University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutemen Host Brown In New England Showdown On Saturday
March 15, 2007 | Men's Lacrosse
March 15, 2007
UMASS (1-3) vs. BROWN (3-1)
Saturday, March 17, 2007 • 1:00 p.m.
Garber Field (5,000)
Amherst, Mass.
Live Video/Audio: umassathletics.com
The UMass men's lacrosse team looks to get back on track as they head home to host New England rival Brown University on Saturday. Despite a spirited comeback effort, UMass fell at No. 2 Albany on Tuesday to drop to 1-3. Brown is 3-1 with wins over Hofstra, Providence, and Bellarmine. Their lone loss came in the season-opener at UMBC. Brown leads the series with UMass, 23-21-1. The game will feature live streaming video and audio.
UMass Defense Strong
• The UMass defense has held strong this season, allowing just 8.74 goals per game. The Minutemen gave up just eight at Hofstra and seven goals to Yale. They held strong to help the Minutemen record their first win of the season against Harvard, allowing 10. Against Albany, they came up big in the second half, only allowing two goals, which allowed the offense to tie the score and force overtime. Goalie Doc Schneider has been strong in goal with an 8.74 goals against average. The close defense features a trio of juniors in Sean Krygier, Brian Danvers and David Von Voigt. Long-stick defensive midfielder Dan Whipple leads the team with 16 groundballs.
The Series With Brown
• Brown leads the all-time series, 23-21-1. The series is tied at 13 in games played in Amherst.
• The teams have played every year since 2000. Since 1971, they have played every year except and 1987 and 1999. They played twice in 1990, one in the NCAA tournament, with Brown prevailing, 12-9.
• UMass has won two consecutive matchups with Brown, and five out of the last six. The most lopsided win was in 2003 when UMass won by 12 goals, 18-6.
• The Minutemen took the last game, 13-9 in a game played at Stevenson Field in Providence on March 18, 2006. After Brown took a 2-0 lead, No. 7 UMass responded by scoring the next four and they would not look back. The Minutemen rode the backs of Brett Garber, Jim Connolly, and Jamie Yaman. Each of them scored hat tricks, including four for Garber. It was Garber's career high in points (five) and goals (four: a mark that he would tie a mere three days later vs. Sacred Heart).
Last Time Out: Albany 10, UMass 9 (OT)
Down 7-0 in the second quarter, the UMass lacrosse team rallied all the way back to tie the game at 9-9 in the fourth quarter, but lost in overtime, 10-9 to No. 2 Albany at John Fallon Field on Tuesday. It is the fourth year in a row that Albany has won a one-goal game against UMass. Tim Balise and Brett Garber had hat tricks for the Minutemen.
The Minutemen fall to 1-3 while Albany improves to 4-0.
After finding themselves down 7-0, the Minutewomen wouldn't say die. They scored nine of the last 12 goals, including a streak of five in a row, to force overtime. Tim Balise scored a natural hat-trick, cutting the Albany lead from 8-3 to 8-6. Jim Connolly scored two consecutive goals in less than a minute to force overtime. Albany won the opening faceoff in the extra session, which created a fastbreak goal only 12 seconds in.
Sophomore Scoring Surge
• After scoring six goals in each of their first two games of the season, the Minutemen have responded. UMass scored 11 goals at Harvard and followed that up with nine at Albany.
• Sophomores Jim Connolly and Tim Balise have led the recent surge. Connolly leads the team in both goals (9) and points (11). He tied a career high by scoring five goals, four in the first half, vs. Harvard. He followed that with a two-goal performance at Albany, which evened the score at nine. Balise had the best game of his young career at Albany. He recorded four points on three goals and an assist. He is tied with Brian Jacovina for second on the team with eight points.
Close Calls...
• Every game thus far has been decided in the final minutes.
• At Hofstra, UMass found themselves tied at six with less than five minutes remaining in the game, but lost by a pair, 8-6. The situation was eerily similar the following week when UMass once again found themselves tied at six. Yale prevailed, 7-6. At Harvard, the Minutemen were able to eek out their first win of the season by a goal, 11-10. Last game at Albany went into overtime tied at nine before the Great Danes prevailed.
Schneider On Tewaaraton Watch List
• UMass sophomore goalie Doc Schneider has been named to the 2007 Tewaaraton Preseason Watch List, awarded to college lacrosse's top player. The Long Island native helped lead the Minutemen to the NCAA Championship game in 2006 and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. He posted a 8.13 goals against average and 13-5 record as a freshman.
• Last season, attackman Sean Morris was the national runner-up for the Tewaaraton Trophy as the sport's best college player. Jack Reid was also on the preseason watch list.
• The Tewaaraton Award Foundation announces the Spring 2007 Men's Preseason Watch List. These players are considered early season indicators of who to watch as the 2007 lacrosse season begins. This list will be voted upon by coaches and narrowed as the season progresses, ultimately reaching a final list of five players who constitute the award's finalists.
2006 Season Of History
• The Minutemen played in the NCAA Championship game for the first time in school history in 2006. UMass also reached the Semifinals after 10 unsuccessful tries in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The Minutemen had been to the most tournaments (17) of any school without a berth to lacrosse's final four. The Minutemen have been to the eighth-most NCAA Tournaments. UMass was the third team from New England to make the NCAA Semifinals. Yale (1990) and Brown (1994) are the only others. The Minutemen are the only one of the three to make the championship game.
• UMass posted a 13-5 record playing for USILA National Coach of the Year Greg Cannella. They were ranked No. 10 in both the USILA Coaches Poll and Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. UMass captured its 21st New England Championship in 2006 while finishing second in the ECAC with a 5-2 record.
Four Minutemen Named Preseason All-Americans
• UMass has four players on Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Magazine's Preseason All-American team. Senior midfielder Brian Jacovina has been named to the preseason third team. Sophomore attacker Jim Connolly, sophomore goalie Doc Schneider and senior defensive midfielder Dan Whipple have been named honorable mention All-Americans.
UMass Picked 10th in Preseason Poll
• UMass is right at the poll position they had their most success in history: No. 10. The Minutemen are ranked No. 10 in the preseason Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Magazine's Preseason Poll. Last season, UMass was No. 10 heading into the NCAA Tournament, where they reeled off three straight wins to get to the NCAA title game.
Gorillas at Home
• Since the 1960s, UMass has been known as the Garber Gorilla's in honor of head coach Dick Garber and his first big time recruit from New York, Kevin O'Connor (1967-69). UMass has won 19 of the last 21 games at home losing to Albany last season and Yale this year. UMass went 7-1 at home last season.
• Two years ago, UMass posted a perfect 8-0 record at home tying its record for best home record without a loss at 8-0, which was set in 1981. It was the first time since 1992 UMass went undefeated at home, as they went 6-0 that season.
• Since the start of the 2001 season, UMass is 43-8 at Garber Field, winning 84 percent of the games at the friendly confines.
Lucky Number 11 & 10
• UMass has won 34 games in a row when scoring 11 or more goals. The streak goes back over the last four years -- meaning this year's senior class has never lost when scoring 11 or more goals. UMass' last loss when they had more than 11 came in the 2002 NCAA Quarterfinals, a 13-12 loss at Johns Hopkins.
• UMass was 11-0 when scoring 10 goals last season and 22-0 over the past three years when reaching double-figures. The last loss when scoring 10 goals came on May 1, 2004, a 17-10 loss at Syracuse.
UMass-Syracuse Game To Air On ESPNU
• The April 28 men's lacrosse game between UMass and Syracuse will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The game has been moved to a 3 p.m., start to allow for a live national telecast from Garber Field. As of now, it is the only schedule TV appearance for the 2006 National Finalists as they head into the season.
WRNX 100.9 To Air Seven Games This Spring
• Seven UMass men's lacrosse games will be aired live on WRNX 100.9 FM in Western Massachusetts. The games will be part of the UMass Sports Network with the "Voice of the Minutemen" Bob Behler calling the action. The final seven Saturday games will air live starting with the March 24 game at Loyola.
• Every regular-season game will be available online at UMassAthletics.com. Postseason action will also air on 100.9 FM WRNX. Here is the tentative schedule, which is subject to change.
WRNX 100.9 FM Men's Lacrosse Radio Schedule Saturday, March 24 at Loyola, 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31 vs. Penn State, Noon Saturday, April 7 vs. St. John's, 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14 at Hobart, 1 p.m. Saturday, April 21 vs. Georgetown, 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28 vs. Syracuse, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 5 at Rutgers, 1 p.m.
