Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Heads To Philly For CAA Championship

University of Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Game Notes & Information

Game 14	CAA Championship Semifinals No. 3 Massachusetts (8-5, 3-2 CAA) vs. No. 2 Towson (6-8, 3-2 CAA)
Date \| Time	Thursday, May 5, 2022 \| 7 PM
Location	Vidas Field - Drexel University \| Philadelphia, Pa.
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Watch	Lax Sports Network
Series History	Towson leads, 11-7 Last: Towson 12, Massachusetts 9 Johnny Unitas Stadium \| Towson, Md. \| April 9, 2022
Twitter	@UMassAthletics \| @UMassMLacrosse
Instagram	UMass Men's Lacrosse

Against Towson

- Massachusetts is 7-11 all-time against Towson since the series began in 1963. The Gorillas fell to the Tigers, 9-6 last season at Garber Field, snapping a stretch of three straight wins in the all-time series for UMass. Towson defeated the Gorillas in Towson, Maryland, back on April 9, 12-9.

Setting The Stage

- The CAA Tournament field is set with Delaware claiming the top seed for a second consecutive season. Towson is the No. 2 seed, followed by UMass as the No. 3 seed and defending CAA Champion Drexel is the No. 4 seed.
- Massachusetts' appearance in the 2022 CAA Championship field marks the program's 10th of a possible 12 tournaments. It includes the 2010, '11, '12, '13, '15, '17, '18, '19, '21 and '22 tournaments.
- With five consecutive appearances ('17, '18, '19, '21, '22), UMass has the longest consecutive streak among the four teams in the field.
Drexel, Massachusetts and Towson are tied for the most appearances in the CAA Championship field since UMass joined the league ahead of the 2010 season as each program appeared in 10 of the 12 fields.
- In that same 12-year span, UMass appeared in five of the 11 championship games (2011, '12, '15, '17, '18). It is second-most in that span to Towson's seven appearances.

Six Gorillas Collect Year-End Accolades From The CAA

– Six members of the Massachusetts men's lacrosse team have collected a total of seven year-end honors from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), the conference announced on Wednesday. Kevin Tobin, Sam Eisenstadt, Caleb Hammett and Matt Knote have all been named First Team All-CAA selections, while Hammett also earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie Team alongside Aidan Kaminska and Shane O'Leary.
- Tobin collected his first career First Team All-CAA recognition after previously earning a Second Team All-CAA accolade in 2019 and an All-Rookie Team nod in 2018.
- Eisenstadt garnered his third straight All-CAA honor, previously having been named to the second team twice.
- Knote earns his second consecutive First Team All-CAA nod, while Caleb Hammett becomes the first Gorilla to earn First-Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie team accolades in the same season.

To Quickly Recap

- University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse secured a spot in the CAA Tournament with a 13-7 victory over Drexel on April 29 at Garber Field.
- Logan Liljeberg and Kevin Tobin both put up four-point performances, each tallying a hat trick and an assist. Gabriel Procyk collected a hat trick as well, and Mike Tobin dished three assists. Caleb Hammett continued his dominance over X, winning 17 of 24 faceoffs and corralling nine groundballs. Defensively, the Gorillas combined for 10 caused turnovers and limited Drexel to just two goals in the second half.
- Procyk opened the scoring with the first two tallies of the contest, which came just 53 seconds apart early in the first quarter. Drexel responded, however, with a three-goal run over the remainder of the frame to build a 3-2 lead after one.
- Procyk tied things up at 3-3 with his third of the day at the 13:48 mark of the second, sparking UMass' own three-goal stretch, which was answered by a pair by the Dragons to level the score at 5-5. Redshirt freshman Aidan Kaminska put the Gorillas back on top, 6-5, picking a corner with 7:47 remaining in the half.
- The next tally came from Kaminska as well, 41 seconds into the third quarter, followed by Liljeberg's second of the contest at the 9:03 mark. Zach Augustine brought Drexel back to within two at 8-6, but Kevin Tobin helped the Maroon & White build a five-goal cushion, netting the next three in a row.
- The Dragons scored once more before Liljeberg and Shane O'Leary pocketed the final two of the night for UMass.
- The Gorillas out-shot Drexel, 43-29, and led 27-13 in shots on goal. Massachusetts nearly doubled up the Dragons in ground balls, 41-20 and went 1-for-2 in extra-man opportunities, while Drexel was 0-for-2. Matt Knote had six saves for UMass and Ross Blumenthal totaled 14 stops for the Dragons.

Kaminska Selected As CAA Rookie Of The Week

- Redshirt freshman midfielder Aidan Kaminska was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Week on April 25. Kaminska logged his first collegiate hat trick on April 23, helping the Gorillas defeat Hofstra, 13-9 in Hempstead, New York. The Port Jefferson, New York native's three tallies came on four shots for a .750 shot percentage. After one goal in the first half, Kaminska tallied back-to-back goals during a key second-half run that helped UMass build a five-goal cushion to put the game out of reach.

Knote Earns Weekly Honor

- Junior goalkeeper Matt Knote was selected as the CAA Player of the Week on April 4 after playing a pivotal role in the Gorillas' 11-10 overtime victory over Delaware on April 2.
- The Speonk, New York native made a season-high 20 saves against the Blue Hens, including 12 in the second half and overtime, limiting Delaware to one goal over the final 32:59 as UMass rallied from a five-goal deficit.

Gorillas Among The CAA and NCAA Leaders

- Kevin Tobin leads the CAA in points per-game with 44 over 11 contests for a 4.00 average. He is second in the CAA in assists per-game (1.73) and ranks sixth in goals per-game at 2.27. Logan Liljeberg ranks sixth in assists per-game with 1.46 per contest.
- Matt Knote leads the CAA in goals-against average (10.54) and save percentage (.536), while ranking second in saves per-game (12.15).
- Caleb Hammett is the CAA leader in faceoff winning percentage (.615) and ranks seventh in the nation having won 166 of 270 he has taken on the year. He also paces the conference in ground balls per-game at 8.38, which sits seventh nationally, as well, having collected 109 over 13 games.
- Kevin Tobin and Grant Breyo are tied for third in the CAA in man-up goals with six apiece, whileGabriel Procyk is tied for fourth with five.

Milestone Watch

- Sam Eisenstadt has 37 career caused turnovers (tied 12^th all-time) and is one shy of moving in to a tie for 11^th on the list.
- Matt Knote has 364 career saves to date, recently breaking into the top-15 all time in program history and is currently 13^th all-time, 50 behind Sean Sconone (2016-19) for 12^th.
- Caleb Hammett has won 167 faceoffs on the season, good for tied for sixth in program history for a single-season with Sam Joseph's total from 1994. He is 17 away from matching Joe Cavello (2013) for fifth all-time.

Next Man Up Mentality

- With Chris Connolly and Kevin Tobin both missing time with injuries this season, several Gorillas stepped up to contribute offensively as Grant Breyo, Mike Tobin, Logan Liljeberg and Shane O'Leary all have double digit goal totals through 13 games. Liljeberg is third on the squad with 21 goals, while Breyo follows with 16 and O'Leary has 14 and Mike Tobin has 13 to daTE.
- Mike Tobin has doubled his career high of six goals in seven games in 2020.
- O'Leary and Breyo came into the 2022 campaign with zero career goals between them. Both have hat tricks to their credit thus far this year and Breyo has scored at least one goal in 10 of 13 games.

First Of Many

- Massachusetts had five players net their first UMass goals in the season opener against Army as those five Gorillas accounted for 10 of the squad's 13 tallies in the contest.
- Transfers Logan Liljeberg and Anthony Sericolo combined for five goals against the Black Knights, with Liljeberg posting a hat trick.
- Sophomore Shane O'Leary posted his first career hat trick with his first three goals of his collegiate career, while classmate Grant Breyo collected his first career goal in his second season with the Maroon & White.
- Freshman John Krisch picked up his first career goal in his collegiate debut. Graduate transfer James Caddigan added an assist for his first UMass point. John Crehan and Jack Wittmaack also made their collegiate debuts at Army.
- Sophomore Aidan Kaminska netted his first career goal at Towson on April 9 and junior Carter Castillo collected his first collegiate tally at Hofstra on April 23.

More First Timers

- In the 19-9 win over UMass Lowell on February 19, 12 individuals combined for Massachusetts' 19 tallies, including the first two goals of James Caddigan's UMass career and first collegiate goals for Mason Bregman, Jackson Cummings and Matthew Hill.
- Bregman was one of 10 Gorillas who saw their first collegiate action in the victory, along with Sebo Birse, Tyler Bluse, Brady Hoff, Aidan Kaminska, Sam Mattson, Matthew Petitto, Owen Quinn, Zachary Relovsky and Coltrane Tyson
- Mike Tobin netted his first career hat trick at Yale on March 5.

Record Setting Man Up Day

- Massachusetts went 7-for-8 in extra-man opportunities against UMass Lowell on February 19, setting a new program single-game record for man up goals in a single game. UMass had six extra-man goals on two occasions prior since the stat has been tracked: May 21, 2005 against Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Tournament and March 13, 1999 vs. Fairfield.

Back For More

- The Gorillas have five players on this year's roster in their fifth seasons with the Maroon & White: attack/midfielder Jack Siebert, midfielder Kevin Tobin, attack Chris Connolly, defenseman Sam Eisenstadt and midfielder Kevin Cutinella.
- Tobin led UMass in scoring last season with 31 points.

20-20 Vision

- Massachusetts returned two 20-goal scorers from 2021 in senior Gabriel Procyk and sophomore Dillon Arrant who put up 21 and 20 goals, respectively. Procyk entered the year tied for fourth all-time in man-up goals with 15 in his career, and has surpassed Ben Spencer (2016-19) for the program record with 20 to his credit.
- Arrant's 20-goal season as a rookie in 2021 tied for the 10^th most by a freshman in program history.
- Procyk has posted his second straight 20-goal campaign as he currently has 25 on the season through 13 contests and sits third on the team with 32 points.

Adding Experience

- UMass added three transfers in attack Logan Liljeberg from Sacred Heart, midfielder Anthony Sericolo from Hartford and midfielder James Caddigan from Colgate heading into 2022.
- Liljeberg put up 138 points (73 goals, 65 assists) over 49 games for the Pioneers with 108 groundballs and 24 caused turnovers. He served as team captain and earned All-NEC First-Team honors after finishing third in the conference at 4.09 points per-game. He was a USILA Scholar All-American and a CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection.
- Sericolo played two seasons at Hartford and logged 22 points in 13 games on 15 goals and 7 assists with 15 groundballs.
- Caddigan captained Colgate's squad in 2021 and was a three-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member. He logged 66 points (43 goals,23 assists) with 48 groundballs and four caused turnovers.
- Liljeberg has bolstered the UMass offense thus far this year with 40 points in 13 games on 21 goals and 19 assists. He ranks second on the team in points, is tied for first in assists and is third in goals.

Reloading The Bench

- Head coach Greg Cannella, who is in his 28^th season at the helm and 30^th overall on the bench for Massachusetts has three new faces joining him on the sidelines in 2022: Noah Fossner, Kyle Smith and Ron Hamwey.
- Fossner, a 2011 Delaware graduate and former goalkeeper, came to UMass with a decade's worth of Division I coaching experience with previous stints at his alma mater as well as Harvard, Boston University and Rutgers.
- Smith a 2014 UMass graduate, returned to his alma mater following a seven-year stint with Merrimack where he helped the warriors to two national titles at the Division II level.

Welcome To The Troop

- Massachusetts has eight first-year players on its roster this season: Attack Coltrane Tyson (Burlington, Ontario), midfielders Sebo Birse (Salem, Mass.), Brady Hoff (Ipswich, Mass.), John Krisch (Huntington, N.Y.) and Sam Mattson (Wrentham, Mass.) and defensemen Corey Frydman (Boca Raton, Fla.), Matthew Petitto (Wakefield, Mass.) and Zachary Relovsky (Kinnelon, N.J.).

Leading The Way

- Graduate student Chris Connolly, graduate student Sam Eisenstadt and senior Matthew Hill are serving as the team's captains this season.
- The trio has combined to play in 141 career games to date for the Gorillas.

Band of Brothers

- The 2022 Massachusetts men's lacrosse roster features two pairs of siblings in Kevin Tobin and Mike Tobin and James Caddigan and Matt Caddigan. It marks the first time since 2001 that UMass has had two sets of brothers on its active roster. Other Gorilla brothers include...

Bret Caretsky (2005-06) and PJ Caretsky (2005-06)
Jim Connolly (2006-09) and Ryan Connolly (2002-05)
Chris Gabrielli (1998-2001) and Keith Gabrielli (1998-2001)
Brendan Hegarty (2014-16) and Tyler Hegarty (2012)
John Hutchen (1997, '99, 2000) and Paul Hutchen (1999, 2001, '02)
Derek Kunkel (2001-02) and Rich Kunkel (1998-2001)
John Martin (1972-75) and Paul Martin (1975-76, '78)
Anthony Reale (2016-2019) and Joe Reale (2006-09)
Ben Spencer (2016-19) and Devin Spencer (2017-2021)
Gene Tundo (2002-06) and Matt Tundo (2004)

Preseason Accolades

- Massachusetts had three individuals selected to the 2022 Preseason All-CAA Team. Midfielder Kevin Tobin, defenseman Sam Eisenstadt and goalkeeper Matt Knote represented UMass on the list of honorees.
- Tobin appeared in all 10 games in 2021 and made seven starts as a member of the first-line midfield or attack and was a 2021 Division 1 NEILA All New England Second Team honoree.
- Eisenstadt collected his second consecutive All-CAA Second Team accolade at close defense in 2021, as he also earned a spot in 2019. He registered the most groundballs among UMass defensemen (25) and caused seven turnovers as well.
- Knote is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw him post a 10.81 goals against average and a .536 save percentage over 10 games. The Speonk, N.Y., native also notched 14 groundballs and three caused turnovers in 2021, making 10 or more saves in eight games with 12+ in five outings. He was an All-CAA First Team and CAA All-Tournament Team selection last season while also earning a spot on the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics

Massachusetts Men's Lacrosse Heads To Philly For CAA Championship

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Players Mentioned

Dillon Arrant

Sebo Birse

Tyler Bluse

Mason Bregman

Grant Breyo

James Caddigan

Matt Caddigan

Carter Castillo

Chris Connolly

John Crehan

Jackson Cummings

Kevin Cutinella

Sam Eisenstadt

Corey Frydman

Caleb Hammett

Matthew Hill

Brady Hoff

Aidan Kaminska

Matt Knote

John Krisch

Logan Liljeberg

Sam Mattson

Shane O'Leary

Matthew Petitto

Gabriel Procyk

Owen Quinn

Anthony Reale

Zachary Relovsky

Sean Sconone

Anthony Sericolo

Jack Siebert

Ben Spencer

Devin Spencer

Kevin Tobin

Mike Tobin

Coltrane Tyson

Jack Wittmaack

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