2/18/2005 - Men's Lacrosse
Navy Opens 2005 Lacrosse Campaign Saturday vs. Providence

Files associated with this release:
Navy vs. Providence Lacrosse Game Notes F19, 05

Midshipmen - Friars Briefly...
Date: Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005 Time: Noon Site: Branford, Conn.
Stadium: Branford H.S. (5,000) Surface: FieldTurf
Radio: None
Internet: None
Records: Navy (0-0 / 0-0 PL); Providence (0-0 / 0-0 MAAC)
National Rankings: Navy (#4 IL); Providence (unranked)
Series: First Meeting
Streak: Not Available

Navy Quick Notes...
? This will be the first meeting between the Navy and Providence... Navy will play in its 98th year of lacrosse in 2005... Navy will play in the state of Connecticut for the first time since 1950, when the Mids lost at Yale, 5-1. Navy is 2-1 in Connecticut all-time, with all three games coming against the Bulldogs... the Mids are 7-0 all-time against current members of the MAAC, the conference that Providence is in... the Mids have outscored their MAAC counterparts in the seven games, 92-29 (13.1 to 4.1)... three Navy players (Graham Gill, Mitch Hendler and Matt Russell) have named to the preliminary Tewaaraton Award watch list.
2004 Recap...
Navy was 15-3 last season and finished as NCAA runners-up, falling to Syracuse in the NCAA title game, 14-13, before a record-breaking 43,898 fans at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium... Navy's three losses last season came to No. 20 Ohio State, No. 1 Johns Hopkins and No. 4-ranked Syracuse... The Mids' 15 wins surpassed the school-record 11 posted in 1949. It marked the first time Navy reached double-digit victories since the 1978 season... Navy's nine-game winning streak last season was the program's longest since the 1964-66 seasons (33)... the Mids won last year's Star Game against Army for the seventh consecutive season... Navy was 8-3 last season against ranked opponents. This year's slate features six teams in the nation's top 20... Navy had seven players earn All-America recognition last year, the most for a Navy squad since 1975.
Navy Head Coach Richie Meade...
? Head Coach Richie Meade enters his 11th season as the head coach of the Navy lacrosse team with a 76-57 mark at the school. He holds a 103-80 career mark over 14 years, after serving as the head coach at the University of Baltimore from 1979-83. He was named the 2004 National Coach of the Year after leading the Mids to a national championship game appearance and a stellar 15-3 record. Meade needs 10 wins to move into fourth place on the Navy lacrosse victories list. Dick Szlasa (1973-82) is fourth with 85 victories.
? Under his tenure, Navy players have earned 20 All-America honors, including nine players garner first, second or third-team honors.

About Providence...
? The Friars enter the season with high hopes again, coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance and a 9-8 overall record in 2004. Their NCAA appearance was the first for the program, falling in the first round to No. 1-seeded Johns Hopkins. The Friars earned the NCAA berth via a MAAC Tournament title with an 11-6 triumph over Manhattan.
? Providence is expected to contend for the MAAC title again, being picked tied for first with Marist in the preseason coaches' poll.
? The Friars are paced by Dan Giuntini, the Preseason MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. He is a two-time All-MAAC selection, and led Providence in scoring with 35 points (29 g, 6 a) last season.
? Jonathan Hollister is also on the preseason All-MAAC team after tallying 21 points (12 g, 9 a) in 2004.
? Andrew McGinn returns for the Friars in the cage, as he posted an impressive 7.99 GAA with a .566 save percentage last season. His GAA ranked 11th in the country.
? In all, Providence returns eight starters and 24 letterwinners off last year's team.

High On the Charts...
? The Navy attack had a record-breaking season last year and it was easy to see why. The Mids ranked high on several national charts and led the country in scoring margin at +5.26 goals.
? In the seven team categories, the Mids ranked in the top three in three of them, and in the top 10 in six of the seven categories.
1. Scoring Margin ? +5.26
2. Scoring Defense ? 7.02 gpg
3. Scoring Offense ? 12.28 gpg
3. Face-off Pct. ? .655
3. Winning Pct. ? .833
9. Man-up Offense ? .404
? Several Mids also ranked in the top 20 of individual categories as well (bold indicates returnees).
2. Goals Against Average ? Matt Russell (6.69)
2. Face-off Percentage ? Chris Pieczonka (.676)
10. Ground Balls Per Game ? Chris Pieczonka (5.81)
13. Goals Per Game ? Joe Bossi (2.44)
14. Points Per Game ? Ian Dingman (3.44)
16. Assists Per Game ? Jon Birsner (1.61)

Road Warriors...
? Navy made a statement in 2004 away from Annapolis. With its 2005 schedule, the Mids hope that their success away from Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium continues.
? Navy went 6-0 in true road games last season, defeating ranked foes Cornell, Maryland, Georgetown, Army and North Carolina in its last five road games of the season.
? Including neutral site games, Navy went 8-1 last season, with the lone loss coming to Syracuse in the national title game in Baltimore.
? Navy's slate this year includes games away from home against 2004 NCAA qualifiers Providence, Ohio State, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Navy also has road games against Bucknell, Lehigh and Holy Cross and a neutral site contest against Colgate.

Battling In the Close Ones...
? Navy has had recent success under Richie Meade in one-goal games. Navy has played in 38 one-goal games under Meade, posting a 16-22 record in his 10 years at Navy. However, Navy went 4-2 last season, losing to Johns Hopkins in overtime and Syracuse.
? The four wins last season were tied for the most games won by one goal under Meade. Navy went 4-0 in 1997 in one-goal games.
? In overtime under Meade, Navy is 5-6, posting a 1-1 record last season.
? Speaking of overtime, in the last three years, Navy has played in a three, four and six-overtime game. The last three meetings with North Carolina have gone into overtime, a total of 11 extra sessions.
Starting Strong...
? The Mids have been dominant in the past in season openers and hope to continue it against Providence.
? Navy hasn't lost a season opener since 2001, a 9-8 overtime loss to UMBC.
? The Mids' current three-game season-opening win streak has come by a combined margin of 42-4 (14.0 - 1.3 gpg). Navy won last year's season opener, 14-1, over Lafayette, the 2003 season opener against Marist, 12-1, and in 2002 against Saint Joseph's, 16-2.
? Navy holds an impressive 84-12-1 record in season openers, including an 8-2 record under head coach Richie Meade.
? In the 84 seasons that Navy has won the season opener, 75 have ended with the Mids owning a winning record.

Welcome Back The Back Line...
? While Navy's offense took a hit to departures, the Navy defense appears to be on solid footing. Three seniors and the reigning national Goalie of the Year provide a solid last line of defense.
? Both Mike Felber and Mitch Hendler started all 18 games last season and were a vital part of a Navy defense that allowed just 7.02 goals per game, good for second in the country. The duo combined for 88 ground balls.
? Pat Reilly played all 18 games, drawing two starts for the Midshipmen. Reilly added 14 ground balls. Between the three, they have played a combined 105 games at defense.

The Russell Record...
? Matt Russell burst onto the scene last year and hopes to continue his standout career as a junior in 2005. The Connecticut native who grew up 13 miles east of Branford, earned the starting job in the team's third game of the season and never let it go, earning First-Team All-America honors and claiming the Kelley Award as the nation's top goalie.
? He earned three consecutive Patriot League Defensive Player-of-the-Week citations after leading Navy to back-to-back-to-back wins against top-10 teams last season.
? He ranked second in the country in goals against average and was even better late in the season, allowing just 17 goals in Navy's first three NCAA Tournament games, and just three teams to reach double-digit scoring (Army, Johns Hopkins and Syracuse).
? Was at his best against ranked foes. In 11 games (654 minutes), Russell allowed just 83 goals for a goals against average of 7.62. He had a .574 save percentage and a 9-1 record in those contests.
? Stopped a career-best 14 shots in Navy's 7-5 win over Georgetown and recorded double-digit saves seven times last season.

When The Whistle Blows...
? The Mids are one of the most dominant teams in the country at the face-off ?X?, and all three primary face-off men are back.
? Senior Chris Pieczonka returns after ranking second in the country last season, winning 67.6 percent of all his face-offs (173-256). He won at least 50 percent of his face-offs in every contest but Bucknell, Georgetown and Johns Hopkins.
? He won at least 70 percent of his face-offs in seven games and was over 80 percent in four of those games.
? When Pieczonka struggled, Meade could call on a pair of freshmen to come to the rescue. The duo, now a year older, provided depth at the key position.
? William Wallace won 63.0 percent (46-of-73), while Tommy Wallin won 61.6 percent (45-of-73) of his face-offs.
? Against the nation's No. 1 face-off man, Andy Corno of Georgetown, Wallin won nine-of-10 face-offs. Wallace had a three-game stretch (Holy Cross, Colgate and Hobart), where he won 32-of-45 draws (71.1 percent).

A Common Bond...
? Senior Matt Meehan, a longstick defenseman, was a high school teammate of Providence's Dan Giuntini and Patrick Hoey, both seniors on the Friars' roster. The threesome attended Chaminade H.S.
? Navy freshmen Mikelis Visgauss and Roger Wieland went to the same high school of Providence's junior defenseman Liam Smith.
Preseason Favorites...
? The high national accolades have resulted in preseason success for the Mids in the Patriot League as well. After cruising through its inaugural season in Patriot League with an undefeated 7-0 record, the Mids aim to repeat as league champion.
? The Mids are the favorite to claim the 2005 Patriot League title. In a preseason vote of the Patriot League's coaches and sports information directors, Navy, who is ranked No. 4 in the country according to the Face-Off Magazine/Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll, received 12 of the 14 first-place votes.
? Arch-rival Army finished second in the voting, picking up the remaining two first-place votes. Bucknell is slated to finish third, followed by Lehigh, Colgate, Lafayette and Holy Cross. Last year's second-place team Hobart, which played as a member of the Patriot League in lacrosse since 2000, is now a member of the ECAC Lacrosse League.

Trio Named To ?Watch? List...
? Three of Navy's six Preseason All-Americans have been named to the Tewaaraton Award Foundation's watch list. The list, released this week by the foundation, consists of 37 players with Navy and Virginia boasting the most players among those vying for one of the most prestigious awards in college lacrosse.
? Matt Russell is joined by teammates Mitch Hendler and Graham Gill.
? The list will be voted upon by coaches and narrowed as the season progresses, ultimately reaching a final list of the five men who constitute the award's finalists.
? Navy and Virginia are the only schools nationally with three players named to the list.
? The Mids will play against 11 players that are on the list during the course of the year. Three (Chris Cara from Bucknell and Jim Wagner and John Walker from Army) are members of the Patriot League.