PHILADELPHIA – Out to its best start in program history, the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team (8-2, 3-0 NEC) will host Bryant (7-3, 2-0 NEC) in a key Northeast Conference match-up with first place on the line this Saturday, April 16. Opening face-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Sweeney Field. Saint Joseph's is on a five-game winning streak, while Bryant has won three straight.
The back-to-back NEC regular-season champion Hawks and four-time NEC Tournament champion Bulldogs are the only two NEC teams to remain undefeated in league play; the regular-season champion will earn the right to host the 2016 NEC Championships, held May 5 and 7. Both teams received votes in both the USILA/Nike Coaches Poll and Cascade/Maverik Media Poll this week.
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 SJUHawks.com.
On a national scale, Saint Joseph's ranks in the top ten of 10 team categories, including shot percentage (2nd, 38%), scoring offense (3rd, 13.70), scoring margin (3rd, 6.40), points per game (4th, 21.60), man-down defense (5th, 77.5%), scoring defense (7th, 7.30), assists per game (7th, 7.90), clearing percentage (8th, 89.9%), face-off winning percentage (8th, 62.4%), and winning percentage (9th, 80%), and also sits 14th in ground balls per game (30.90) and 16th in fewest turnovers per game (12.30); the Hawks lead the NEC in all of those categories.
Nationally, junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones ranks second in save percentage (60.8%) and fifth in goals against average (6.66) while junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham ranks seventh in winning percentage from the X (65.1%). The duo leads the NEC in those respective categories. Junior attackman Mike Rastivo ranks 23rd nationally in points per game (3.90).
Bryant leads the NEC in ground balls per game (32.60) and ranks second in assists per game (6.50), points per game (18.20), saves per game (11.10), scoring defense (9.90), scoring margin (1.80), scoring offense (11.70), and winning percentage (70%) and has the league's leader in points per game (4.00) and assists per game (1.80) in Tucker James, as well as Gunnar Waldt, the NEC's leader in saves per game (10.90), and Kenny Massa, the NEC's leader in ground balls per game (6.40).
LACROSSE ALUMNI WEEKEND ON HAWK HILL
The Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse program in conjunction with the Saint Joseph's University Alumni Association would like to welcome back all alumni for Alumni and Family Day this Saturday!
HIGH-FLYING HAWKS
Through 10 games, Tewarraton Award Watch List selection Mike Rastivo (24g, 15a) sophomore attackman Chris Blewitt (18g, 13a), and senior midfielder Kevin Forster (16g, 12a) lead SJU with 25+ points while junior midfielder Kevin Reidinger (15g, 2a), sophomore attackman Kyle Cain (14g, 10a) redshirt sophomore midfielder Hayes McGinley (13g, 8a), and senior attackman Pat Swanick (12g, 4a) have also scored 10+ goals for the Crimson and Gray. Junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham has gone 65.1% (112-of-172) from the X to go with a team-best 49 ground balls. Senior John Winchell (team-best 12ct) and juniors Charles Giunta and Shane Taggert have anchored SJU's defensive unit. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (8-2, 3-0 NEC) sports a 6.66 goals against average and .608 save percentage in 558:30.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the Hawks and the Bulldogs; Bryant owns a 3-2 series edge, but Saint Joseph's has won two of the last three meetings. The Hawks have defeated the Bulldogs in back-to-back regular-season games, with a 9-7 win over then #12/11 Bryant on April 5, 2014 and an 8-7, buzzer-beater win in Smithfield, R.I. on March 29 of last season. In the most recent meeting between the two teams, in the 2015 Northeast Conference championship game, Bryant turned in a 10-6 victory. The Hawks are 2-2 against the Bulldogs under the direction of head coach Taylor Wray.
SCOUTING BRYANT
After starting the season 4-3 with wins over Manhattan (16-3), Providence (12-10), Hartford (16-11), and then-#8/7 Harvard (12-9) and losses to Bucknell (11-10), then-#6 Yale (14-4), and Drexel (14-5), the Bulldogs have won three straight in April with victories over Robert Morris (13-12), then-#2/3 Brown (11-10 OT), and Wagner (18-5). Tucker James (22g, 18a) and Shane Morrell (22g, 8a) lead Bryant's offense while Gunnar Waldt (7-3, 2-0 NEC) sports a 9.86 GAA and .534 save percentage in 578:09. Bryant went 8-10 overall and 4-2 in league play last season en route to winning the 2015 NEC Championships title.
LAST TIME OUT
Leading by one heading into the final 23:42 of regulation, the Hawks broke the game open with 10 straight goals en route to a 16-6 win over Sacred Heart in a snowy Northeast Conference game played on Sweeney Field on Saturday afternoon. Senior attackman Pat Swanick scored a game-high four goals while junior attackman Mike Rastivo (3g, 1a), redshirt sophomore midfielder Hayes McGinley (2g, 1a), and sophomore midfielder Davis Stoner (2g, 6gb, 2ct) added multi-goal performances. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (8-2, 3-0 NEC) made a season-high 15 saves in net and allowed just five goals in the first 53:18.
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.
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1. Saint Joseph's (3-0) – Wins over Hobart (13-5), Wagner (15-6), Sacred Heart (16-6)
1. Bryant (2-0) – Wins over Robert Morris (14-11), Wagner (18-5)
3. Hobart (2-1) – Wins over Wagner (8-7 3OT), Robert Morris (16-10), loss to SJU (13-5)
4. Mount St. Mary's (1-1) – Win over Sacred Heart (19-16), loss to Robert Morris (11-9)
4. Robert Morris (2-2) – Wins over Sacred Heart (12-7), Mount St. Mary's (11-9), losses to Bryant (13-12), Hobart (16-10)
6. Wagner (0-3) – Losses to Hobart (10-9 3OT), Saint Joseph's (15-6), Bryant (18-5)
6. Sacred Heart (0-3) – Losses to Robert Morris (12-7), Mount St. Mary's (19-16), Saint Joseph's (16-6)
VOTES, VOTES, VOTES!
For the third time in four weeks, and for the second week in a row, the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team has received votes in the Cascade/Maverik Media Poll, it was announced on Monday afternoon. Additionally, for the first time this season, the Hawks also received votes in the USILA/Nike Coaches Poll. The Hawks have won five straight, outscoring their opponents 74-32 during that span, and stand at 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the Northeast Conference.
RECORD WATCH
Entering the weekend, Saint Joseph's junior attackman Mike Rastivo ranks eighth in career goals (94), ninth in points (135), ties for 10th in assists (41), and ranks 10th in shots (241) at SJU. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones ranks seventh all-time in career saves (279).
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 ranks eighth in goals (94), ninth in points (135), ties for 10th in assists (41), and ranks 10th in shots (241). The junior also owns a point scoring streak of 32 games, which ranks 11th among active Division I players.
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.
