April 29, 2010

EASTON, Pa. - Fueled by the anticipation of its first-ever Patriot League Tournament appearance, the No. 3 seed Lafayette men's lacrosse team takes on second-seeded Navy on Friday afternoon in West Point, N.Y.

In their first meeting, Lafayette soared to victory as they defeated the Midshipmen for the first time in the school's history (15-8).

The Leopards (8-5, 3-3) roll into the tournament with their best record since 1984 and a season that has featured them ranked in the top-20 for seven consecutive weeks.

Lafayette offensive arsenal boasts the sixth best scoring offense (12.9 per game) and is fourth in the country in assists (8.0) and points (20.92) per game.

The offense is spread across a depth of talent featuring the 2010 Offensive Player of the Year Steve Serling (36 goals, 11 assists), junior Tom Perini (30 goals, 6 assists) and senior Matt Mersky (26 goals, 7 assists). Junior Stefan Bauer is currently ranked seventh in the country in assists per game (2.31).

Between the pipes, the Leopards look to senior Vinny DePasquale who has proved himself as a solid presence in cage with 159 saves, 10.77 goals against average and double digit saves in 12 games this season.

The Midshipmen (6-7, 4-2) come in to the game riding the momentum of their upset victory over No. 17/15 Johns Hopkins. With ten seconds remaining in overtime, junior Andy Warner found the back of the net resulting in a 9-8 final score, Navy's first win over the Blue Jays since 1974.

In goal, Navy turns to the 2010 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, sophomore RJ Wickham. The 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy nominee Wickham stands No. 2 in the nation in save percentage, turning back 61.5 percent of the shots he's faced. Wickham has recorded 174 saves this season, reaching double digits in 10 of the 13 games.

As a team, the Midshipmen are ranked No. 3 in saves per game, stopping 13.46 shots on goal.

The game is set for approximately 5:45 p.m. at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y. It will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports and audio can be heard through LSN All-Access.

2010 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Championship Schedule:
Friday, April 30
Semifinal 1: No. 1 Army vs. No. 4 Bucknell (CBS College Sports), 3 p.m.
Semifinal 2: No. 2 Navy vs. No. 3 Lafayette (CBS College Sports), 5:45 p.m. or 45 minutes following the conclusion of the first semifinal

Sunday, May 2 Championship:
Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2 (CBS College Sports), 3 p.m.