| Date |
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 (1 p.m.) |
| Matchup |
#1 Merrimack (0-0, 0-0 NE10)
NYIT (0-2, 0-0 ECC) |
| Location |
Duane Stadium // North Andover, Mass. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video |
| Social |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Back on the turf for the first time since hoisting the national championship trophy last May at Gillette Stadium, the top-ranked Merrimack College men's lacrosse program turns the page to 2019 and begins its next season-long journey when it hosts New York Institute of Technology in a rematch of last year's NCAA Quarterfinal round on Saturday (Feb. 23) at Duane Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m.
BEER GARDENS AVAILABLE FOR HOME GAMES
Merrimack is pleased to offer a 21+ Beer Garden on the stadium patio for all home men's lacrosse games (opposite the press box side, closest to the Merrimack Athletics Complex). The patio opens one hour before faceoff and closes at the end of the third quarter. Light snacks are also available for purchase.
Five Things to Know:
- Coming off the greatest season in school history that featured a record 18 victories, a league title and a national championship, Merrimack will set its sights on another run to glory when it plays host to the same NYIT squad that it defeated by nearly 20 goals in last May's quarterfinal round of the national tournament. The Warriors finished last year 12-0 at Duane Stadium, a single-season record for victories on their home turf.
- Merrimack owns the nation's longest active winning streak of 14 straight games and has won the last 30 games it has scored 10 or more goals in, a program record and the longest active win streak in the nation. Merrimack also has won 16 straight games at home, trailing only Colorado Mesa's 20 straight home wins. The last time the Warriors lost a game at home was on March 18, 2017.
- Merrimack finished last year with the fifth-highest scoring offense in the country (15.37) and ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense (7.32). The Warriors also boasted the fifth-best man-down defense in the country (81.5%) and seventh-best man-up offense (41.2%). Merrimack finished last year holding 16-of-19 opponents to single-digit goal totals.
- Up front, Merrimack welcomes the return of all three of its top scorers in sophomore Sean Black (98 points), classmate Christian Thomas (80) and junior Charlie Bertrand (79), forming a scoring tandem that has the potential to be elite yet again. Merrimack will look to seniors Ryan Burke and Dan Cotnoir, as well as sophomore Carlin Joyal to highlight the back end, while senior Michael O'Connell and sophomore Jack-Henry Smith both will see plenty of time in the midfield ranks. In net, sophomore Peter Brown will look to follow up a stellar debut season that saw him finish with a 6.73 goals against and a .503 save percentage.
- NYIT dropped a pair of games last weekend in Florida, falling to Palm Beach Atlantic (17-11) and Lynn (19-5) to start the year 0-2. The Bears are averaging eight goals each outing but have allowed 36 in two starts. Matt Murphy is the top scorer thus far with five points (4g, 1a), while Frank Callan's three caused turnovers lead the Bears.
Inside the Matchup:
| #1 Merrimack (0-0, 0-0 NE10) |
Category |
NYIT (0-2, 0-0 ECC) |
| -- |
Recent Games |
2/17 at Lynn (L, 5-19) |
| 15.37 |
Scoring Offense |
8.00 |
| 7.32 |
Scoring Defense |
18.00 |
| 41.2% |
Man-Up Offense |
20.0% |
| 81.5% |
Man-Down Defense |
76.9% |
| 34.79 |
Ground Balls |
36.00 |
| 12.53 |
Turnovers |
12.50 |
| 7.16 |
Caused Turnovers |
5.50 |
| 66.0% |
Faceoff Pct. |
29.3% |
| 89.1% |
Clearing Pct. |
80.0% |
Up Next
Merrimack will hit the road for three straight starting next Sunday at Lake Erie College, where the Warriors will meet the Storm for a 12 p.m. matchup.
