PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse squad (3-6, 0-1 NEC) returns home to host Robert Morris (6-3, 2-0 NEC) this Saturday, April 1. Opening face-off is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Sweeney Field. The Hawks enter their first home game since March 10 looking to snap a three-game losing streak, while the Colonials have won their last two.
Live streaming of all three remaining regular-season home games 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.
With four first-place votes, Saint Joseph's was predicted to win the 2017 NEC title, as voted on by the league's seven head coaches and announced on February 7. The Hawks won the regular-season title outright in 2014 and 2015 and shared it last spring and are 17-2 in regular-season conference games since joining the league in 2014. The Colonials, who currently top the NEC standings, were predicted to finish fourth.
Saint Joseph's enters Saturday's game with the advantage at the face-off X, as senior specialist Danny Manning's 57.9% from the circle leads the league (17th nationally). As a whole, the Hawks rank second in team face-off winning percentage at 53.2%. Winning possessions will be critical for the Crimson and Gray, as Robert Morris leads the NEC (16th nationally) in clearing percentage at 90%.
SJU's offense will go up against RMU netminder Alex Heger, who leads the league in saves per game (12.44) and save perecentage (56.6%).
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and Robert Morris. The Hawks lead the series, 4-1, and are 3-1 over the last three years. The Hawks defeated the Colonials, 14-7, in the Northeast Conference semifinals on Sweeney Field last spring to avenge a 13-8 road loss earlier in the season that gave SJU its first NEC regular-season defeat in program history.
All-Time Series:
2016 - W - 14-7 - Home (NEC Semifinals)
2016 - L - 13-8 - Away
2015 - W - 18-11 - Home
2014 - W - 11-8 - Away
2005 - W - 13-11 - Neutral (Played at Penn State)
ABOUT THE HAWKS
The Hawks have seen their season happen in three-game streaks. After opening the season with a trio of losses to then-nationally-ranked teams in Maryland (16-8), Penn (10-5), and Duke (16-3), the Hawks finished the non-conference schedule with three consecutive wins over St. John's (8-5), Manhattan (18-6), and Monmouth (6-5 OT) before dropping its most recent three road games at Drexel (12-8), Delaware (12-7), and Bryant (8-7), in the NEC opener.
Junior attackman Jason Kelly (17g, 4a), junior attackman Chris Blewitt (13g, 6a), and senior midfielder Kevin Reidinger (14g, 2a) lead the squad in scoring and are SJU's only three offensive players to make all nine starts. Junior midfielder Hayes McGinley matches Blewitt's team-high six assists.
Senior face-off specialist Danny Manning owns a 57.9 percent winning percentage from the X (84-for-145) while junior Austin Smith's 35 ground balls are a team-best; Smith averaged 5.2 ground balls per game over SJU's last five outings. Senior defenseman Connor Kubikowski, who has earned the last four starts, has gone for 23 ground balls and a team-best nine caused turnovers while senior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (3-6, 0-1 NEC) sports a .538 save percentage and 9.95 goals against average in 518:31, including all nine starts between the pipes.
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials are undefeated in NEC play with wins over Sacred Heart (12-9) and Mount St. Mary's (11-10 OT). Freshman Ryan Smith totaled seven goals in those two wins, including the overtime game-winner vs. the Mount.
Robert Morris opened the season with a 15-11 loss at then-#15/14 Penn State before winning four straight against Bellarmine (10-8), Manhattan (18-8), Detroit Mercy (15-6), and High Point (9-7). The Colonials then dropped a pair of games to Georgetown (12-7), and Marquette (14-7), before opening NEC action.
Eight players own double-digit points for RMU, led by Adrian Torok-Orban's team-best 21 on a team-best 16 goals and five helpers. Smith has scored 15 goals, while Tyson Gibson has tallied 20 points on 10 goals and a team-best 10 assists. Jack Toomb (40gb, 10ct) leads the way defensively while Alex Heger (5-3, 2-0 NEC) owns a 9.81 goals against average and .566 save percentage in all nine starts and all 120:00 of NEC play thus far.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Saint Joseph's senior goalkeeper T.J. Jones and senior defensemen Charles Giunta and Shane Taggert have been selected as candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate men's lacrosse, it was announced on Thursday afternoon. Twenty of the top NCAA men's lacrosse student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates, and Saint Joseph's leads all NCAA Division I men's lacrosse programs with three candidates selected. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Read more here.
THE HAWKS WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME...
The Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse program will welcome the Haverford Blaze to Sweeney Field for Saturday's game, where the local squad will scrimmage on the field during halftime.
