Men's Lacrosse Faces Bellarmine In Pivotal GWLL Match-up
4/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
It's All Riding On This One
The Quinnipiac men's lacrosse team closes out the regular season with an 11 a.m. home match-up against Bellarmine, Saturday. With a win, the Bobcats would clinch a berth in the first-ever GWLL Tournament, May 2-4, in Detroit. The top four teams in the league will advance to the tournament. Quinnipiac currently occupies the fourth, and final, spot. The Bobcats return home after a four-game road stretch, spanning four weeks and three time zones.
Oh, The Possibilities
The Bobcats are currently clinging to the fourth, and final, GWLL Tournament position. With a win, Quinnipiac would ensure its place in the tournament. The Bobcats could also secure their berth by allowing fewer than nine goals and scoring at least six goals against Bellarmine, combined with an Air Force loss at home to Denver. In the event of a three-way tie for fourth, goals against in competition with the other two teams in the tie would be considered. Air Force allowed 19 goals in their two games against QU and Bellarmine. The Knights allowed 13 goals against Air Force. The Bobcats allowed 10 goals against Air Force.
Scouting the Knights
Adam Gardner leads Bellarmine with 20 goals, while Shane Andersen is close behind with 18. Andersen's 11 assists give him a team-high 29 points. Matt Holland's 13 assists are a team-best, while his 14 goals place him in second on the team in points (27). Three other Knights have also scored in double-digits in goals. David Haas, Justin Burks and Scott Bowles have all seen considerable time in net. Haas has a team-best .528 save percentage and three wins. Bowles' 9.64 goals-against average is best on the team.
Poerio Picks It Up
With three ground balls, April 18, at Notre Dame, Anthony Poerio passed Eric Trama ‘06 for 15th in ground balls (83) on the Quinnipiac All-Time Career List.
Access Denied
Sophomore goaltender Kevin Benzing entered the week ranked 32nd and 38th in the nation, respectively, in goals-against average (9.0) and save percentage (.526). Benzing stopped a season-high 17 shots, March 1, at Manhattan, and has earned all seven Bobcat victories. Benzing also stopped 16 shots at Air Force. His 4.18 ground balls per game this season lead the Bobcats, and rank 31st in the nation.
Kaiser Kares For Kolorado
Todd Kaiser scored four goals during the Bobcats' two-game road trip to Colorado, including the overtime-game winner at Air Force. He scored the other three goals, all in the second half, April 11 at No. 18 Denver. The three-goal scoring burst doubled his previous season total.
Dimond Does It
Ted Dimond was a major contributor to the Bobcats' 11-10 overtime win at Air Force, April 13. He scored three consecutive goals in the third period to give QU a two-goal cushion.
Hey Hey Hayes
Bill Hayes totaled six points in the Bobcats' two-game Colorado road trip, including two goals and two assists against Air Force. He scored the game-tying goal with 9.3 seconds remaining against the Falcons to force overtime.
What A Mess-ina
Junior Gary Messina has turned into one of the Bobcats' most reliable scoring options. His 10 goals are tied for third on the team. Combined with 13 assists, more than twice the tally of the next-closest QU player, Messina leads the Bobcats with 23 points.
The Quinnipiac Poll
Quinnipiac settled into the sixth position in the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week after topping the poll a month ago.
In The Bobcats' Defense...
The Quinnipiac defense entered the week ranked 35th in the nation in scoring defense at 9.36 goals allowed per game.
No Senior Discount
Bobcat upperclassmen Gary Messina and Anthony Poerio were major contributors in Quinnipiac's 8-5 victory, March 15, against Hartford. Messina scored two goals and assisted on two more while Poerio also scored twice.
Kerr Connecting
Sophomore Garret Kerr has scored a team-high 16 goals. His 18 points are second on the team. His last-second goal against St. John's made the Bobcats winners, Feb. 25. He scored in each of the first six games for the Bobcats, including four goals in the season-opening win against Wagner.
Endicott Leads QU At Marist
Senior Sean Endicott scored three goals in Quinnipiac's 10-7 victory, March 12 at Marist. The three goals more than doubled his previous season total of two goals through four games.
Capalbo Family Comes Together
The Bobcats' March 12 victory at Marist was special for more than just the result. The game was played in honor of Joe Capalbo, Sr., the father of Bobcat senior Joe Capalbo, Jr., and his brother, Marist sophomore Tim Capalbo. Several other family members were also on hand to honor the memory of Capalbo, Sr., who passed away from lymphoma in September.
A Team Effort
Five different Quinnipiac players scored goals in the Bobcats' 5-4 victory against Providence, March 8. Mike Lamagna led Quinnipiac with a goal and an assist.
On Deck
The Bobcats hope to continue their season, Friday, May 2, at the Great Western Lacrosse League Tournament, in Detroit. The top four teams in the conference advance to the semifinals, with the winners of the semifinal match-ups advancing to Sunday's championship tilt.
