ERIE, Pa. - The fourth-ranked Mercyhurst men's lacrosse team will head across the state of Pennsylvania to continue their early season non-conference slate when they battle the Griffins of Chestnut Hill College at 11am in Lafayette Hill on Saturday morning.
Game Information
Opponent - Chestnut Hill College Griffins
Date - Saturday, February 22
Time - 11:00 am
Location - Lafayette Hill, Pa. (Victory Field)
Series History - Lakers lead 3-1 (Hurst won last meeting 15-14 on 3/16/19 in Erie)
Live Stats
Live Video
Last Game against Chestnut Hill - LAKERS 15, Griffins 14
Mercyhurst trailed 13-9 after three quarters before erupting for six goals in the final 15-minutes as
Devin Pipher,
Benjamin Smith-Wilcox,
Caleb Kueber, and
Dom Perna all hit the back of the cage in the fourth to allow the Lakers to rally from behind for the 15-14 win. Mercyhurst held a 55-35 edge in shots (36-19 on goal). Both sides were 2-4 on man-up opportunities, while the Lakers had a 38-28 advantage in goundballs. Chestnut Hill was 16-19 in clears with the home team going 14-18. At the faceoff X the Lakers won 21 of 33 draws. Pipher had five points on four goals and an assist.
Nathan Grenon and Perna each had four points combining for three goals and five helpers.
Hunter Emerson made just five saves in cage for the win, while at the other end Austin Jones made 21 stops for the Griffins.
Previous Game - LAKERS 10, Lewis 2 (2/15/20)
The Lakers fell behind 1:38 into the game, before scoring the next five goals of the first half to lead 5-1 going to the locker room. In the third quarter
Tommy Angelicola and
James Rettinger joined the goal scoring barrage in the final two frames as the host scored five more times to cruise to the 10-2 victory at Saxon Stadium. The group of
Zach Lorenz, Pipher, Kueber, and Smith-Wilcox joined together for eight goals and five helpers for 13 points.
Shawn Doran was strong at X going 12-16 and scooping up a team high six groundballs. Emerson turned aside nine shots.
Scouting the Lakers (2-0, 0-0 G-MAC)
Stat Pack
Mercyhurst for the season has a 78-65 edge in shots (42-30 on goal). As a team they have caused 20 turnovers and hold a 61-55 lead in groundballs. The Lakers have been solid on clears holding an 83.3% (40-48) conversion percentage.
Protect the ball
On Saturday versus Lewis the Lakers gave the ball away 17 times, while the Flyers coughed it up on 26 occasions. For the season Mercyhurst has turned it over 27 times to the opposition's 47 for a +20 turnover margin.
Special Teams
Lewis did not allow Mercyhurst a man-up opportunity on Saturday so they remain 0-2 on the season. They did go a perfect 3-3 on their man-down chances which now leaves them at a 2-9 mark in allowing man-up goals.
Get better at the X
The Lakers turned the corner it seemed at the faceoff X against Lewis as Doran went 12-16 on Saturday, which leaves him at 16-29 for the year.
Balanced attack
Kueber has eight points (six goals and two assists) to lead the team, followed by Pipher seven points (three goals and three assists). Grenon, Lorenz, and Smith-Wilcox all have three points apiece.
Strong in cage
Emerson has two wins giving just eight goals, making 22 saves posting a .733 save percentage.
Preseason Poll
Mercyhurst comes into the season ranked fourth in the USILA Coaches Poll and were picked to secure their second consecutive G-MAC title just ahead of seventh-ranked Seton Hill University. The rest of the G-MAC poll went Lake Erie, Walsh, Davis & Elkins, and Alderson Broaddus rounding things out. Assistant coach
Ryan O'Hagan said of the projections "it is a rewarding feeling to know the team is being recognized after all their hard work and determination, but also we now know their is a target on our back which means we will get everyone's best shot.
Tough Schedule
In addition to their other conference foes which include a nationally-ranked Seton Hill squad on March 14th at home, the Lakers will also host No. 8 University of Indianapolis (Feb. 29), No. 19 New York Tech (March 21), No. 10 Mercy (Apr.4), and Lake Erie (Apr. 18) who was receiving votes in the national poll. Mercyhurst will battle two nationally-ranked teams on the road Wingate (Feb. 8) and Molloy (March 7).
Scouting the Griffins (2-0, 0-0 CACC)
Chestnut Hill enters Saturday's contest coming off of wins over University of the District of Columbia and Saint Thomas Aquinas College. The Griffins have won their two games by a combined 48-17. As a team they hold a .440 shot percentage averaging 54.5 attempts per game. Their man-up unit has been perfect going 3-3, while allowing their opponents to convert on just two of seven chances. They are strong in the groundball game with a 93-62 advantage to go along with 42-70 at X. Chestnut Hill is 39-47 in clears resulting in a 83% success rate. Three players already are in double-digit points led by 13 each for Carson Rees and J.R. Howell who have combined for 17 goals and nine assists. Maurice Kelly has 11 points with six goals along with five dishes. Scott Wilden has added eight goals as well. In net, they have split starts between Jake Miller and Mike Trezza who have made 23 stops allowing 13 goals.
On Deck - Top-10 Battle
The Lakers welcome tenth-ranked University of Indianapolis to Saxon Stadium for a 1pm faceoff on Saturday, February 29th.
