Aug. 22, 2012

The beginning of a new era for Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse proved to be what the Hawks needed in 2012. After the program struggled to win just three games in the past two seasons, first year head coach Taylor Wray and his staff led an inspired group to a six-win season and its first victory against a Colonial Athletic Association opponent as a member of the conference.

"The tremendous amount of hard work the 2012 team put into it showed itself in the results on the field," said Coach Wray. "That is a true testament to the leadership of the 2012 senior class and their willingness to hold themselves and their teammates to an extremely high standard."

With just nine wins in the past three seasons, the 2012 senior class entered the year hungry and focused on making this program a contender. Understanding that the year was one for rebuilding, the men wanted to lay the foundation for future success.

The proof is in the numbers.

In the final computer rankings from 2012 on laxpower.com, the Hawks tied for eighth in the country in overall improvement, led the nation in win percentage increase and tied for fourth in the nation in biggest jump in total number of wins.

Leading the offensive charge for SJU was Ryan McGee who accounted for 38 percent of the team's goals, leading the nation in that category. The sophomore from White Plains, N.Y. found himself in the upper echelon of scoring threats in the country with 38 goals in just 15 games. He ranked 15thin the NCAA with 2.53 goals per game and 25thin scoring with 3.47 points per game. Coming off of a four-point freshman campaign, the improvements made were unmatched as McGee etched his named in the University record books, ranking him second all-time in single season goals.

On the back line, Matt Germain and Colin Roemer's senior experience meshed well with the young and talented freshmen Kevin Barrow and Will Farrell. They helped to improve a scoring defense that ranked 57thin 2011 to 19thin 2012, with just over nine goals allowed per game.

Between the pipes for the Hawks, senior Griffin Ferrigan turned in an impressive season ranking eighth nationally in save percentage and fourth in the NCAA with 12.2 saves per game. His 175 saves throughout the year rank him ninth all-time in a single season alongside some of the greatest goaltenders that have played on Hawk Hill.

Offensively, Coach Dan Keating helped a motivated group increase their overall goal production by nearly two goals an outing, and the Extra Man Offense nearly doubled its conversion percentage, good for a 17 spot improvement in the polls.  After a winless first season against Colonial Athletic Association competition, the Hawks rebounded with a handful of close games and eventually a win against the Towson Tigers. With a 15-2 loss to Towson in 2011, the team came out firing on Senior Day to send off their upperclassmen the right way. McGee's three goals and Ferrigan's 13 saves propelled Saint Joseph's to 6-3 victory over the Tigers on the final day of Saint Joseph's 2012 season.

"We still have a ton of work to do, but the progress made in 2012 was a big step in the right direction," said Wray. "We talked a lot about setting standards and expectations for members of this program and a solid foundation was put in place to continue building upon. I know that our coaches and players alike are excited to get back to work this fall."