University of Massachusets Athletics
Massachusetts Squares Off With Drexel At Garber Field Saturday
April 16, 2015 | Men's Lacrosse
| University of Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Game Notes | |
| Game 12 | Massachusetts (3-8 Overall, 1-2 CAA) vs. Drexel (6-6, 2-1) |
| Date | Time | Saturday, April 18, 2015 | 4:00 p.m. |
| Location | Garber Field (5,000) | Amherst, Mass. |
| Live Statistics | GameTracker | StatBroadcast |
| Watch | UMass All-Access |
| Listen | WMUA 91.1 FM |
| Series History | Tied, 3-3. Last meeting: Drexel 13, No. 14 Massachusetts 9; April 12, 2014 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | Drexel |
| Team Records | Massachusetts | Drexel |
| Social Media | @UMassAthletics  | @UMassMLacrosse
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| Buy Tickets | Available through the UMass Athletics Ticket Office |
Scouting Drexel Men's Lacrosse
Hindered by a slow start to its season, Drexel sits at 6-6 overall with a 2-1 record in CAA play entering competition at Massachusetts. The Dragons faltered in each of their first four contests during 2015, but rebounded with wins in four of the previous five and six of the last eight overall. In his sixth year, Brian Voelker leads the team as head coach one campaign removed from advancing the team to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Ryan Belka's 42 points paves the way on offense. Belka splits his scoring between team-highs in goals (25) and assists (17) while Cole Shafer follows with 30 points on 22 goals and eight assists. This dynamic duo owns 72 of the team's 159 points for a 45.3 percent share of the total scoring output.
Will Gabrielsen started at goalie in the opening four games, but only provided a .392 save percentage with a 13.68 goals-against average. His replacement, Jimmy Joe Granito spearheads the resurgent Drexel defense with a .556 save percentage and 7.36 goals-against average. Granito is 6-2 on the year over 481 minutes in net.
Last Meeting: Drexel 13, No. 14 UMass 9; April 12, 2014
Connor Mooney led the offense with five points on three goals and a pair of assists while Grant Consoletti earned a single-game personal best four points via a pair of goals and as many assists, but UMass dropped a 13-9 decision at Drexel. James Fahey provided four caused turnovers and as many groundballs as the Minuteman defense forced 12 Drexel turnovers in-total, tied for the most UMass created in one game during the 2014 season.
Drexel produced five goals during the pivotal fourth quarter after the Minutemen entered the final frame within one of tying, 8-7. Belka started a streak of three consecutive tallies for the Dragons, who entered the game receiving votes in the USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Top-20, with 13 minutes, six seconds left in the game.
Consoletti broke up the Drexel run at the nine minute, eight second mark of the fourth with his second score earned during play. His goal brought UMass within 11-8 of tying, but back-to-back tallies for the Dragons sealed the contest.
On Top Of The Tweet Game
Instant information about the men's lacrosse program, including an inside look at key points and statistics in each game as well as updates from practice and other team events can be found through the Twitter handle @UMassMLacrosse. Follow the Minutemen there and catch information about each UMass Athletic Department program through @UMassAthletics.
All Home Contests Available On UMass All-Access
UMass men's lacrosse will have each of its seven home games broadcast online through UMass All-Access, a CBS Interactive product. The link for each broadcast was accessible in each game preview to direct fans or other interest parties to the subscription page, where the viewer is asked to purchase the plan he or she believes to be appropriate.
Cannella Approaching 300 Games As UMass Head Coach
UMass men's lacrosse head coach Greg Cannella is in his 21st season as the program leader with 299 games guiding the Minutemen to his ledger. Cannella is 181-118 in those contest (60.4 win percentage). He will coach his 300th game at the helm of the program on April 18 versus Drexel.
Izzo Collects 100th Career Groundball
UMass redshirt-senior short-stick defensive midfielder Ryan Izzo picked up his 100th career groundball during the game at No. 18 Towson on Saturday, March 28. Izzo, who is a mainstay on the faceoff unit as well as a part of the clear and ride units in addition to his work on defense, set a career high with 52 in 2013 after he had six in his first year of competition. The Walpole, Massachusetts, native added 25 in 2014 and has 25 more through 11 games of his final year.
He is the active leader among Minutemen for career groundballs (108) and caused turnovers, which he has 31 of.
Two Decades Under The Influence
The 2014 season marked Greg Cannella's 20th as the head coach of UMass. The University of Massachusetts graduate is 181-118 overall in his 21st season as the program leader and he stands as one of the longest tenured coaches in Division I men's lacrosse. In terms of total Division I experience, Cannella is eighth while his 20 years in Amherst place him fifth for longest head coaching tenure at a current school among the 70 head coaches in D-I during the 2015 season.
Cannella has guided the Minutemen to many of the most successful campaigns in program history since being named the head coach on Nov. 9, 1994. The Lynbrook, N.Y., native took the 2006 squad to the NCAA Championship Game and led UMass to the most single-season victories in program history (15) as well as the No. 1 national ranking during the 2012 season, which culminated in the most recent of the team's eight trips to the NCAA Tournament under Cannella.
Muller's Strong Return From Injury
Dan Muller returned from a year-long absence due to a knee injury vs. Army. It marked his first appearance in the Maroon and White since May 1, 2013 at Penn State during the CAA Tournament semifinals. Muller had seven points on six goals and an assist as a freshman in 2013. He scored his first points of 2015 at No. 5 North Carolina when he had two on a goal and assist.
Through 11 games played in the midfield, Muller owns 18 points via 10 goals and eight assists. He has multiple points in seven of the previous 10 contests after he was held scoreless versus the Black Knights. He is tied for the third-most points among Minutemen with Gianni Bianchin and Brendan Hegarty.
Lindley Picked For CAA And ECAC Rookie Of The Week
Freshman Peter Lindley took home CAA Rookie of the Week on Monday, March 16 and followed it up one day later with ECAC Rookie of the Week after he recorded eight points over a pair of wins versus Quinnipiac, 18-5 and Penn State, 12-8. Lindley had five points during the victory over the Bobcats and added three more on two goals - including the game-winner - and an assist in the comeback effort versus the Nittany Lions.
The Small Set Of Senior
The 2015 senior class of short-stick defensive midfielder Ryan Izzo, midfielder Chas Robino, short-stick defensive midfielder Brendan Schroeder, midfielder Andrew Sokol, close defenseman Peter Von Rosenvinge and attackman Grant Whiteway is one of the smallest in the nation. Of all men's lacrosse programs in at least their fourth season of NCAA Division I competition, the six-member senior class at UMass ranks tied as the ninth-smallest.
An Unselfish Approach To Offense
UMass leads the CAA in assists per game through contests on Saturday, April 13 as the Minutemen have 77 for an average of 7.00 per game. Fairfield is second at 5.67 per game (68 in 12 contests). The Minutemen were second in the league in assists per game during the 2013 and 2014 seasons after they led the conference in the category during 2012.
It is tied for the 17th-best assists per game mark in the NCAA Division I with Loyola (Md.) as of games played on Wednesday, April 15. The Minutemen were second in the CAA in assists per game during the 2013 and 2014 seasons after they led the conference in the category during 2012.
Schneider Rejoins Coaching Staff As A Volunteer Assistant
UMass men's lacrosse head coach Greg Cannella announced Doc Schneider has returned to the staff as a volunteer assistant coach on Dec. 4. Schneider previously helped Cannella during the 2010-14 seasons after he completed a stellar playing career with the Minutemen from 2006-09.
Schneider will work with the goalies and will assist in on- and off-field game preparations. As an assistant coach from 2010-14, Schneider was responsible for various components of the direction of the defense and goalie units. Schneider returns to the coaching ranks after he pursued opportunities in the private sector following the completion of the 2014 collegiate lacrosse season.
McDonald Named Assistant Coach
The University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse team and head coach Greg Cannella announced the addition of Craig McDonald as an assistant coach on Wednesday, July 30, 2014. McDonald spent the previous three seasons at Rutgers, where he coached the defense and served as the team's recruiting coordinator.
Prior to working with the Rutgers men's lacrosse program, McDonald was on-staff at Siena to help the team win the Mid-American Athletic Conference and advance to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He joined the coaching ranks in 2008 following his graduation from Albany when he spent a year coaching under 1999 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Paul Wehrum at Union College.
McDonald played four seasons at Albany from 2005-08, totaling three all-conference selections as a starter on close defense for the Great Danes. The native of Geneva, N.Y., helped the squad make NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2007 while the program won 41 games during his playing tenure.
James Fahey Joins Coaching Side As Undergraduate Volunteer
James Fahey became part of the men's lacrosse coaching staff in the Fall 2014 as he finishes up his undergraduate degree as the University of Massachusetts. Fahey will assist the coaching staff in various aspects of the program's day-to-day operation.
Fahey competed for the Minutemen as an undergraduate student from 2011-14. In his senior season, Fahey led the squad in caused turnovers with 20 and had the most groundballs on the close defense and the second-highest total on the team with 31. He participated in 39 career contests with 15 starts and accumulated 53 groundballs with 28 caused turnovers.
