HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 3, 2017) – The eighteenth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team begins its quest for a 2017 Empire 8 Conference Championship with a semifinal matchup against Hartwick College at 4 pm. The Ducks previously won a conference title in 2012 and are the number one seed in the tournament, while Hartwick is seeded fourth.
"We have to prepare well for Hartwick," head coach
Gene Peluso said. "They are a playoff-caliber team and we have to be ready to play playoff-caliber lacrosse. This is the time of year that is most meaningful and we need to play with a sense of urgency."
From the Pond
Since the tournament was moved to its current format is 2004, Stevens has reached the conference championship twice, winning one crown. Since joining the Empire 8 for the 2007-08 season, the Ducks have made eight appearances in the conference championship.
The Ducks rounded out the season with a 13-4 record and a 7-1 record in conference play, earning an E8 regular-season championship. Stevens was 8-1 in games played at the De Baun Athletic Complex, winning its final five games in Hoboken
Stevens possesses one of the top offenses in the Empire 8, averaging 13.4 goals per game and is outscoring opponents by 5.4 goals per game, while connecting on 32% of its shots. The Ducks have given up 136 goals per game (placing third in the conference. Defensively, Stevens has caused 165 turnovers and are 239-for-286 on clear attempts (84%).
Individually, sophomore
Max Bailey leads the team with 62 points and 48 assists. Bailey's 2.82 assists per game leads the conference and his assist totals rank among the top-15 in the country. Junior
Tommy Dawson leads the team with 41 goals, which ranks sixth in the conference.
Nicholas Carnovale has won 100 of 172 faceoffs (.581), which ranks ninth among all conference players. Freshman
Alec Caseiro has caused 29 turnovers, at a rate of 1.81 per game, which leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference. Caseiro also leads the team in ground balls (56).
Three players - Bailey, Dawson and senior
Connor McKeon, recorded their 100th point for Stevens this season.
What's Happening with Hartwick?
Making just its third appearance in the E8 tournament, and its first since 2005, Hartwick is 1-2 in postseason play. The team made back-to-back appearances in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Hartwick finished regular-season play with an 8-6 record and a 5-3 record in Empire 8 play. The team fell at No. 13 Ithaca, 18-8, in its final contest. The Hawks were 4-3 in road games.
Sam Ferguson leads the team in goals with 28 and Jake Sacshe leads the team in points (38) and assists (18). Defensively, Eric Schweitzer leads the conference in caused turnovers per game (3.72) and is second in ground balls per game (8.45). Garrison Wojtas is second in the league in caused turnovers (2.29) and eighth in ground balls (4.14). Schweitzer earned Player of the Week honors on April 3.
In the faceoff circle, James Vogt won 57% of the time, ranking third in the conference.
In goal, Connor O'Brien has totaled 92 saves and earned Goalie of the Week honors on March 6.
Offensively, Hartwick has scored 132 goals while allowing 133. While the goals for total places in the bottom-third of the league, the 133 goals against is a testament to the team's defense. The Hawks have allowed the second-fewest goals in the Empire 8 along with the second-lowest opponent shooting percentage (.253).
When We Last Met
Stevens downed Hartwick 12-7 on April 12 to move to 4-0 in league play. Seven unanswered goals spanning the first and second quarters propelled the Ducks to victory.
Max Bailey tallied two goals and two assists and
Connor McKeon had three goals and an assist to lead the Stevens offense. Jake Sachse had two goals and two assists to lead Hartwick. Sophomore
Carson White made 11 saves to earn the victory. Stevens has won 10 consecutive matchups with Hartwick dating back to the 2008 season. The teams have never met in the postseason.
Tournament Quick Facts (2004-present) - Courtesy of Empire 8 Conference
- The number one seed is 8-3 in the semifinal matchup
- The fourth seed has won two championships (2005, 2009)
- The Ducks reached the championship game in 2016 after downing Nazareth College 21-18, in the semifinals.
Up Next: The winner of this afternoon's game advances to Saturday's conference championship game. Game time is scheduled for 12 noon.
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