The No. 9 University of Tampa Men's Lacrosse Team is Set to Host Chestnut Hill
The University of Tampa men's lacrosse team looks to advance to 4-2 with a win over Chestnut Hill.
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Team Stats
Chestnut Hill
| Game Statistics | Chestnut Hill | #9 Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 30 | 44 |
| Ground Balls | 25 | 37 |
| Saves | 15 | 11 |
| Clears | 18-20 | 20-20 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 12 |
| Face Offs Won | 9 | 10 |
| Man Up | 2-6 | 1-2 |
TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 9 University of Tampa men's lacrosse team will host the Chestnut Hill Griffins on Saturday, at 7 p.m. The meeting marks the second matchup between the schools, with Tampa having won the first.
The Matchup: No. 9 University of Tampa (3-2) vs. Chestnut Hill (1-0)
- In the last meeting, on March 1, 2016, the University of Tampa Spartans beat the Chestnut Hill Griffins 12-6. Senior Conor Whipple led UT with four goals and two assists, followed by senior Jake Schmidt with two goals and one assist. On defense, Junior Alex Patton and senior Charlie Cummins led the spartans with 9 and 5 blocked goals respectively. Additionally, returning goal keeper A.J. Arnold had ten saves against the Griffins.
Date/Time: Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
Last Time Out: Tampa fell to the No. 2 Limestone Saints 12-10. On offense, the Spartans were led by sophomore Andrew Kew with three goals, and freshman Jake Mosher McGraw with two goals and one assist. Defensively, senior Marty Heyn stopped the Saints from scoring on six different occasions. Junior Sam Watts won 14-26 of his total face offs, earning him the SSC Specialist of the Week honor. After a tough loss, the Spartans are hungry for another 'W' this weekend.
About the Spartans: The Spartans finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 15-3. After falling short in the semifinal, UT is hungry for another national championship title run.
This season the Spartans are led offensively by attackers Kew and Whipple with 22 and 10 goals respectively. Whipple, a 2016 USILA second team All-American and 2016 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, is also second in team assists with 6 this season. The University of Tampa Spartans also return seniors Schmidt and Heyn. Schmidt was a 2016 USILA third team All-American, and Heyn was a 2016 USILA honorable mention.
About the Griffins: The Griffins are currently 1-0 both overall and in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC). The Griffins return four of their top five leading point scores from the 2016 season. All of whom are now seniors, Alec Dambach with 37 goals in the 2016 season, Dylan Klusaritz with 27 goals, Andrew Dooley with 13 goals, and Justin Albarran with 7 goals. Senior goal keeper Thomas McDermott also returns for the Griffins with an average save percentage of 46.7%.
Milestone Within Reach: Head coach Rory Whipple currently stands at 299 career victories. The all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division II is looking to reach the 300 mark with his next victory.
Rankings: The University of Tampa men's lacrosse team was selected as the No. 4 squad in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association/Nike Preseason Coaches Poll. The Spartans hauled in 297 points after reaching the 2016 NCAA Division II Semifinals just a season ago. Taking the top spot is reigning national champions LeMoyne, as the Dolphins received all 18 first place votes. Runner up Limestone sits No. 2 while Merrimack garnered 322 points to pick up the No. 3 ranking. However, after losing on February 18, to the No. 17 Lindenwood Lions, and on February 25, to the No. 2 Limestone Saints, the Spartans have dropped to No. 9.
Entering this match, the Spartans have been ranked in the top ten for 41 consecutive weeks. This dates back to their 2014 season.
Series History: Tampa takes the sweep, with a 1-0 record against the Griffins in the all-time series. The first time the teams met (March of 2016), the game was played in Tampa, Fla. at the Naimoli Athletic Complex.
Tickets: Tickets for are $5 for adults, senior citizens and coaches. Children under 12 will be admitted free. UT students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with a valid student ID.
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Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.
Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.
