West Sayville, N.Y./Sayville), as the first-year starter has won 63 (124-of-198) percent of his faceoffs.
Defensively, the Warriors have one of the best starting corps’ in the league, led by junior Victor Marchetti (Cortland, N.Y./Homer). Marchetti has started all 16 games and he leads the team with 21 caused turnovers. Seniors Victor Gonzalez (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) and J.B. Campanella (Lansdale, Pa./LaSalle) have also been key contributers, with Gonzalez posting 12 caused turnovers and Campanella 16.
In net, senior Alan Antinarelli (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas) will graduate with the school record in goals against average, entering tonight’s game with an 8.46 career average. This season, Antinarelli has stopped 55 percent of shots on goal.
The fourth-seeded Devils (10-6 overall, 8-3 MAC) are led by a stingy defense that allows just 5.82 goals per game. A deliberate offense scores 7.09 goals per game, led by Drew Canfield (19 points, nine assists) and Paul Colflesh (18 points, 11 assists). Like the Warriors, the Devils have one of the best faceoff men in the league in Billy Deignan, who has won 63 percent this season. In net, keeper Dino Vitale has allowed just 6.88 goals per game and posted a .580 save percentage.
The winner of tonight’s game will travel to either No. 2 seed Messiah or No. 1 seed Widener on Wednesday, May 4, for the championship semifinals depending on the outcome of the other MAC first round game between No. 3 seed Eastern and No. 6 seed Elizabethtown tonight.
