Saturday, March 1
12:00PM
Lehigh University
vs
Loyola
#14 Lehigh hosts #7/8 Loyola in big early-season showdown
2/27/2014 5:01:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Game Notes | Watch Live (Free) | Live Stats | Purchase Tickets
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Off to its best start since 1997, the Lehigh men's lacrosse team faces a tough test on Saturday when the #14 ranked Mountain Hawks host #7/8 Loyola on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Two-time defending Patriot League Champion Lehigh welcomes the Greyhounds, who were predicted first in the preseason poll in their first year in the league. Both Lehigh and Loyola have advanced to the last two NCAA Tournament. The Greyhounds won the 2012 National Championship before dropping an overtime final to eventual champion Duke in the first round last year.
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Saturday's game is the first of four ticketed games. Admission is just five dollars and free for students, faculty and staff with their Lehigh ID. It's also the first of a Lehigh Athletics doubleheader as the men's basketball team closes out the regular season against Colgate at 2 p.m. A special ticket offer is in effect on Saturday. For more information, please click here.
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A lot is on the line Saturday. Lehigh is eying its best start since 1960. The Mountain Hawks are riding several winning streaks: six straight at home, nine straight in the regular season and 13 straight against Patriot League foes (dating back to 2012). The Greyhounds are in their first year in the league after joining in all sports. The men's lacrosse team had been in the ECAC. The winner of Saturday's game will have an early leg up moving into the final six league games. The regular season champion hosts the Patriot League Semifinals and Championship Game while the top two seeds avoid an opening round game.
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Lehigh is coming off a 10-7 win at Boston University last Saturday. After trailing 4-2, the Mountain Hawks reeled off seven straight goals to take a 9-4 lead following sophomore Chris Appell's first-career goal late in the third quarter. The defense shut-out the Terriers for 19:43 over that stretch. The Terriers scored three of the final four goals, but the defense held strong for Lehigh's fourth straight Patriot League opening victory.
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Junior Patrick Corbett and sophomore Reid Weber each scored two goals while six others posted one goal apiece. Appell, senior Ryan Buttenbaum and sophomore Ray Mastroianni scored their first-career goals. Junior Alan Henderson posted a goal, career-high three assists and career-high four points. Sophomore Tripp Telesco helped lead the defense with three goals and two assists and now has 10 groundballs and nine caused turnovers over the last two games.
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The Mountain Hawks have allowed seven or fewer games in all four games this season. Loyola features a potent offense, averaging 15.25 goals per game.
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Loyola enters with a 3-1 record, owning an impressive overtime win at #9/10 Penn State and dominant victories over Towson (20-4) and Holy Cross (16-4). The Greyhounds lost a talented senior class featuring Josh Hawkins, Scott Ratliff and Mike Sawyer (among others), but returns plenty of talent. Nikko Pontrello leads the team in scoring with 15 goals and four assists for 19 points. Justin Ward, who had 43 points during Loyola's 2012 National Championship season, has 15 points so far this year behind four goals and 11 assists. He and defenseman Joe Fletcher were both named candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. Fletcher made the U.S. National Team and is considered one of the nation's best defensemen. He owns 17 groundballs and eight caused turnovers so far this season. For the season, Loyola averages 15.25 goals and has allowed 8.25. Jack Runkel, who started for Loyola in 2012, owns a 7.80 GAA and 56.5 save percentage.
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Loyola leads the all-time series, 7-0. The teams first met in 1942, a 12-1 Loyola win. The squads then met in 1947 and 1948 before reconvening in 1984 then again in the late 90s. The Greyhounds have controlled the majority of play, but the Mountain Hawks were close in the last meeting in Bethlehem as Lehigh dropped a close 14-10 final in 1997.
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The Mountain Hawks will head to Bucknell next Saturday (Mar. 8) in another huge early-season matchup in a rematch of the 2013 Patriot League Championship Game.
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Like Lehigh men's lacrosse on Facebook and follow on Twitter for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Off to its best start since 1997, the Lehigh men's lacrosse team faces a tough test on Saturday when the #14 ranked Mountain Hawks host #7/8 Loyola on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. Two-time defending Patriot League Champion Lehigh welcomes the Greyhounds, who were predicted first in the preseason poll in their first year in the league. Both Lehigh and Loyola have advanced to the last two NCAA Tournament. The Greyhounds won the 2012 National Championship before dropping an overtime final to eventual champion Duke in the first round last year.
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Saturday's game is the first of four ticketed games. Admission is just five dollars and free for students, faculty and staff with their Lehigh ID. It's also the first of a Lehigh Athletics doubleheader as the men's basketball team closes out the regular season against Colgate at 2 p.m. A special ticket offer is in effect on Saturday. For more information, please click here.
Â
A lot is on the line Saturday. Lehigh is eying its best start since 1960. The Mountain Hawks are riding several winning streaks: six straight at home, nine straight in the regular season and 13 straight against Patriot League foes (dating back to 2012). The Greyhounds are in their first year in the league after joining in all sports. The men's lacrosse team had been in the ECAC. The winner of Saturday's game will have an early leg up moving into the final six league games. The regular season champion hosts the Patriot League Semifinals and Championship Game while the top two seeds avoid an opening round game.
Â
Lehigh is coming off a 10-7 win at Boston University last Saturday. After trailing 4-2, the Mountain Hawks reeled off seven straight goals to take a 9-4 lead following sophomore Chris Appell's first-career goal late in the third quarter. The defense shut-out the Terriers for 19:43 over that stretch. The Terriers scored three of the final four goals, but the defense held strong for Lehigh's fourth straight Patriot League opening victory.
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Junior Patrick Corbett and sophomore Reid Weber each scored two goals while six others posted one goal apiece. Appell, senior Ryan Buttenbaum and sophomore Ray Mastroianni scored their first-career goals. Junior Alan Henderson posted a goal, career-high three assists and career-high four points. Sophomore Tripp Telesco helped lead the defense with three goals and two assists and now has 10 groundballs and nine caused turnovers over the last two games.
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The Mountain Hawks have allowed seven or fewer games in all four games this season. Loyola features a potent offense, averaging 15.25 goals per game.
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Loyola enters with a 3-1 record, owning an impressive overtime win at #9/10 Penn State and dominant victories over Towson (20-4) and Holy Cross (16-4). The Greyhounds lost a talented senior class featuring Josh Hawkins, Scott Ratliff and Mike Sawyer (among others), but returns plenty of talent. Nikko Pontrello leads the team in scoring with 15 goals and four assists for 19 points. Justin Ward, who had 43 points during Loyola's 2012 National Championship season, has 15 points so far this year behind four goals and 11 assists. He and defenseman Joe Fletcher were both named candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. Fletcher made the U.S. National Team and is considered one of the nation's best defensemen. He owns 17 groundballs and eight caused turnovers so far this season. For the season, Loyola averages 15.25 goals and has allowed 8.25. Jack Runkel, who started for Loyola in 2012, owns a 7.80 GAA and 56.5 save percentage.
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Loyola leads the all-time series, 7-0. The teams first met in 1942, a 12-1 Loyola win. The squads then met in 1947 and 1948 before reconvening in 1984 then again in the late 90s. The Greyhounds have controlled the majority of play, but the Mountain Hawks were close in the last meeting in Bethlehem as Lehigh dropped a close 14-10 final in 1997.
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The Mountain Hawks will head to Bucknell next Saturday (Mar. 8) in another huge early-season matchup in a rematch of the 2013 Patriot League Championship Game.
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Like Lehigh men's lacrosse on Facebook and follow on Twitter for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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