PHILADELPHIA – The Hawks will bring their three-game winning streak into the weekend as the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team (6-2, 1-0 NEC) heads to Wagner (5-5, 0-1 NEC) this Saturday, April 2. The second Northeast Conference match-up of the season for both teams is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Hameline Field in Staten Island, N.Y.
Live streaming of Saturday's game will be available free of charge through NEC Front Row. For system requirements and best streaming practices, please visit: NEC Front Row. Live stats will also be provided via WagnerAthletics.com.
On a national scale, as of Wednesday, Saint Joseph's ranks in the top ten of five team categories, including scoring margin (4th, 5.63), shot percentage (5th, 36.9%), scoring offense (7th, 13.25), clearing percentage (8th, 89.9%), and scoring defense (9th, 7.63), and also sits 11th in points per game (10th, 20.38). Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones ranks fifth in save percentage (58.4%) and seventh in goals against average (6.88) while junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham ranks 14th in winning percentage from the X (61.8%) and 19th in ground balls per game (5.00). Junior attackman Mike Rastivo ranks 17th in points per game (4.00).
Wagner ranks ninth nationally in man-down defense, holding opponents scoreless 75% of the time and 14th in caused turnovers/game (8.30).
Saint Joseph's has the NEC's leading scorer in Rastivo, who averages 4.00 points per game, while Wagner's Andrew Streilein leads the league in assists/game with two helpers on average per contest. Jones and Wagner goalkeeper Matt Sefcik sit first and second, respectively, in NEC goals against average.
HIGH-FLYING HAWKS
Through eight games, Tewarraton Award Watch List selection Mike Rastivo (19g, 13a) and sophomore attackman Chris Blewitt (17g, 10a) lead SJU with 25+ points while senior midfielder Kevin Forster (14g, 7a), junior midfielder Kevin Reidinger (13g, 1a), and sophomore attackman Kyle Cain (12g, 7a) also own double-digit goals scored for the Crimson and Gray. Junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham has gone 61% (81-of-131) from the X and has won 17 face-off opportunities in three different games this season to go with a team-best 35 ground balls while senior John Winchell (team-best 9ct) and juniors Charles Giunta and Shane Taggert have anchored SJU's defensive unit. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (6-2, 1-0 NEC) sports a 6.88 goals against average and .584 save percentage in 453:30.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the 16th all-time meeting between the Hawks and the Seahawks; Saint Joseph's has won all 15 contests, including a 14-3 victory in the teams' most recent meeting on April 7 of last season. The Hawks have outscored the Seahawks 42-20 through four games under the direction of head coach Taylor Wray.
SCOUTING WAGNER
After starting the season 1-3 with a season-opening win over Manhattan (15-8) and losses to Lafayette (12-7), Monmouth (8-4), and Rutgers (15-7), Wagner has won four of its last six with victories over Dartmouth (7-6), VMI (7-6) Hampton (18-4), back-to-back losses to UMass Lowell (12-11) and Hobart (10-9 3OT), and, most recently, a win over NJIT (10-8) on March 26. Andrew Streilein (13g, 21a), William McMenamin (19g, 2a), and Patrick McMenamin (14g, 6a) lead the Seahawks in scoring while Matt Sefcik (5-5, 0-1 NEC) owns an 8.87 GAA and .497 save percentage in 574:44. Wagner went 4-9 overall and 1-5 in league play last season.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawks scored the first five goals of the game and never looked back to take home a 13-5 victory at Hobart this past Saturday afternoon. Reigning NEC Offensive Player of the Year Mike Rastivo led all scorers with a game-high three goals to go with two assists. Senior attackman Pat Swanick (2g, 1a), sophomore attackman Chris Blewitt (2g), and redshirt sophomore midfielder Hayes McGinley (2g) added multi-goal efforts for the Crimson and Gray. Nine Hawks tallied at least one point in the victory. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (6-2, 1-0 NEC) made nine saves and allowed just two goals in 54:21 en route to being selected the NEC Defensive Player of the Week. With the victory, the Hawks have now won 13 consecutive regular-season NEC games since joining the league for Spring 2014.
HAWKS PICKED SECOND IN NEC PRESEASON POLL
The Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team was picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference this season, according to the conference's preseason poll. The Hawks return back-to-back NEC Coach of the Year Taylor Wray, 2015 NEC Offensive Player of the Year and All-NEC First Team selection Mike Rastivo, 2015 NEC Rookie of the Year and All-NEC Rookie Team pick Chris Blewitt, back-to-back All-NEC First Team defenseman John Winchell, and 2015 All-NEC Second Team picks Pat Swanick (A), Kevin Forster (M), and Mike Lanham (FOS). Saint Joseph's returned 31 letterwinners and added 14 newcomers to the field for the 2016 season.
RECORD WATCH
Entering the weekend, Saint Joseph's junior attackman Mike Rastivo ties for eighth in career goals (89) and ranks ninth in career points (128) and 10th in career shots (229) at SJU; the junior also sits two helpers shy of breaking onto the all-time list for career assists. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones ranks ninth in all-time career saves.
RASTIVO NAMED TO TEWAARATON AWARD WATCH LIST
Saint Joseph's junior attackman Mike Rastivo was selected to the 2016 Tewaaraton Award watch list, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced on February 23. The list includes the top men's lacrosse players across all three divisions of NCAA lacrosse and highlights the early contenders for the 2016 Tewaaraton Award, presented by Under Armour. The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by The Tewaaraton Foundation. Five men's and five women's finalists will be announced on May 12 and invited to the ceremony. The 16th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., on June 2.
On SJU's all-time career lists, Rastivo currently ties for eighth in goals (89) and ranks ninth in points (128) and 10th in shots (229).
SWANICK NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST, WINCHELL CANDIDATE
Ten NCAA® men's lacrosse student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists for the 2015-16 Senior CLASS Award® for collegiate lacrosse, and Saint Joseph's senior attackman Pat Swanick was tabbed a finalist for the prestigious award. All of Swanick's achievements in the areas of community, classroom, character, and competition can be found in his Senior CLASS Award biography. Fan balloting counts for 1/3 of the total with the remaining 2/3 determined by NCAA Division I coaches and national media members, and fans can vote for Pat now through May 9!
Senior defenseman John Winchell was also honored by the Senior Class Award, having been selected one of 20 original candidates back on February 16.
