MAAC Championship Game Notes
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BUFFALO, N.Y. ? This is what the Manhattan College men's lacrosse team has played for all season. The Jaspers (10-7) take on Siena (11-5) at the Demske Sports Complex on Sunday at 12 p.m. in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Game with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line. The game will be broadcast live at www.gojaspers.com and televised on tape delay by Time Warner Sports.
The Jaspers can tie the school record for wins with a victory on Sunday. Manhattan's 5-3 semifinal win over Mount St. Mary's was the team's third straight victory and fifth in its last six games. Sal Perrotto (Garnerville, N.Y.) recorded a hat trick in the win over Mount St. Mary's, while MAAC Offensive Player of the Year James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) had two goals on Friday. Synowiez leads the MAAC with 42 goals. He also paces the Jaspers with 54 points. Joe Variano (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) has distributed a team-high 15 assists, and ranks second on the team with 22 goals and 37 points. Angelo Marrano (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), a Second Team All-MAAC selection, leads the Jaspers with 95 ground balls, while fellow Second Team All-MAAC choice Steve Sternberg (Easton, Conn.) is second on the squad in ground balls (47) and caused turnovers (28). John Geagan (Seaford, N.Y.) held Mount St. Mary's scoreless in the first half on Friday and made 10 saves in the victory. Geagan (8-7) has a goals against average of 8.87 and a .544 save percentage.
Siena went undefeated in MAAC play this season and posted a dominating 7-1 win over Providence in the semifinals. The Saints, who are playing in the MAAC Championship Game for the first time, are currently on a nine-game winning streak. MAAC Rookie of the Year Bryan Neufeld leads the Saints with 36 goals and 49 points. Neufeld, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Chris Viviano and Chris Zarins were all named First Team All-MAAC. Scott Montgomery paces Siena with 91 ground balls and boasts a .567 faceoff percentage. Brent Herbst, a Second Team All-MAAC choice, has a 6.06 goals against average and a save percentage of .619.
The Saints posted a 16-9 victory over the Jaspers at Gaelic Park on March 28 and have won three straight against Manhattan. The Jaspers, however, hold an 8-4 advantage in the all-time series.
The winner of Sunday's game claims the MAAC Championship and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Jaspers won their only MAAC title in 2002, while Siena has never won the conference championship.
