PHILADELPHIA – For the third consecutive year, the Northeast Conference Championship will be played on Sweeney Field as the top-seeded Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team (11-3, 5-1 NEC) will host fourth-seeded Robert Morris (7-7, 4-2 NEC) in the 2016 NEC Championship semifinals on Thursday, May 5. Opening face-off is set for 4:30 p.m. on Sweeney Field.
Live streaming of the game will be provided free of charge via NEC Front Row. For system requirements and best streaming practices, please visit: NEC Front Row. Live stats will be provided via SJUHawks.com.
#2 Bryant (10-4, 5-1 NEC) and #3 Hobart (8-6, 4-2 NEC) will face off in the second semifinal game on Thursday, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The winners of Thursday's game will advance to the NEC Championship game, to be played on Saturday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m.
On a national scale, Saint Joseph's ranks in the top 15 of 10 team categories, including shot percentage (2nd, 37.2%), scoring margin (4th, 4.86), scoring defense (6th, 7.71), man-down defense (7th, 72.2%), face-off winning percentage (8th, 61.4%), assists per game (10th, 7.29), winning percentage (10th, 78.6%), scoring offense (11th, 12.57), points per game (11th, 19.86), and clearing percentage (15th, 89.1 %).
SJU leads the NEC in shot percentage, scoring margin, scoring defense, face-off winning percentage, assists per game, winning percentage, scoring offense, and points per game.
Nationally, junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones ranks third in save percentage (.589) and fourth in goals against average (7.24), while junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham ranks fifth in face-off winning percentage (64%). The duo leads the NEC in their respective categories. Junior attackman Mike Rastivo leads the league in assists per game (1.57) and ranks second in goals per game (2.36) and points per game (3.93).
Robert Morris' Luke Laszkiewicz leads the NEC in scoring with 3.64 goals per game and 3.71 points per game.
HIGH-FLYING HAWKS
Through 14 games, Mike Rastivo (33g, 22a) sophomore attackman Chris Blewitt (22, 16a), senior midfielder Kevin Forster (22g, 15a), and sophomore attackman Kyle Cain (19g, 15a) lead SJU with 30+ points while seven total Hawks have scored 10+ goals for the Crimson and Gray. Junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham has gone 64% (155-of-242) from the X to go with a team-best 68 ground balls. Senior John Winchell (team-best 15ct, 0.0 penalty minutes) and juniors Charles Giunta and Shane Taggert have anchored SJU's defensive unit. Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (11-3, 5-1 NEC) sports a 7.24 goals against average and .589 save percentage in 803:43.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Hawks and the Colonials; Saint Joseph's owns a 3-1 series edge and is 2-1 under the direction of head coach Taylor Wray. Robert Morris took home a 13-8 win this season when the teams met back on April 23 in Moon Township, Pa. Prior to that meeting, the Hawks had defeated the Colonials in 2015 (18-11), 2014 (11-8), and 2005 (18-3).
LAST TIME OUT
Paced by junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones' 13 saves and junior Mike Lanham's 14 face-off wins, the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse team downed Mount St. Mary's, 12-5, in the Northeast Conference regular-season finale this past Saturday afternoon on Sweeney Field. Senior midfielder Kevin Forster led all Hawks with a game-best four points on a game-best three goals and one assist while sophomore attackman Chris Blewitt (2g, 1a) and junior attackman Mike Rastivo (1g, 2a) recorded three points apiece.
RECORD WATCH
Saint Joseph's head coach Taylor Wray picked up his 44th career victory last time out against Mount St. Mary's, which ties him with Paul Perdue (1998-2004) for the all-time program record for career victories on Hawk Hill.
Junior goalkeeper T.J. Jones has 11 wins in net on the season, which is the new program record for single-season goalkeeper wins. Jones is also at 25 career wins, which ties with Ryan McQuade (1996-99) for the program record for career goalkeeper victories. The junior also ranks sixth in career saves (322).
Junior attackman Mike Rastivo ties for fifth with Bill Oakes (1995-98) in career goals (103), ranks seventh in career points (151), ninth in career shots (267), and 10th in career assists (48), while his single-season marks for goals (33) and points (55) this year rank in SJU's all-time top ten for single-season records.
Senior defenseman John Winchell ties for fourth with Steve Varga (2005-08) and former teammate Mike Dougherty (2012-15) for career games played (61); the record is 62.
Junior face-off specialist Mike Lanham ties for ninth with former teammate Will Farrell (2012-15) for career ground balls (168).
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.
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 ties for fifth with Bill Oakes (1995-98) in career goals (103), ranks seventh in career points (151), ninth in career shots (267), and 10th in career assists (48), while his single-season marks for goals (33) and points (55) this year rank in SJU's all-time top ten for single-season records. The junior also owns a point scoring streak of 36 games, which ranks ninth 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.
