University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Lacrosse Caps 2016 Under the Lights Friday
April 28, 2016 | Men's Lacrosse
| University of Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Game Notes | |
| Game 13 | Massachusetts (4-8, 0-4 CAA) at Drexel (5-8, 1-3) |
| Date | Time | Friday, April 29, 2016 | 6:00 p.m. |
| Location | Vidas Field | Philadelphia, Pa. | Directions |
| Live Statistics | StatBroadcast |
| Watch | Drexel GameCenter |
| Series History | Massachusetts leads, 4-3. Last meeting: UMass 12, Drexel 9; April 18, 2015 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts  | Drexel |
| Team Information | Massachusetts | Drexel |
| Social Media | @UMassAthletics  | @UMassMLacrosse | Instagram
|
| Buy Tickets | Information available through the Drexel Ticket Office |
Scouting Drexel Men's Lacrosse
Massachusetts men's lacrosse concludes its 2016 season with a road trip to Drexel's Vidas Field for a Sat., April 19 tilt. The game, during which the Dragons will look to snag a berth into the CAA Championship, doubles as Drexel's Senior Day.
After three consecutive league loses to No. 10 Towson, 11-7, Fairfield, 8-7 and Hofstra, 10-4, the Dragons picked up their first CAA win of the season in overtime, 6-5 at Delaware on Sat., April 23. Midfielder Michael Kay ended it with 39 seconds to go in the extra period with his lone goal of the game.
Cole Shafer and Matthew Varian provide Drexel with its top offensive threats in 2016 as each Dragon owns 25 points through 13 games. Shafer is tied with Robert Frazee for the team lead in goals (19) and chipped in six assists. Varian earned his 25 points via 17 goals and eight assists.
Jimmy Jo Granito is in his second season as the starting goalkeeper. He slid into the starting role six games into the 2015 season and went 7-4 over his 11 appearances that campaign with an 8.35 goals-against average and .533 save percentage. In 2016, Granito sports a 9.90 GAA and .547 save percentage. Brendan Hegarty and Dan Muller posted hat tricks as Massachusetts prevailed over Drexel, 12-9 the last time these team met. Tied at 7-7 midway through the third quarter, Muller scored back-to-back tallies as part of a five-goal UMass run that sealed the outcome. It marked Greg Cannella's 300th game as the head coach of the Minutemen.
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 event page. All UMass men's lacrosse home contests will be broadcast on this platform free of charge.
Minutemen Rank No. 1 In Nation For Strength Of Schedule
University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse head coach Greg Cannella continues a career-long trend of challenging his Minutemen against the top teams in NCAA Division I each year during 2016 as the Maroon and White rank No. 1 in the nation for strength of schedule through 12 games (April 26).
According to the USILA Top-20 Coaches Poll, UMass faced seven ranked teams during the 2016 season in No. 7 Brown, No. 7 Towson, No. 10 North Carolina, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Harvard, No. 15 Albany and No. 20 Penn State. The Minutemen also played Army West Point when it was receiving votes for the top 20 and Hartford.
Since the 2001 season, the Minutemen appeared in the top-20 for strength of schedule in 10 of their 15 completed seasons, including the last three campaigns.
Karaska's 50 Starts A Rare Feat
Kyle Karaska stepped into the starting position at close defense during his freshman season and has not relinquished the spot since as Karaska reached 50 starts as a Minuteman with the opening whistle of the game at Delaware.
Attackman Art Kell (2009-12) was the last Minuteman to reach 50 starts for his career (53) while current assistant coach and former goalie Doc Schneider was the last player to accomplish the feat on the defensive side of the ball (61). The most recent close defenseman to notch 50+ starts Jack Reid (59; 2003-06).
Dick Garber Chosen For IMLCA Hall Of Fame
Former University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse head coach Dick Garber was announced as a member of the inaugural Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) Hall of Fame class. Garber, who guided the Minutemen to 300 wins as the program leader from 1955-90, was one of 11 chosen for enshrinement.
Garber led UMass to nine NCAA Tournament appearances and 13 New England Championships during his 36 seasons in Amherst, where he compiled a 300-142-3 record. He coached 80 all-Americans, 105 all-New England selections and 40 North-South Game participants. Garber was a three-time USILA Coach of the Year (1969, 1976 and 1989) and 14-time New England Coach of the Year.
Man-Down Unit Stands Tall
UMass is among the most successful man-down teams in the nation through 12 games. The Minutemen rank third nationally with a 77.8 penalty kill percentage as the Maroon and White have only allowed 12 extra-man opportunity goals in 54 man-down situations.
It is the best penalty kill percentage for the number of man down situations faced across all NCAA Division I teams and is 10 more man down situations than any team ranked in the top five.
The next-most successful team with 54 or more penalties called against it is Lehigh (22nd; .672; 19-of-58). Massachusetts has only allowed more than one EMO goal in any individual game so far this season three times (No. 10 North Carolina, No. 15 Albany, No. 20 Penn State).
The team averages only 1.0 man-up goals allowed per game in 4.5 man-down situations. It has improved its man-down performances during CAA play, during which the Minutemen only allowed one extra-man goal in 11 opportunities (90.9 kill percentage).
Paparo A Workhorse Out Of The Gate
Freshman Isaac Paparo provided an immediate boost at long-stick midfielder through 12 games with 25 groundballs, five caused turnovers and five points (two goals, three assists). Over the course of an entire season, it is the most points by a long-stick midfielder since Jake Deane (seven goals, two assists) in 2006 and the greatest number of groundballs and caused turnovers by a rookie LSM since Austin Spencer had 22 and 10 in 2014.
Carr Converting From Near And Far
Buddy Carr ranks 27th in the nation for shot percentage as of games on Wed., April 27. Carr tallied 18 goals on 44 attempts (.409) to also rank tops among CAA competitors. The next-highest accuracy guy across the CAA is Hofstra's Korey Hendrickson, who is tied for 33rd at 40.0 percent (26-of-65).
After being held scoreless at Army, Carr has all 25 of his points during the last 11 games.
Consoletti Finds The Open Crosse
Junior Grant Consoletti posted seven assists each over 12 games played as a freshman in 2014 and 14 appearances the following season. Through 12 games played in 2016, Consoletti is first among Minutemen with eight assists, one ahead of Gianni Bianchin and Dan Muller. He is also the active leader on the team in the category with 23 dished out.
Consoletti's eight assists marks a single-season career-high for the junior.
Carr Finds Next Scoring Gear On Attack
Buddy Carr notched 10 points on six goals and four assists during 15 appearances as a freshman in 2015. Through 12 games of his sophomore season, Carr owns a team-high 25 points via 18 goals and seven assists.
Carr posted a single game career high of five points (four goals, one assist) in the upset of No. 11 Ohio State. It is one of five games of three or more points by the sophomore attackman this season. In his latest outing, Carr scored with 23 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game against Hofstra and force overtime.
Goals From Assorted Long Poles
Four UMass long-stick midfielders or close defensemen sport one goal each this season in Isaac Paparo (LSM), Kevin Porzelt (D), Shane Rinkus (LSM) and Tyler Weeks (LSM).
Paparo and Porzelt scored against No. 14 Harvard while Weeks added his versus No. 10 North Carolina. Paparo added another in the game at Delaware and also has a trio of assists for five points on the year while Weeks owns two points courtesy of one goal and an assist. Rinkus added his first collegiate point and goal during the game against No. 7 Towson.
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Garber Field has proven to be one of the toughest home field advantages in all of college lacrosse as UMass has posted a 81-32 record (71.7 win percentage) at Garber since the beginning of the 2001 season.
The squad won at least four home games in 11 of the last 15 seasons, including a program-record 10 victories in 2003 and another nine wins in Amherst during the 2012 campaign.
The Minutemen played their first five home games of 2015 at McGuirk Stadium due to winter weather-related damage to the playing surface at Garber. They went 2-3 at McGuirk in 2015 and 1-1 at Garber Field following their return against Drexel (4/18) and Delaware (4/24).
FOGOs Figure it Out
UMass only lost the faceoff battle in one of its previous seven games as sophomore Noah Rak (50-of-85; .588) and freshman Tom Meyers (36-of-64; .563) account for the recent success at the faceoff X. The Minuteman duo is 86-of-149 (57.7 percent) with 32 groundballs in that span.
As a team in those seven contests, the Minutemen outperformed No. 15 Albany (15-23), No. 20 Penn State (16-24), No. 7 Towson (16-23) and Hofstra (13-22), tied Delaware (10-20) and Fairfield (9-18) and were undone by No. 10 North Carolina (8-25).
