April 15, 2010
Center Valley, Pa. - Several critical games are on the weekend schedule as the Patriot League Tournament fields begin to take shape in men and women's lacrosse. Take a look at a preview of the weekend action in each sport, as well as the upcoming series in baseball and softball, below.
Men's Lacrosse
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All seven Patriot League men's lacrosse teams will be in action this weekend, including three League contests. Perhaps none loom larger than Saturday's Star Game pitting rivals Army and Navy. The Black Knights and the Midshipmen will square off at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in the opening game of the Smartlink Day of Rivals. Army and Navy have already clinched Patriot League Tournament berths, but Lafayette could join them on Friday. The No. 16/20 Leopards will travel to Hamilton, N.Y. to battle Colgate. With a win, Lafayette would clinch its first-ever Patriot League Tournament berth. The Leopards could also get if Bucknell beats Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks and Bison will compete on Friday in Lewisburg, Pa. One non-League game is on the weekend slate. Holy Cross will host Quinnipiac on Saturday.
Army (5-5, 3-0) and Navy (5-6, 4-1) will face off on Saturday in Baltimore, with the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament potentially on the line. Army shares the Patriot League lead with Lafayette, while Navy is just one game back. Saturday's match-up will be the 88th meeting between the schools, with Navy holding 57-27-3 edge. The Mids claimed an 8-4 win over the Black Knights in Baltimore last season, marking just the second time the teams had played on a neutral field. It was the first Star Game played away from either of the teams' home fields. The two squads enter the game having played more overtime games than any other team in the nation. Only three teams have played at least three overtime contests. Army and Navy are the only two that have played four. The contest will be the opening game of the Smartlink Day of Rivals, which will be televised by ESPNU.
Though tied for the Patriot League lead, Lafayette (8-2, 3-0) has not yet clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth. The Leopards can reach the tournament with a win at Colgate (2-8, 1-3) on Friday. The Raiders have their own plans, however, as Colgate can reach the tournament with two straight wins. Colgate picked up its first Patriot League win of the season with a 12-4 win over Lehigh on Saturday, but with games against Lafayette and Bucknell remaining on its schedule, the Raiders control their own destiny. Lafayette opened the season with a school-record six straight wins before dropping two consecutive outings. The Leopards have since rebounded, winning their past two contests. Lafayette leads the Patriot League and ranks fourth in the nation with 13.60 goals per game. Colgate has been paced by Peter Baum, who recently broke the Colgate freshman record for goals in a season with 21. Friday's contest will be televised by Time Warner.
Bucknell (6-5, 1-3) and Lehigh (6-6, 1-3) will attempt to strengthen their Patriot League Tournament hopes when the two squads square off in Lewisburg on Friday. The Bison and the Mountain Hawks enter the weekend tied with Colgate for the fourth and final tournament berth. Bucknell dropped to 1-3 in Patriot League play with a 7-6 overtime loss to Army on Saturday. All five of Bucknell's losses by been by a single goal, while three have come in overtime. A year after going 3-0 at home in Patriot League play, the Bison are 0-2 in League games at Christy-Matthewson-Memorial Stadium. Lehigh is seeking to recover after a 12-4 loss at Colgate last weekend. Sophomore goalkeeper Conor Murphy stopped 13 shots, but the Mountain Hawks were out-shot by a 42-21 margin.
Holy Cross (3-9, 1-4) is the lone Patriot League team to play a non-League contest this week. The Crusaders will host Quinnipiac on Saturday. Holy Cross went 1-1 last week, picking up a non-League win over Vermont before falling in overtime against No. 16/20 Lafayette. Holy Cross topped Vermont by an 11-1 count. It was the fewest goals allowed by any NCAA Division I team since Siena's 7-1 victory over Providence on May 1, 2009. The Crusaders then dropped a 13-12 overtime decision against Lafayette, eliminating Holy Cross from Patriot League Tournament contention.
To follow any live stats, video or audio links for in-game action, or to read postgame recaps and boxscores, go to the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Composite Schedule.
Women's Lacrosse
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All seven squads are in action this weekend with the three League games all having major implications on Patriot League Tournament qualification and seeding.
Lafayette (3-12, 1-4 Patriot League) visits Holy Cross (4-10, 1-3) in the first League contest with postseason ramifications. The Leopards will look to spoil the Crusaders' playoff aspirations when the teams hit the field for the opening draw at 12 p.m. Holy Cross must win if it is to remain eligible for the Patriot League Tournament and set up a showdown with American next weekend in Worcester. If Lafayette upends the Crusaders, Holy Cross would drop to four League losses, which would clinch the final two tournament berths for Lehigh and American, regardless of the results of any other League games the rest of the season. Both squads are coming off losses on Wednesday, as Lafayette's upset bid at Sacred Heart fell short in overtime 15-14, while Harvard handed Holy Cross a 15-9 defeat in Cambridge, Mass.
A pair of Patriot League battles will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Colgate (8-6, 3-1) has already clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament, but it still has a chance at the No. 1 seed and hosting duties for the four-team playoff. In order for the Raiders to stay in the hunt for the top seed, they must defeat Bucknell (2-13, 0-4) in Lewisburg. The Bison have been bolstered by the late-season return of senior standout Carol Donohue, who last week eclipsed 100 career goals and became the school's all-time leader in assists and points. Colgate is riding the momentum of two straight victories, including overcoming a five-goal deficit to defeat then-No. 20/NR Florida 12-11 in overtime. Meghan Lawler is two assists shy of tying the all-time Raider mark at 79. Last week against Lafayette, she tallied her 30th assist, which set the single-season record.
The second League battle starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday features Navy (13-2, 4-0) visiting Lehigh (11-3, 3-1). The Mids have been idle since their back-and-forth 15-14 victory over American in Annapolis to put a stranglehold on first place. With League victories over the Eagles and Colgate, Navy needs to defeat Lehigh in order to secure the No. 1 seed and hosting duties for the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in program history. The contest is crucial for Lehigh, who despite being 3-1 has not clinched a berth in the League tournament. If Holy Cross defeats American on Saturday, the Mountain Hawks would need a victory over Navy or a victory at Colgate on April 24 to avoid a three-way tie for the last two playoff spots. Lehigh is coming off a 17-14 win over Albany at home on Monday.
The fourth game of the weekend features American (5-9, 3-2) in non-League action entertaining Davidson on Sunday. Since back-to-back League victories over Lehigh and Lafayette, the Eagles have lost two in a row to Navy and Virginia Tech. They are taking on a Davidson team that faced three other League teams earlier this season. The League is 2-1 overall against the Wildcats. Bucknell captured an 8-7 win on February 21, Navy won 14-7 on February 27 and Lafayette fell 16-7 on March 17.
To follow any live stats, video or audio links for in-game action, or to read postgame recaps and boxscores, go to the Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Composite Schedule
Baseball
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The Patriot League Baseball schedule hits the midway point this weekend with the teams that are tied for first place, Army and Lehigh, squaring off in their four-game set in West Point. The weekend slate also includes Lafayette at Holy Cross and Navy at Bucknell in four-game series that could go a long way towards determining Patriot League Tournament berths.
Army (16-11, 6-2 Patriot League) has largely done what it was expected to as the preseason Patriot League favorite. The Black Knights opened the season by winning three of four games at both Holy Cross and Navy, and now have only home series left in Patriot League action. A deep lineup includes six players hitting at .330 or better for the season and Army has receieved solid work from its starting pitching staff and closer Kevin McKague, who is among the national leaders with seven saves and on the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch list. The Black Knights will contend with a Lehigh (14-16, 6-2) team that has won six straight games largely on the strength of its pitching. Senior Greg Angelo earned mulitple national honors after throwing a no-hitter against Lafayette on Sunday, and has not given up an earned run in two starts covering 12 innings in Patriot League play. Classmate Andrew Berger has earned three straight seven-inning complete-game victories. The Mountain Hawks swept rival Lafayette for the first time since 2002 last weekend. Army swept four games in Bethlehem last season.
Navy (22-13, 3-5) and Bucknell (14-22, 3-5) are both trying to get back on track after losing three of four games last weekend. Each team started in the right direction by winning handily on Wednesday, and relies on a senior outfielder that comes in hot after hitting two home runs in that weekday win. Navy's Michael Speciale bombed two home runs and drove in four in an 11-3 win at Maryland-Eastern Shore, while Bucknell's Andrew Brouse now has a Patriot League-best 11 home runs this season after hitting two in a 12-3 win over Towson. The series features a contrast in styles, as Navy leads the Patriot League in earned run average and Bucknell paces the way in runs, home runs and hits. Bucknell won three of four games at Navy last season.
Holy Cross (14-15, 4-4) got back on track by winning three of four games at Bucknell last weekend, and hosts a slumping Lafayette (6-22, 2-6) team that was swept by Lehigh last weekend and has five losses in a row overall. Holy Cross boasts the top team batting average in the Patriot League at .322, and Nick Ciardiello paces the League with a .443 mark. Reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Matt Perry earned Patriot League Player of the Week honors after a strong series against Bucknell, and has his average up to .350 for the year. Lafayette features a balanced offense with Matt Hall (.330), Rob Froio (.317) and A.J. Pisarri (.295) among the leaders. Holy Cross won three of four games at Lafayette last season.
Each of the Navy/Bucknell doubleheaders begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, while the Lehigh/Army matchups start at 12 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Lafayette will play Holy Cross in twin-bills that had to be moved back one day due to inclement weather. The series will now be conducted Sunday and Monday with games starting at 1 p.m. each day.
To follow any live stats, video or audio links for in-game action, or to read postgame recaps and boxscores, go to the Patriot League Baseball Composite Schedule
Softball
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Statistics
After the weekend, the Patriot League softball season will be at its midway point. Entering Saturday's games, Army holds the top Patriot League record at 6-2. The Black Knights hold a one-game lead over Lehigh and Bucknell. Army will put its top position on the line when it hosts surging Holy Cross. Bucknell will also be at home when it takes on Colgate. Lehigh will be on the road, but the trip will be short, as the Mountain Hawks will travel to local rival Lafayette.
Army (19-15, 6-2) will be at home for the third straight weekend as it will welcome Holy Cross (9-21, 4-4) to West Point. The Crusaders have been on the road for all three of their Patriot League series. Holy Cross has split both of its League series, going 0-4 on Saturdays and 4-0 on Sundays. In their Sunday sweep against Colgate last weekend, the Crusaders hit five home runs, including three by Erin Fleming. Army is coming off a split against League foe Lehigh. Each team split non-League doubleheaders during mid-week action, with Holy Cross going 1-1 against Siena and Army splitting its games with Rutgers.
Colgate (20-12, 3-5) entered Patriot League play with the top overall record, but the Crusaders have dropped seven of their last 10, including five Patriot League contests. The Raiders split their most recent Patriot League series against Holy Cross, winning both Saturday games but falling twice on Sunday. Colgate sophomore Stephanie Hartquist enters the weekend with a 19-game hitting streak. Hartquist and the Raiders will attempt to reestablish momentum when they take on Bucknell (17-11, 5-3). The Bison went 3-1 against League foe Lafayette last weekend. Bucknell is 7-1 in its last eight games, including a pair of non-League victories over St. Francis (Pa.) this week.
Lehigh (21-13, 5-3) will make the short trip to Easton to take on rival Lafayette (12-23, 1-7). It will be a re-match of last year's Patriot League Championship, which was won by Lehigh in extra innings. After opening Patriot League play with a series win over Colgate, the Mountain Hawks split with League-leading Army last weekend. Lafayette recorded its first Patriot League win on Sunday with a 5-4 win over Bucknell, snapping a six-game Patriot League losing streak. Lafayette is coming off a pair of doubleheader splits in non-League play during the week, going a combined 2-2 against St. Peter's and Penn. Lehigh was swept in a midweek doubleheader against Monmouth. Sophomore Julie Fernandez recorded hits in both games, giving her a 25-game hitting streak.
To follow any live stats, video or audio links for in-game action, or to read postgame recaps and boxscores, go to the Patriot League Softball Composite Schedule.