DETROIT (4/9/2015) — It will be a busy weekend for the University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics with home softball and lacrosse games as the men’s lacrosse team welcomes Monmouth on Saturday in a big MAAC match-up. It will be a REDOUT on campus as all fans are encouraged to support all the Titan teams in action by wearing red.
The game is part of a Titan lax doubleheader with free admission as the men’s bout will begin at 11:00 a.m., with the women facing Atlantic Sun-rival Howard at 2:00 p.m., both at Titan Field. On the other side of campus at Buysse Ballpark, the softball team will host Oakland in a Metro Series doubleheader.
The games will have live stats, but no live video.
Fans can follow every Detroit game this season through the men’s lacrosse GAMEDAY CENTRAL page located on the Titans Athletic Website that will keep fans one click away from all the action. This page will feature links for live stats (audio and video when applicable) as well as links for all the latest info while also making it easy to find the Titans on social media and to purchase game tickets. The Gameday Central page also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.
Detroit dropped its second conference game of the season by just one goal falling at Marist last week, 8-7, moving to 5-5 overall and 1-2 in league play. With three conference games left and two of those at home, Detroit will look to stay on pace for qualifying for the MAAC Championship for the fifth-straight year.
Monmouth is in its second year of varsity lacrosse and is 5-5 on the season and 2-1 in the conference. The Hawks already have wins over Siena and Canisius – two other teams vying for spots in the post-season. Monmouth is sixth in the MAAC in scoring at 5.70 goals per game, but leads the league allowing just 7.30 goals per game.
The game is a battle of two of the top goalies in the MAAC as Detroit’s Jason Weber is second in the league in save percentage (.614) and third in goals against average (10.03), while Monmouth’s Garrett Conaway tops the conference in save percentage (.623) and goals against average (7.11).
Once again, admission is free to all home events this weekend.
AGAINST THE MAAC
Detroit is 16-19 in league play since joining the MAAC in 2010. UDM opened its’ MAAC history with a 2-6 mark in 2010 and was 4-2 in 2011 and 3-3 the last three seasons, tying for second place in 2011, 2012, and 2014.
THE SERIES
This is the second career meeting between the two schools as Monmouth is in just its second year as a varsity lacrosse program.
Detroit went on the road last year to West Long Branch, N.J., and used a six-goal run in the first half to take a 7-2 lead at the break, en route to an 11-6 victory.
ABOUT MONMOUTH
After going 0-13 last year, including 0-6 in MAAC play, Monmouth has quickly turned it around winnining its first-ever game against Rutgers and posting a 5-5 mark to this point. The Hawks are also 2-1 in conference action with wins over Siena and Canisius and their only loss to Marist.
Monmouth is one of the lowest scoring teams in the conference and in the NCAA netting just 5.22 goals per game, but it tops the MAAC and is among the Division I leaders allowing only 7.33 per game.
The reigning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week Bryce Wasserman leads the team with 19 goals, seven assists and 26 points.
Ryan Horsch leads the team with 15 caused turnovers and 28 ground balls, while Marco Mosleh is the Hawks top guy at faceoffs winning 39-of-89 (.438) with 18 GB’s.
Garrett Conaway has started all 10 games in goal and has posted a 7.30 goals against average and a .616 save percentage, the MAAC leader in both categories.
TWO SCARLET KNIGHTS LEADING THE WAY
It will be a battle between two Rutgers’ graduates and former teammates turned head coaches in Detroit’s Chris Kolon and Monmouth’s Brian Fisher.
UNDEFEATED AT HOME
The Titans are one of 10 teams in the nation that are undefeated at home as Detroit is 4-0.
Below are the 2015 undefeated home teams
North Carolina – 9-0
Syracuse – 7-0
Ohio State – 6-0
Maryland – 5-0
Detroit – 4-0
Boston University – 4-0
Denver – 4-0
Albany – 3-0
Cornell – 3-0
Hobart – 2-0
TITANS AMONG THE NATION’S LEADERS
The University of Detroit Mercy men’s lacrosse team leads the nation in saves per game and ranks in the top 20 in two other statistics as the NCAA released its latest stats on Wednesday, April 8.
Detroit is tallying 16.50 saves per game, while ranking eighth in man-up offense (.500) and 19th in clearing percentage (.874).
As a team, UDM is also the MAAC leader in clearing percentage and is second in man-up offense, caused turnovers (6.90), scoring offense (9.60) and shot percentage (.289).
Sophomore Jason Weber leads the nation with 15.60 saves per game, a stat that he led the nation last year at 16.27. He is also second in the MAAC and third in the NCAA in save percentage (.614) – after placing first in the country last season with a .642 – and is third in the conference with a 10.03 goals against average.
Junior Paul Bitetti is third in the MAAC and 46th in the nation at 1.25 caused turnovers per game, while senior Scott Drummond leads the conference and is 10th in the country with six man-up goals.
Freshman Mark Anstead tops the MAAC and is 26th in Division I in shot percentage (.421). He is also tied for fifth in the MAAC in points per game (2.80), fourth in assists per game (1.20) and tied for 10th in goals per game (1.60).
Senior Brandon Beauregard is also 10th in the MAAC with 1.60 goals per game, while senior Shayne Adams is shares fifth with 1.80 goals per game and 2.80 points per game.
THE GREAT WALL OF WEBER
After leading nation with 16.27 saves per game last year, sophomore Jason Weber is back at number one leading the country again at 15.60, while ranking third in the country with a .614 save percentage.
He set a school record with 28 saves against Mercer on March 4, tying a MAAC record, and posted 34 saves in the two games at the Midwest Classic, tallying a season-high 19 against nationally-ranked Marquette.
Against Ohio State in the season opener, he posted 14 saves and picked up a career-best six ground balls, while at Michigan, he stopped 17 shots. Weber picked up his first overtime victory with 16 saves against Robert Morris as the Colonials outshot UDM, 51-32, including 19-2 in the first period.
He has now recorded double-digit saves in 20 of his 21 career games played, including 14 games with 15+, nine with 17 or more and two with 20+.
In 21 career games – all starts – he has posted 335 saves, a .629 save percentage and a 9.52 goals against average.
He made 179 total saves last year alone – tying a UDM record – and was 16th in the country and first in the MAAC with a 9.07 goals against average.
ANSTEAD ON FIRE
Freshman Mark Anstead has made an immediate impact to the Titan offense and he nearly put his name at the top of the freshman record book with his six-point performance against Robert Morris on Feb. 21.
Anstead tallied three goals – all in the second period – for his first collegiate hat trick and had his three assists in the second half.
The six points were one shy of the Titan freshman record set by current teammate Shayne Adams, who had seven against Mercer – all goals – in 2011.
Anstead is the fourth true freshman to reach six points in a game following Adams, Joel Matthews (6 vs. Quinnipiac in 2010) and Tyler Staruch (6 vs. Presbyterian in 2010).
He added his second hat trick of the season with three goals and four points at Bellarmine and is coming off a three-goal effort at Quinnipiac.
In Inside Lacrosse’s first set of freshmen rankings, released on March 18, Anstead was listed at No. 21.
The Potomac, Md., native is currently tied for the team lead with 28 points, leads the team with 11 assists and is tied for second on the squad with 16 goals.
BARRIERS BROKEN
The Titans have already accomplished a few “firsts” this season in beating teams like Bellarmine, Ohio State and Robert Morris for the first time in school history as well as receiving votes in the USILA Coach’s Poll.
Detroit is also guaranteed its first-ever winning record against non-conference opponents in the regular season with a 4-3 mark.
The Titans also have five wins so far, one away from tying their school record for the fourth time.
ADAMS FIRST TITAN TO 100 & BEYOND
Senior Shayne Adams – a Tewaaraton Award watch list member in 2013 as well as a three-time All-MAAC selection – has 138 career goals, the only Titan in school history to reach 100 career markers.
He is currently third among active players in the nation in total goals, 10th in goals per game and tied for 14th in total points.
Below are the top three active leaders in total goals in 2015
Wesley Berg, Denver – Sr. – 154
Lyle Thompson, Albany – Sr. – 152
Shayne Adams, Detroit – Sr. – 138
Below are the top 10 active leaders in goals per game in 2015
Dylan Molly, Brown – So. – 3.04
Brody Eastwood, Stony Brook – Jr. – 2.88
Dan Lomas, High Point – Jr. – 2.65
Zach Herreweyers , Loyola – Jr. – 2.50
Lyle Thompson, Albany – Sr. – 2.49
Michael Rastivo, Saint Joseph’s – So. – 2.48
Wesley Berg, Denver – Sr. – 2.41
Randy Staats, Syracuse – Sr. – 2.40
Ryan Brown, Johns Hopkins – Jr. – 2.38
Shayne Adams, Detroit – Sr. – 2.38
Below are the top 14 active leaders in total points in 2015
Lyle Thompson, Albany – Sr. – 347
Wesley Berg, Denver – Sr. – 213
Joey Sankey, North Carolina – Sr. – 211
Mike Rooney, Stony Brook – Sr. – 208
Dan Taylor, Lehigh – Sr. – 206
John Glesener, Army – Sr. – 193
Jimmy Bitter, North Carolina – Sr. – 191
Mike MacDonald, Princeton – Sr. – 184
Kevin Rice, Syracuse – Sr. – 183
Ryan Walsh, Colgate – Sr. – 178
Jessee King, Ohio State – Sr. – 177
Matt Donovan, Cornell – Sr. – 172
Wells Stanwick, Johns Hopkins – Sr. – 170
Shayne Adams, Detroit – Sr. – 167
ADAMS POSSESS NATION’S LONGEST SCORING POINT STREAK
Senior Shayne Adams ran his streak to 56-straight games recording at least one point as he recorded a goal and an assist at Marist.
It is currently the longest streak in the nation by three games over North Carolina’s Jimmy Bitter.
He has 164 points on 135 goals and 29 assists during this spurt.
In his career, Adams has scored a point in 57 of 58 games – only in his second career game at Ohio State did he not register a point – as well as scoring a goal in 55 of those contests.
THE PROUD OWNER OF ANOTHER RECORD.
Senior Shayne Adams already owned the all-time goals record at Detroit, but with his second marker against Marquette on Feb. 27, he picked up point number 147 passing former teammate and current assistant coach Alex Maini (2011-14) for the school lead.
Adams now has 167 career points on 138 goals and 29 assists. His 29 helpers are currently sixth in school history.
He is coming off a season in which he tallied a MAAC-best 42 goals to go along with 49 points – both school records. As a freshman, he had 35 goals and 41 points, while as a sophomore, he had 33 goals and 37 points.
BO KNOWS OFFENSE
Senior Brandon Beauregard tallied a career-high four goals and tied his career best with five points at Quinnipiac and came back with his second-straight hat trick firing in three markers against Manhattan.
He now has three hat tricks in his career following the three goals and two assists he had at second-seeded Notre Dame in 2013 in the NCAA Championship First Round.
He has scored a point in nine of UDM’s 10 goals on the year – including 10 points on eight goals and two assists in the last three games.
Beauregard is now third on the team with a career-best 25 points and career-high 16 goals.
In his career, he currently has 75 points – eighth in school history – on 38 goals and 37 assists. The 38 markers are eighth in the UDM record books, while the 37 assists are fifth.
DID YOU SAY 28?
Sophomore Jason Weber – the reigning MAAC Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year and already a three-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week – posted a school-record 28 saves against Mercer on March 4.
Weber’s 28 saves broke his school record of 23 he had last year in a win over Marist and tied a MAAC single-game record with the 28 that Dan Morrissey of St. Joseph’s had against Delaware on Feb. 14, 2004.
VOTE FOR JOE GIFFORD
Lacrosse fans, Titan fans, alums and Detroit community, senior men’s lacrosse player Joe Gifford needs your vote as he is currently a semifinalist for Challenge Detroit!
Gifford is currently one of 175 semifinalists vying for an opportunity to gain a fellowship at Challenge Detroit.
Challenge Detroit is an urban revitalization project bringing together individuals of various intellects and backgrounds from our own backyard and across the country to come together to live, work, play, give and lead in Detroit by uniting with area companies, non-profits and cultural institutions.
To view Gifford’s video and to vote, click here.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Detroit netted eight-straight goals in the third period – a school record – and never looked back in defeating Bellarmine on the road, 14-11, on March 1. The game was one of the best offensive contests in Titan history.
The 14 goals are tied for the fifth-most by the Titans in school history and the most since putting in 14 against Manhattan in 2013.
They collected assists tying for fourth in school history and the most since tallying nine at Monmouth in 2014.
The 25 total points is the sixth highest in the Detroit record book and the most since posting 26 at Canisius in 2012.
The Titans also had five man-up goals, tying a school record for the third time.
BRING ON THE YOUNGSTERS
You always feel more comfortable with veterans, but it was the younger Titans who have really shined this year.
Through 10 games, more than 38.0 percent of Detroit’s offense – including 36.2 percent of its goals – has been recorded by underclassmen (freshmen, redshirt freshmen, sophomores) as they have notched 35 goals and 22 assists for 57 points, with the UDM’s total standing at 95 goals and 50 assists for 145 points.
GIVE IT UP
Junior Paul Bitetti was selected preseason All-Conference by the MAAC and Inside Lacrosse and he showed exactly why he has received those accolades tallying two caused turnovers against Ohio State and at Michigan. He also picked one up against Marquette and at Bellarmine and is third in the MAAC and 46th in the nation with 1.25 per game.
He saw a lot of action as a freshman on the 2013 MAAC Championship team and stepped up his play last year, taking over the top long pole spot and earning First Team All-MAAC.
Bitetti recorded a career and team-high 24 caused turnovers and ended the year 12th in Division I and leading the MAAC with 1.85 caused turnovers per game.
BIRNEY GOES BOOM
Senior Mike Birney posted his first hat trick of the season with three goals and a season-high four points against Manhattan. It was his eighth career first three-goal game and the first since ringing up four against Marquette last season.
He now has 61 career goals for a share of third in school history, while his 86 points is sixth.
Birney was tabbed Second Team All-MAAC for the second-straight year in 2014 and was a preseason All-Conference selection this year.
He posted 18 goals and 25 points as a junior, tied for second and fifth, respectively, on the squad in 2014.
Birney – who has a shot clocked as high as 114 MPH in the summer of 2013 – earned the Most Outstanding Player at the 2013 MAAC Championship, where he recorded eight goals and had a pair of game winners and a career-high five in the title game.
THE BEAT OF HIS DRUM
Senior Scott Drummond tallied a goal – which proved to be the game winner – in the season opener against Ohio State, helping the Titans to their first-ever win over the Buckeyes.
He is also coming off his second hat trick in three games with three markers at Marist after posting three at Quinnipiac.
He currently has a team-high six man-up goals, tops in the MAAC and 10th in the nation.
The midfielder is coming off his best season culminating in being named Second Team All-MAAC in 2014 as he set career highs with 17 goals, 15 assists and 32 points, good for third on the squad in assists, fourth in points and tied for fourth in goals.
He is currently fourth in school history with 94 points and is fifth with 55 goals. He also has totaled five hat tricks in his career.
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