| Date |
Saturday, April 20, 2019 (1 p.m.) |
| Matchup |
#2 Merrimack (11-1, 9-0 NE10)
#3 Adelphi (13-1, 8-1 NE10) |
| Location |
Motamed Field // Garden City, N.Y. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video |
| Social |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – With just two games remaining in the regular season, the second-ranked Merrimack College men's lacrosse program will put its undefeated conference record on the line when it travels to third-ranked Adelphi University in a key regional clash on Saturday afternoon. Game time from Motamed Field is set for 1 p.m.
Five Things to Know:
- Merrimack ran up its winning streak to nine straight games after a dominant Senior Day victory against No. 19 Assumption College on Tuesday in the final home game of the regular season. Ten different players scored at least one goal and sophomore Christian Thomas tied his career-high scoring total with a 10-point outing while junior Nick Ponte remained undefeated in net with a nine-save outing to key the Warriors to victory.
- Recording no fewer than 12 goals in any game this season, Merrimack owns the NE10's best scoring offense (and the country's third-best), averaging 17.75 goals per game. They also boast the nation's top-ranked man-up offense that converts at 51.0 percent. The Warriors have also taken care of the ball well, as indicated by their 14.58 turnovers per game (second-fewest in the country) and an 84.1-percent clearing percentage that ranks 26th nationally.
- Junior Charlie Bertrand continues to back up his status as one of the nation's best overall players with a team-leading 70 points on the strength of 55 goals and 15 assists in eight games. He leads the country in points per game (7.00) and goals per game (5.50), while sophomore Sean Black leads the country in assists per game (4.00) and ranks second in scoring average (6.18), behind only Bertrand. Thomas, who has 35 points in his last five games alone (17g, 18a), ranks sixth nationally in assists average, as well (2.67) and 14th in scoring average (4.92).
- Merrimack has won 21 straight games at home, the longest active home winning streak in the country. The last time the Warriors lost a game at home was on March 18, 2017. The Warriors have also won 20 straight against NE10 foes, the longest active streak in the NE10 and the country.
- Merrimack and Adelphi have played a hotly contested series over the last decade since the Panthers joined the NE10 in 2009. Overall, Merrimack has a 12-8 series lead and has won three straight, including a pair of games in North Andover last year that featured a 17-11 win in the conference tournament semifinals last May. The Warriors are 3-6 on the road against Adelphi, which enters Saturday at 13-1 overall (8-1 NE10) and has three players above 40 points led by Ian Kirby's 59 (33g, 26a). Faceoff specialist Mark Andrejack is one of the nation's best with a 75.3-percent winning clip (204-of-271), while Brendan McDougal has started every game and owns a 7.96 goals against and a .577 save percentage.
Inside the Matchup:
| #2 Merrimack (11-1, 9-0 NE10) |
Category |
#3 Adelphi (13-1, 8-1 NE10) |
| 4/16 vs. #19 Assumption (W, 22-7) |
Recent Games |
4/16 at Bentley (W, 15-3) |
| 17.75 |
Scoring Offense |
16.07 |
| 9.75 |
Scoring Defense |
8.00 |
| 51.0% |
Man-Up Offense |
32.8% |
| 70.7% |
Man-Down Defense |
73.3% |
| 34.75 |
Ground Balls |
37.79 |
| 14.58 |
Turnovers |
17.14 |
| 8.83 |
Caused Turnovers |
9.21 |
| 50.1% |
Faceoff Pct. |
63.0% |
| 84.1% |
Clearing Pct. |
81.7% |
Up Next
Merrimack concludes the regular season at Saint Michael's on Tuesday afternoon, with game time set for 3:30 p.m.
