RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? The Manhattan College men's lacrosse team's goal entering the 2009 season was to earn a return trip to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament. Mission accomplished. The Jaspers (9-7, 5-3 MAAC) won a pair of must-win games to conclude the regular season and secure their second straight playoff berth. Now the squad turns its attention to the postseason, which gets underway on Friday at 4:30 p.m., when the Jaspers take on Mount St. Mary's (5-9, 5-3 MAAC) in the MAAC semifinals at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y.
Manhattan, which is making the sixth MAAC Tournament appearance in program history, comes into the tournament having won four out of its last five games. The Jaspers notched a pair of one-goal victories, 5-4 over Providence and 10-9 at Marist, to conclude the regular season. James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) leads the MAAC in points (3.25 ppg) and ranks second in scoring (2.5 gpg). His 40 goals this season are the second-most for a single-season in school history. Joe Variano (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) has dished out a team-leading 15 assists and is second on the team in both goals (22) and points (37). Angelo Marrano (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) has corralled a team-high 92 ground balls, while John Geagan (Seaford, N.Y.) boasts a 9.29 goals against average and .534 save percentage in goal.
The Mountaineers had won four out of five before concluding the regular season with a 12-5 loss to Johns Hopkins on Monday night. Mount St. Mary's qualified for the MAAC Tournament for the first time since 2006. Offensively, the Mountaineers are paced by Cody Lehrer, who has 15 goals this season. Christian Kellett, who had six points against the Jaspers on March 14, leads Mount St. Mary's with 24 points. Brendan Flanagan has picked up a team-high 46 ground balls, while goalkeeper T.C. DiBartolo leads the MAAC in both saves (11.86 spg) and save percentage (.613). DiBartolo's 8.03 goals against average is the third best mark in the MAAC.
Mount St. Mary's won the regular season meeting between the teams, 12-9 at Gaelic Park on March 14. Friday's winner advances to face either top-seeded Siena (10-5, 8-0 MAAC) or No. 2 Providence (6-9, 5-3 MAAC) in the MAAC Championship Game at 12 p.m. on Sunday. The winner of that game earns the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Championships.
A live audio broadcast of Friday's action will be available at www.gojaspers.com with Mike Scott calling the play-by-play. To listen, click here.
