PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse squad (4-9, 1-4 NEC) will close the 2017 season on the road at Mount St. Mary's (4-9, 1-4 NEC) this Saturday, April 29. Opening face-off of the Northeast Conference match-up is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Waldron Family Stadium. The Hawks are coming off of a 14-5 win over Wagner that snapped a six-game losing streak this past Saturday while the Mountaineers have dropped three straight.
Live streaming of the 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.
Saturday's game will be the final collegiate game for seniors Tyler Cliggett, Charles Giunta, Anthony Joaquim, T.J. Jones, Connor Kubikowski, Mike Lanham, Danny Manning, Marcus Milione, Kevin Reidinger, Shane Taggert, Ray Vandegrift, Evan Wolf, and Jared Wolf. To purchase photos from last Saturday's Senior Day ceremony, click here.
Manning has been consistent as one of the top two face-off specialists in the NEC this season as his 57.2 winning percentage from the X ranks second in the league. In net, Jones ranks second in the NEC in saves per game (11.46) and fourth in both save percentage (.546) and goals against average (9.82).
The Mount owns the second-best numbers in the league in both man-down defense (.724) and man-up offense (.333).
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the 22nd all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and Mount St. Mary's. The Mount holds a 13-8 all-time series edge, but the Hawks have won the last four contests under the direction of sixth-year head coach Taylor Wray, averaging 12 goals per game and holding the Mount to 4.5 goals per game.
2016 - W - 12-5 - Home
2015 - W - 10-4 - Home (NEC Semifinals)
2015 - W - 16-4 - Away
2014 - W - 10-5 - Home
2010 - L - 18-8 - Home
2009 - L - 7-6 - Away
2008 - L - 18-8 - Home
2007 - L - 9-8 - Away
2006 - L - 7-5 - Home
2005 - L - 16-10 - Away
2004 - L - 16-12 - Home
2003 - L - 8-2 - Neutral (MAAC Championship Game in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
2003 - L - 17-7 - Away
2002 - L - 15-4 - Home
2001 - L - 14-10 - Away
2000 - W - 12-10 - Home
1999 - L - 18-10 - Away
1998 - L - 17-10 - Home
1997 - L - 12-9 - Away
1996 - W - 14-8 - Home
1995 - W - 10-9 - Away
ABOUT THE HAWKS
The Hawks have seen their season happen in 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 six straight contests against Drexel (12-8), Delaware (12-7), Bryant (8-7), Robert Morris (13-7), Hobart (8-7 OT), and Sacred Heart (12-11 OT). Saint Joseph's then ended that streak with a convincing 14-5 win over Wagner this past Saturday.
Junior attackman Chris Blewitt leads the Hawks in scoring with 38 points on a team-best 25 goals and team-best 13 assists. Junior attackman Jason Kelly has added 28 points on 22 goals and six helpers.
Senior face-off specialist Danny Manning owns a 57.2 percent winning percentage from the X (131-for-229) to go with a team-best 53 ground balls. Junior Austin Smith has gone for 47 ground balls while senior defenseman Connor Kubikowski owns 39 ground balls and a team-best 18 caused turnovers.
Senior goalkeeper T.J. Jones (4-9, 1-4 NEC) sports a .546 save percentage and 9.82 goals against average in 757:20, including all 13 starts between the pipes in all but 25:00 on the year. Jones owns 149 saves on the season and made a career-high 20 stops against Hobart on April 8. He enters his final game on Saturday after earning his program-record 30th career victory between the pipes against Wagner.
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S
The Mountaineers are 1-4 in NEC play with a 6-5 win over Bryant followed by losses to Robert Morris (11-10), Sacred Heart (13-5), Wagner (9-6), and Hobart (15-8). The Mount dropped its first four non-conference games of the season to Delaware (18-5), Towson (13-5), Richmond (10-7), and Furman (14-7) before picking up a win over Bellarmine (18-7). MSM also picked up non-conference wins over VMI (14-8) and Bucknell (12-10) to go with an 11-9 loss to Georgetown.
Chris DiPretoro (29g, 7a) and Bubba Johnson (20g, 10a) lead the Mount's offense while goalkeeper Matt Vierheller (4-9, 1-4 NEC) sports an 11.22 goals against average and .500 save percentage in 711:#1, all but 69:16 on the year.
