2006 PRESS RELEASES

 

RUSSELL TIED FOR 7TH IN WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING

July 28: Saint attackman Kevin Russell, who played for Team Scotland in the World Lacrosse Championships in Ontario earlier this month, was the leading scorer for his team and was tied for seventh overall in the tournament.

 

Russell, who will be a junior in the fall, finished his tournament with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in six games and was the only player who played in less than seven games to make the top 25 in scoring.

 

Scotland went 4-2 in the tournament. Russell had big games in wins over Italy in overtime, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. He had a goal and five assists against Italy in the overtime win, four goals and four assists against Hong Kong and three goals and four assists against the Netherlands.

 

KEVIN RUSSELL TO PLAY FOR SCOTLAND

July 12: St. Lawrence attackman Kevin Russell has earned a spot on Team Scotland for the World Lacrosse Championships and will join his older brother Matt, an All America goaltender at Navy for the tournament which begins Friday in London, ONT.

 

The Russell’s father, Bob, was born in Scotland which made the brothers eligible to play for the Scottish National Team in the tournament. Scotland will play Italy in the opening round of the tournament at London, ONT on Friday.

 

Kevin Russell, a first team All Liberty League selection and the second leading scorer for the Saints with 18 goals and 24 assists this past season, went to Scotland to try out for the team and earned his spot in the tryout.

 

Matt and Kevin will play together for the first time in the tournament. Matt made his Major League Lacrosse debut in goal last weekend and made 13 saves in a win by the Baltimore Bayhawks over the Boston Cannons.

 

Scotland will compete against Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Wales in one of four divisions I the tournament. The tournament runs through July 22.

 

BUSKEY, HEARTY NAMED ALL AMERICA

May 30: Two players who helped St. Lawrence University’s lacrosse team to the NCAA tournament and a top-20 spot in the national defensive rankings earned honorable mention All America honors in voting by the US Intercollegiate Lacrosse Assocation.

 

Sophomore long stick middie Ben Buskey, left,( Hanover, NH) and junior defenseman J.J. Hearty, right, ( Weston, MA) were named to the 2006 All America team Monday.

 

Buskey scored a goal and had an assist in 17 games for the Saints and scooped up 50 ground balls. Hearty started 16 games and had an assist and 26 ground balls.

 

The duo contributed to a team defense which allowed just 6.72 goals per game, 14 th nationally among all Division III teams.

 

 

GENESEO ENDS SAINTS' NCAA TOURNAMENT RUN

May 13: The St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team’s run in the 2006 NCAA Tournament came to an end on Saturday afternoon in Geneseo, NY, where the Saints fell by the score of 12-5 to the No. 6 team in the country, the Geneseo Blue Knights. Head coach Mike Mahoney’s team, winners of thirteen straight games heading into Saturday’s game, finishes the season with an overall record of 14-4, a Liberty League Championship, and the team’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in nineteen years.

 

“I’m so proud of this team,” said coach Mahoney. “They’ve worked so hard and overcome everything from tough teams to traveling to finals. We were more than happy to play on Wednesday, and we were more than happy to be playing today.”

 

The Knights wasted very little time jumping on the Saints as Geneseo’s Tim McDermott won the opening face off, ran the length of the field, and ripped a shot past St. Lawrence goaltender Justin Demuth only six seconds into the game. That goal would open the floodgates for the home team, as Geneseo rattled off five straight goals to take a 5-0 lead.

 

After Geneseo killed off a one minute penalty, Jack Ryerson fed a great pass to teammate Joe Malach to set up Geneseo’s second goal at 2:10 of the first quarter. After several minutes of back and forth action, the Knights’ Pat Riehlman put a slick spin move on a Saint defender, and took a hard shot through traffic past Demuth for the 3-0 advantage.

 

The Saints couldn’t seem to get their feet under them, as the Knights continued to pour on the attack. With eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, Owahn Bazydlo picked up a loose ball and ran through the St. Lawrence defense for a one-on-one with Demuth. His shot found the back of the net, and the Geneseo lead stretched to 4-0. The fifth goal came only 1:49 later, as Colin Ireland took the ball through the slot, jumped, and launched a rocket past Demuth for a 5-0 Geneseo lead at the end of the first quarter.

 

Coach Mahoney settled his team down after the opening fifteen minutes, and junior Brendan Lynch got the Saints on the board thirty-three seconds into the second quarter. Lynch dodged a defender and took a great shot from the slot that Knights’ goaltender Tim Garback couldn’t handle for the visitor’s opening goal. However, Geneseo quickly responded with a goal, as Jack Ryerson cut to the goal and caught a backdoor pass from Brian Orlowski to set up the sixth goal with 9:47 to play in the first half.

 

The Knights grabbed the momentum with Ryerson’s goal, and scored two more before the end of the first half to make the score 8-1 in favor of Geneseo. After a ground ball was scooped up by Demuth, his pass to a defender was picked off by Orlowski, and the Saints’ netminder was helpless as Orlowski’s shot went low for the goal. Then, with 2:19 on the clock, the Knights completed the first half scoring as Geneseo got the ball fifteen yards from the Saints’ goal, where Ryerson delivered a lofted pass to Rick Bova. Bova buried a shot from Demuth’s right to extend the lead to seven goals.

 

Although the Saints controlled possession for six minutes to start the second half, the Geneseo defense was swarming and didn’t allow a quality chance. After keeping the Saints’ offense at bay again, the Knights worked the ball back up the field. Travis Bortz found the middle of the field and fed Ryerson in the slot, and the senior scored his second goal of the day with a shot from just outside the crease.

 

 

With the score at 9-1, the Saints showed no quit and their hard work led to their second goal of the afternoon. Freshman Tyler Moore scored his first of the afternoon with 3:09 to play in the third quarter. He fired a shot on Garback, and although the original save was made, Moore collected the rebound and fired a shot past the Knights’ goalie while falling to the turf.

 

The Saints, who hit three posts on the afternoon, took another tough break with four seconds remaining in the third quarter. While shorthanded, Demuth tried to help his defense clear. However, pressure from Mike Pizzuto led to a turnover in the slot and left the net unattended. The Knights’ attacker scored the empty net goal, extending Geneseo’s lead to 10-2 and to complete the quarter’s scoring.

 

Though they had a tough hill to climb trailing by eight headed into the fourth quarter, St. Lawrence dug deep and managed to outscore Geneseo in the final quarter. Lynch got things started 3:26 into the fourth, as he took a pass from freshman Peter Carroll and wrapped around the net to Garback’s left. His shot found the upper right corner to make the score 10-3. The Medfield, MA native came right back 1:10 later, though, and scored his third goal of the game to close the gap to 10-4. Lynch was left one-on-one with a Geneseo defender behind the home team’s net. He broke down the defender and scored his second consecutive goal with a shot from just outside the crease to close the gap to six.

 

With the intensity growing late in the game, both defenses clamped down and worked hard not to allow any quality chances. Demuth and his defenders did well to keep the Knights from extending their lead, as Bazydlo had a shot on the door step that the Jordan, NY native turned away. However, Bazydlo wouldn’t fail on another prime chance, as the All-American scored with 6:07 to play to make the score 11-4.

 

The Saints would answer with a goal of their own less than a minute later as Carroll found Moore on the door step and he scored his second of the day to again close the gap to 11-5. Then, with St. Lawrence threatening to inch even closer, Garback made a fantastic save on Moore who had been left alone in front of the crease. The freshman tried to fake the Knights’ goaltender, but Garback stayed right with Moore, and made a kick save to end the Saints’ threat.

 

Geneseo took nothing for granted late in the game, and their efforts paid off with the final goal of the game with 1:10 remaining in regulation. With a loose ball in front of freshman Thomas Hollingsworth, who replaced Demuth with 3:15 to play in the game, the Saints were unable to come up with the ground ball. Instead, Pizzuto picked up the ball and fired a shot past the rookie to put the game out of reach at 12-5 and complete the game’s scoring.

 

Although the Saints were disappointed in the loss, thoughts quickly turned to the spring of 2007, as the team loses only two seniors, defensemen Tripp Bartlett and Bo McDougall. “Our defense played their hearts out there today,” said Demuth. “Geneseo is a great team. We’re excited and already looking forward to next year and hopefully making it back here to the NCAA Tournament.”

 

“Next year starts tomorrow for us,” said freshman PJ Santora, who has been one of the top face-off men in the country all season. “I’m excited for summer ball and getting back next fall to get ready for another run next spring.”

 

 

SAINTS TO FACE GENESEO AFTER

ADVANCING IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

May 10: The St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team advanced in the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history Wednesday afternoon, as the Saints held off a late Endicott College rally to defeat the Gulls 13-10 for the third NCAA tournament victory in the program’s history and the first since 1979 on a rainy afternoon in Beverly, MA.

 

The Saints (14-3, 6-0) qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning the 2006 Liberty League Tournament. It was the first time in nineteen years that St. Lawrence participated in the National Championship, and head coach Mike Mahoney wasn’t about to let a great opportunity slip through his team’s fingers. The Saints, who were NCAA semifinalists in the College Division tournament in 1979, advanced to the round of 16 and will play at Geneseo on Saturday in the second round of the 2006 tournament.

 

The opening quarter provided plenty of opportunities for both teams to get their offenses jump started. The Saints wasted very little time getting on the board, as junior Nick Mastine scored the first goal of the game only 47 seconds into regulation. The Erin, Ont. native gave the visiting team a 1-0 lead when he fired a shot past Endicott goaltender Ryan Walsh on a delayed penalty.

 

The Gulls would waste little time in evening the score at 1-1, though, as freshman Brandon Dube fed junior Dan Ryan from behind St. Lawrence goaltender Justin Demuth. Ryan took a low shot that beat Demuth for the home team’s first goal of the afternoon.

 

Much of the following eighteen minutes of the first half would belong to St. Lawrence, as they used fantastic heads-up passing and some pretty shots to grab a 7-1 advantage. At 7:22 of the first quarter, freshman Pete Carroll made a beautiful pass across the goalie’s crease to sophomore Ben Prime, who buried the shot to give St. Lawrence a 2-1 edge.

 

The No. 18 ranked team in the country wouldn’t stop there, though, as Prime would net his second straight goal with 1:16 to go in the opening fifteen minutes of play. With a large scrum in front of the Endicott goal, the ball popped out right to an awaiting Prime, who took the open look and scored to put the Saints ahead 3-1 at the end of the first quarter.

 

St. Lawrence carried their momentum into the second quarter, as junior Brendan Lynch got things going 2:20 into play to put the Saints up 4-1. A mere 24 seconds later at 2:34 of the second quarter, Carroll fed a pass to sophomore Kevin Russell in front of Walsh. The Madison, CT native quickly faked a shot, then took a behind-the-head shot that completely fooled the Gulls’ netminder to put the Saints ahead 5-1.

 

Russell kept his attack going, scoring three consecutive goals in a four minute span to extend the visitor’s lead to 7-1. His second goal came with 8:43 to play in the first half when he collected a rebound and laced a shot between Walsh’s legs for the 6-1 advantage. His third goal, which completed the Saints’ first half scoring, was another behind-the-head shot that Walsh again couldn’t manage.

 

Endicott, trailing by six, refused to roll over as the Gulls clawed their way back into the contest with two goals to close the first half. Just as the Saints killed off a two-man advantage, Endicott’s John Ortoloni got the

ball to freshman Dan Cain who slipped a high shot past Demuth to close the gap to 7-2. The Gulls would score the final goal of the second quarter to make the score 7-3 at the break. With only 38 seconds left in the half, Endicott’s Brendan Delaney made a long cross-field pass to a wide open Burt Fahy who had slipped behind the St. Lawrence defense. Fahey’s shot got past Demuth for the third Endicott goal and gave the home team some confidence heading into the second half down by four.

 

The Saints would own the scoring in the beginning of the second half, running off four consecutive goals to take an 11-3 lead. Freshman Tyler Moore began a huge second half individual effort with two goals, the first coming 50 seconds into the third quarter. He took a pass from Centauro to Walsh’s right side where he had been left all alone and scored his first of the game. After a goal by Carroll extended the Saints lead to 9-3, Moore netted his second of the NCAA Tournament with 6:39 to play in the third quarter. Russell took a pass in the slot and fed a no-look pass to Moore for an easy goal to give the Saints a 10-3 cushion. Canton, NY native Willie Lapinski was only 45 seconds behind Moore in scoring his lone goal of the game, as he scorched a shot through traffic that Walsh was unable to see to up the Saint lead to 11-3.

 

Though the Gulls had played somewhat of a sloppy game to that point, they quickly turned up the intensity as they saw their season getting away from them. The home squad rattled off three straight goals from Patrick Gaffney, Dube, and Fahy in a 3:31 span to quickly close the gap to 11-6 with plenty of time to play. However, a costly penalty would put Endicott a man down, and Moore would make them pay with his third goal of the quarter to extend the Saints’ lead to 12-6 heading into the final frame.

 

Trailing by six, the Gulls’ attack began a furious comeback in the fourth quarter that led to four straight goals, which could’ve been even more had it not been for the outstanding play between the pipes for Demuth. Neither team could get any offense going early in the fourth quarter, but Endicott began making their move with 8:21 remaining in the game, as Fahy tucked a shot under the cross bar for the opening goal of the period. With the score at 12-7, the Gulls used a power play to close to within four when Ryan ripped a shot that a screened Demuth never saw at 7:36 of the fourth quarter.

 

With the crowd now very into the game and the momentum on its side, Endicott got a pair of goals from Dube and junior Josh Gilbert to cut the St. Lawrence lead to 12-10. Demuth, who had made several key saves to that point already, slammed the door shut on the Gulls, as he robbed both Fahy and Dube late in the fourth quarter on prime chances. Then, after making a save, the Jordan, NY native showed outstanding hustle by chasing after the ball to earn the Saints possession at a critical moment in the game.

 

With the contest very much in question, Endicott again found themselves down a player and Moore would put the game out of reach. The Saints worked the ball beautifully around the perimeter of the field on the power play, which would eventually lead to Centauro feeding Moore to Walsh’s right. He fired a shot past the goaltender to complete the scoring, and seal the Saint win.

 

 

SAINTS EARN NCAA AUTOMATIC BID

WITH 2006 CONFERENCE TITLE

The St. Lawrence Saints celebrate their 2006 Liberty League Championship

victory over RPI on Sunday. (Tara Freeman photo)

 

May 7: It took nineteen years, but the St. Lawrence University Saints are headed back to the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament. The No. 1 seed in the Liberty League Tournament held off a resilient Rensselaer team in the championship game by the score of 12-9, earning the conference's automatic bid into the 2006 NCAA Championship.

 

The Saints will play at Commonwealth Coast Conference champion Endicott (14-4) in Beverly, MA, at 4:00pm on Wednesday with the winner of that game advancing to play at Geneseo (12-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

 

The Saints (13-3, 6-0) found themselves down early to the Red Hawks, who upended Hamilton in overtime on Friday to have the opportunity to play in the Liberty League title game. RPI came out and forced St. Lawrence to play at their tempo, which helped the visitors get out to an early 2-0 lead. Josh Secora scored 3:57 into the game to put RPI ahead, and teammate Adam LoGiudice put the No. 2 seed up 2-0 to end the opening quarter and put the Saints on their heels.

 

Although the Saints had some quality chances on the offensive end, Rensselaer netminder John Thibdeau was rock solid and kept the Saints off the score board in the early going. His play allowed RPI to continue to put pressure on the Saints, and it led to two more goals from PJ McComb and Alex MacDiarmid to extend the visitor's lead to 4-0.

 

The Saints would finally tally their opening goal with 5:57 to play in the first half when junior Nick Mastine scored a man up goal to close the gap to 4-1. Sophomore attack Ben Prime was not far behind, as he tried to get the Saints some momentum, scoring only 1:15 after Mastine to make the score 4-2. However, the Red Hawks would reassert themselves and McComb scored with 2:09 on the clock to complete the first half scoring and give RPI a 5-2 cushion heading into halftime.

 

With their backs against the wall, the Saints responded in the third quarter, scoring four goals while holding RPI to one goal to even the score at 6-6 headed into the final quarter. Freshman Peter Carroll scored just over a minute into the half, followed by Mastine's second of the afternoon to bring St. Lawrence to within a goal at 5-4. After RPI netted their sixth goal of the game (MacDiarmid), the Saints got goals from rookies Tyler Moore and Carroll in the final five minutes to even the score and set the stage for a fantastic finish at North Country Field.

 

With the score finally tied for the first time since the game started, St. Lawrence turned to their leaders to make plays down the stretch. Tri-captain Andy Centauro was the first to respond. The Sudbury, MA native, who entered the fourth quarter with two assists in the game, scored back-to-back goals to open the fourth quarter and give the Saints an 8-6 lead. Centauro would then find Moore, who notched his second man-up goal of the afternoon at the ten minute mark to put St. Lawrence ahead 9-6.

 

It appeared the Saints had locked up the Liberty League title three minutes later, as Prime scored with 8:00 remaining, followed by sophomore Ben Buskey tallying his first goal of the season with only 7:43 to play to put the Saints up 11-6. Rensselaer refused to go away though, and in a dramatic momentum swing, scored three goals in a 1:41 span to quickly close the gap to 11-9 with 5:49 to play in regulation.

 

Freshman PJ Santora won a key face-off for the Saints, who then maintained control in the offensive end as precious time ran off the clock. Having to press, the Red Hawks aggressively went after the ball, but took two untimely penalties in the final 1:24 of regulation that would end their hopes of a come back. Centauro would put the finishing touches of a six-point effort with his third goal of the day with 26 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

 

With the clock ticking down to zero, the Saints erupted on to the field as head coach Mike Mahoney was doused with gatorade on the sideline. The Liberty League Championship plaque was awarded to the

St. Lawrence seniors and captains, who will represent the university in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. The NCAA Men's Lacrosse seedings will be released on CSTV this evening, with the tournament beginning on Wednesday.

 

 

 

SAINTS TO SQUARE OFF WITH

RENSSELAER FOR CONFERENCE TITLE

May 5: The St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team flexed their muscle on Friday afternoon, showing exactly how they earned the No. 1 seed in the Liberty League Tournament with a convincing 14-5 victory over the Clarkson Golden Knights in a physical battle at North Country Field.

 

The Saints, who entered the game ranked 18th in the country, won their eleventh consecutive game primarily because of their outstanding defense, which kept the 2006 Liberty League Player of the Year, Brian Hanlon, in check.

 

Although St. Lawrence trailed 1-0 early after a goal from Bryan Johnson, the home team bounced back with a pair of goals from freshman Tyler Moore to grab a 2-1 lead with 5:13 remaining in the opening quarter. However, that first fifteen minutes was far from over as the offenses exploded in the final five minutes for five goals. After the teams exchanged goals to make the score 3-2 in favor of St. Lawrence, the Golden Knights knotted the score at 3-3 when Hanlon scored his first goal of the game at 12:18.

 

What looked to be a back-and-forth game quickly got away from Clarkson, as St. Lawrence scored two goals to end the first quarter and grab a 5-3 lead after fifteen minutes of play. Sophomore Kevin Russell took a feed from fellow classmate Ben Prime to give St. Lawrence the lead. Junior Andy Centauro then scored with only 48 seconds to play in the quarter to give the Saints a 5-3 lead.

 

The momentum would only build from there for the No. 1 seed, as they used some big hits in the midfield from sophomore Ben Buskey and junior JJ Hearty to get the crowd involved and their offense on the move. The Saints scored the only five goals of the second period, expanding their lead to 10-3 at the end of the opening half. Clarkson was unable to answer goals by junior Brendan Lynch, sophomore Cory Yawger, Centauro, Prime, and junior Nick Mastine, as the Saints scored four goals in a span of 3:29 to close the opening half.

 

The Golden Knights would try to get something going early in the third, as they scored two of the opening three goals of the second half. Greg Gibbons scored his lone goal of the game just 1:57 into the third quarter, and Bryan Johnson netted his third of the afternoon to try and lift Clarkson back into the game. However, from there on out, it was the St. Lawrence defense that stole the show.

 

Hearty, Buskey, junior Brian Crowley, and junior goaltender Justin Demuth shut down Clarkson's attack with some fantastic pressure and forcing timely turnovers. The Golden Knights wouldn't score again, while the Saints tallied three more goals from Russell, Lynch, and first year student Peter Carroll to complete the scoring.

 

Demuth finished the afternoon with eight saves on 13 shots while earning his 11th straight win between the pipes. Freshman Greg Lamb was solid for Clarkson, making 13 saves on 27 shots. Freshman PJ Santora won 15-of-22 face-offs on the afternoon, which helped the Saints outshoot their nemesis 46-17.

 

The win earns the No. 1 Saints a bid into the 2006 Liberty League Championship game on Sunday afternoon against the No. 2 seeded RPI Red Hawks. The game will be played at North Country Field and is set to begin at noon. The winner of the conference title earns an automatic bid into the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

 

 

 

TEN SAINTS RECOGNIZED IN LIBERTY

LEAGUE'S YEARLY AWARDS

May 5: Ten players from the St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team earned All-Conference Honors and first year student PJ Santora was named the Liberty League "Co-Rookie of the Year" on Thursday as the conference announced their yearly award winners.

 

Santora has made an immediate impact on the program in his first season under head coach Mike Mahoney. The Cos Cob, CT native has been a national presence for the Saints in the midfield, ranking second in the country in face-off percentage and fourth in ground balls per game. Santora has controlled 196-of-266 face-offs attempted (.737) and scooped up 100 ground balls (7.86/game). His ability to earn possession of the ball in pressure situations helped lead the Saints to an impressive 6-0 mark in league play and the No. 1 seed in the Liberty League Tournament.

 

St. Lawrence had five players named Liberty League First Team All-Conference, with the group covering each position on the field. Sophomore Kevin Russell was a first-team attack, while junior captain Andy Centauro was tabbed first-team midfield. Junior JJ Hearty and sophomore Ben Buskey were selected as first-team defense, and junior Justin Demuth was chosen as the first-team All-Conference goaltender.

 

A trio of Saints was voted on to the Second Team All-Conference, including first year students Peter Carroll and Santora. Carroll, like his fellow classmate Santora, has helped the Saints climb to the top of the conference this season with his offensive talents. The Pennington, NJ native currently is tied for the team lead in goals (20). Joining the freshman duo on the Liberty League Second Team is junior Brendan Lynch, who has had an outstanding year in the midfield for the Saints with 22 points (15g,7a).

 

Rounding out the awards for St. Lawrence were a pair of juniors who were given Honorable Mention status by the conference, midfielder Nick Mastine and defenseman Brian Crowley.

 

Although the St. Lawrence is well represented in the Liberty League's yearly awards, the team hopes the future holds bigger prizes. The No. 18 ranked Saints square off with Clarkson on Friday, May 5th at 4:00pm in the semifinals of the 2006 Liberty League Tournament. The winner of that game advances to the championship game against either Hamilton or RPI at the highest remaining seed, with the Conference Champion earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

 

 

SAINTS TO PLAY CLARKSON IN LIBERY LEAGUE

SEMIFINALS ON FRIDAY

Apr. 29: The 17th ranked St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team finished the 2006 Liberty League regular season with an undefeated record, as the Saints defeated Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY by the score of 16-3 on Saturday afternoon.

 

The Saints (11-3, 6-0) had clinched the conference regular season title with wins over RPI and Clarkson last week. However, head coach Mike Mahoney knows how important entering the Liberty League tournament with momentum is, and St. Lawrence will have just that. The victory over Vassar is the Saints' tenth in a row, as the squad has not lost since returning from their trip to Florida on March 29th.

 

St. Lawrence opened the game on Saturday with nine straight goals to take a big lead in the first half. Junior Nick Mastine got the visitors rolling a mere 42 seconds into regulation as he scored to put the Saints up 1-0. The goal was merely the start of the offensive attack, as St. Lawrence used their quickness and heads-up passing to blow the game open in the opening quarter. Sophomore Cory Yawger made the game 2-0 4:59 into the opening quarter, followed by goals from sophomores Mike Long and Derek Hansen and first year students Tyler Moore and Alex Slauson to take a 6-0 lead after the first fifteen minutes.

 

The second quarter would be no better for the Brewers, who were simply overmatched by the Liberty League's top team. Junior Brendan Lynch scored at 3:36 of the second quarter to extend the lead, followed by goals from Hansen and Mastine to make the score 9-0 midway through the second quarter. Vassar's Steven Cataldo would break up Saints' goaltender Justin Demuth's shutout bid with 5:29 to go in the second quarter, making the score 9-1.

 

However, sophomore Kevin Russell avenged that goal by scoring just over three minutes later and Long scored with only 35 seconds left in the first half to complete the scoring and give the Saints an 11-1 halftime cushion.

 

With the game in hand, the Saints played a much more preventive style in the second half. Demuth was replaced between the pipes in the third quarter after making five saves in the first half while allowing only one goal. His replacement in the third was sophomore Frank Maguire, who made three saves on four shots in fifteen minutes of action. In the third, the Saints would score three more times, with goals coming from Hansen, junior Trevor Rainville, and Lynch. After 45 minutes, the Saints led 14-2 and had the game under control.

 

First year student Thomas Hollingsworth took over in net for the Saints in the fourth, like Maguire stopping three of four shots. Junior Andy Centauro scored 1:30 into the final frame to give the Saints a 15-2 lead. Although Michael Littlefield would fire a shot past Hollingsworth at 4:06 of the fourth, first year student Collin Moon would score a man-up at 10:50 to complete the scoring in the Saints' tenth straight win.

 

Hansen led the Saints with four points (3g,1a), while Centauro, Long, Moore, Slauson, and Lynch each finished with three points a piece. Freshman PJ Santora won 9-of-16 faceoffs and entered the game ranked second in the country in that category.

 

St. Lawrence will be the No. 1 seed in the 2006 Liberty League tournament and will host archrival Clarkson University in the semifinals on Friday, May 5th at North Country Field in Canton, NY. Clarkson won the No. 4 seed in the tournament with an 11-10 win over Skidmore on Saturday afternoon. The time of the semifinal match-up will be determined on Monday.

 

 

SAINTS PICK UP NINTH STRAIGHT WIN THANKS

TO EXPLOSIVE THIRD QUARTER

Apr. 26: The St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team scored five goals in the third period to break open a tight game with Potsdam State on Wednesday in Potsdam, NY. With the game tied at four at the half, the Saints exploded for five straight goals in the third quarter to grab a 9-4 lead and went on to their ninth straight victory with an 11-8 win over the Bears.

 

St. Lawrence (10-3, 5-0) has already clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2006 Liberty League tournament, and can win the Regular Season Title with a victory over Vassar on Saturday. However, head coach Mike Mahoney knew his team had to keep focused to get past a feisty Potsdam team that gave the visiting Saints all they could handle.

 

With the score tied at 2-2 late in the opening quarter, the home team pressed the Saints and scored

back-to-back goals at 11:59 and 13:19 to take a 4-2 lead. Harrison Rodgers scored on St. Lawrence goaltender Justin Demuth to give Potsdam a 3-2 lead. Scott Roes was right behind him, as he beat Demuth to extend the Bears' lead to 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.

 

St. Lawrence would again tighten down on defense after the opening quarter, however, as JJ Hearty, Brian Crowley, and Ben Buskey did their best to protect their goaltender and give their dynamic offense a chance to get started. The St. Lawrence attack did just that, as the Saints rattled off seven straight goals in the second and third quarters to grab a 9-4 lead heading to the final fifteen minutes.

 

Junior Willie Lapinski would get the Saints started, as he scored an unassisted goal early in the second to close the gap to 4-3. Junior Nick Mastine scored his second goal of the day nearly six minutes later, but the midfielder's goal would start a snowball effect for the Saints as they carried that momentum into the third quarter. The visitors came out determined to pick up their ninth straight victory, as Kevin Russell, Ben Prime, Mastine, Brendan Lynch, and Peter Carroll would all score in the third quarter to give the Saints a seemingly insurmountable cushion.

 

Potsdam wouldn't go away though, as the Bears pressed in the fourth quarter in an attempt to get back into the game. Dave Uzialko made the score 9-5 only 2:02 into the fourth quarter, and then Rogers and Matt Vaverchak scored to close the gap to 9-7 with over nine minutes to play in the game.

 

Again, Mahoney would turn to his defensive unit to settle his team down. They were able to keep Potsdam quiet for the rest of the game, and Mastine scored his fourth of the game with only 3:25 remaining, followed by a goal from junior Andy Centauro to make the score 11-7 with only 1:29 on the clock. Potsdam's Adam Wood scored with :35 seconds left to complete the scoring.

 

Mastine was the Saints' leading scorer on Wednesday, as he tallied five points on four goals and an assist. Prime netted a pair of goals for St. Lawrence, while Centauro closed the Saints' last non-conference game with three points (1g,2a). First year student PJ Santora continued to dominate on face-offs, as the Cos Cob, CT native went 18-21 on the day, giving the Saints plenty of chances and momentum. Between the pipes, Demuth stopped eight of sixteen shots on the day to pick up his ninth straight win in net.

 

The 2006 Liberty League Regular Season Championship will be on the line on Saturday when the Saints travel to Poughkeepsie, NY to take on Vassar College.

 

 

LIBERTY LEAGUE HONORS

TRIO OF SAINTS

Apr. 25: The Liberty League honored three St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse players on Monday for their exceptional performances versus Clarkson and Rensselaer last week.

 

Sophomore Kevin Russell was named the conference's Co-Offensive Performer of the Week, as he led the offensive corps on the attack versus the Golden Knights and Red Hawks. The Madison, CT native scored two goals against archrival Clarkson including the game-winner, then notched six assists against Rensselaer in the Saints' 12-4 win.

 

Fellow attack Peter Carroll earned the Liberty League's "Co-Rookie of the Week" honors, as he extended his active goal scoring streak to nine games. The Pennington, NJ native netted a pair of goals against the Knights in the Saints' 9-7 win, then came back with three more goals against RPI at North Country Field. Carroll currently leads the team in goals with 19, and has earned the league's "Rookie of the Week" award three times this season.

 

Junior goalie Justin Demuth was fantastic between the pipes for the Saints this week, as he extended his active winning streak to eight games the wins over Clarkson and RPI. Against Clarkson, Demuth stopped 13 shots and grabbed four ground balls. Then, in a battle for first place in the league, he made 12 stops against Rensselaer to help secure the Saints' victory. For the week he stopped 25 of the 36 shots he faced. For his efforts, the Liberty League named him the "Defensive Performer of the Week."

 

St. Lawrence has clinched the No. 1 seed in the 2006 Liberty League Tournament along with at least a share of the Regular Season championship. With the two victories over Clarkson and RPI, head coach Mike Mahoney's team cracked the top-25, earning the No. 19 seed in the National Rankings. The Saints will square off with the Potsdam State Bears on Wednesday, April 26th in Potsdam, NY. The non-conference game is set to start at 4:00pm.

 

 

SAINTS CLINCH NO. 1 SEED IN LIBERTY LEAGUE

TOURNEY WITH 12-4 WIN

Apr. 22: The St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team, using both speed and heads-up passing, jumped out to an overwhelming 12-1 lead against the previously-unbeaten Rensselaer Red Hawks on Saturday afternoon at North Country Field. Although the Saints (9-3, 5-0) were held in check offensively in the second half, they still cruised to a 12-4 victory and clinched at least a share of the 2006 Liberty League Regular Season Championship.

 

St. Lawrence wasted very little time in setting the tempo for Saturday's Senior Day showdown between the top two teams in the conference. Junior Brendan Lynch scored just 45 seconds into regulation to give the home team the early edge that they would never relinquish.

 

Sophomore Mike Long and first year student Peter Carroll joined the scoring in the early going as well, as each netted a goal in the opening five minutes. Long took a pass from freshman Alex Slauson and fired a shot that beat RPI goaltender Ryan Michels at 3:36 of the first quarter, then Carroll scored his first of the game only 38 seconds later on an unassisted goal at 4:14.

 

After a Rensselaer timeout, the Red Hawks looked to settle things down and close the gap on the Saints. They would do just that with 7:57 remaining in the opening quarter, as Briggs Thompson scored on Saints' goalie Justin Demuth to make the score 3-1 in favor of St. Lawrence.

 

From there on out, however, it was all St. Lawrence. The home team scored five straight goals to end the opening quarter, then netted the only four goals of the second quarter to grab a 12-1 lead heading into halftime. Sophomores Cory Yawger and Ben Prime, junior Nick Mastine, and Carroll (2) tallied goals in the first quarter to make the score 8-1 after one. In the second, it was junior Andy Centauro, Prime, sophomore Derek Hansen, and Lynch that would extend St. Lawrence's lead to 12-1 at the half.

 

Rensselaer attempted to get back into the game early in the third quarter as they jumped out of the gate in the second half to score three quick goals to make the score 12-4 and force Saints' head coach Mike Mahoney to use a timeout and settle his team down. The Red Hawks' goals in the third quarter came from Mike Sampson (00:19) and Josh Secora (2:50 and 3:58).

 

The Saints tightened down their defense after the timeout, forcing turnovers and getting outstanding play from Demuth between the pipes. Sophomore midfielder Ben Buskey helped motivate the defensive corps with some big-time hits along the sidelines. However, RPI's defense was also unflappable in the second half, as Michels stopped all of the Saints' shots that he faced. The outstanding defensive efforts were noticed on the scoreboard, as neither team scored a goal in the final 26:02 of the game.

 

Carroll scored three goals on the afternoon for St. Lawrence, while Prime and Lynch netted a pair of goals each. Though he was unable to find the net, sophomore Kevin Russell notched six assists in the game to lead all scorers. Freshman PJ Santora won 16-of-19 faceoffs for the Saints, giving his team control and momentum early in the game. Between the pipes, Demuth finished with 12 saves on 16 shots.

 

For the Red Hawks, Secora finished as the leading scorer with two points (2g), while Sampson, Thompson, and Brandon Recchia each had one point. Michels finished with 14 saves in goal for Rensselaer on 26 shots.

 

Before the start of Saturday's game, St. Lawrence's two senior defensemen Tripp Bartlett and Bo McDougall were honored for their contributions to the Saints' program over the past four seasons.

 

However, the game versus RPI will not be the last at North Country Field for the seniors, as the Saints have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Liberty League Tournament, and will host the No. 4 seed on Friday, May 5th. St. Lawrence will not be looking that far ahead, though, as they have a non-conference game with Potsdam State on Wednesday, April 26th and their final league game against Vassar College on April 29th. The game versus the Bears is set to begin in Potsdam, NY at 4:00pm.

 

 

CARROLL AND RUSSELL SCORE TWICE AS

SAINTS UPEND CLARKSON, 9-7

Apr. 19: The St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team extended their active winning streak to seven games with a 9-7 triumph over their North Country rivals, the Clarkson Golden Knights, at North Country Field Wednesday afternoon.

 

The two schools, known as distinct hockey adversaries, have also built a rivalry in men’s lacrosse over the past few seasons. In a battle of outstanding goaltending, the Saints held off a late Clarkson rally to pick up their eighth win of the season and improve their conference record to 4-0.

 

Clarkson grabbed the early lead when Bryan Johnson took a pass from Steve Kennedy and fired a shot past Saints’ goaltender Justin Demuth at 3:12 of the opening period. St. Lawrence quickly responded right off the following face-off, though, as freshman PJ Santora won the draw, carried the ball deep into Golden Knight territory, and laced a shot past Clarkson’s Greg Lamb to even the score at 1-1.

 

After the Knights again regained the lead at 2-1, St. Lawrence responded by scoring five of the last six goals to end the first half. Sophomore Derek Hansen tied the game at 2-2, followed by a goal from fellow classmate Brian Chamberlain to give the Saints their first lead of the game at 3-2. Although Brian Hanlon would tie the score for Clarkson very early in the second quarter at 3-3, the home team would get two goals from freshman Peter Carroll and another from sophomore Kevin Russell to end the first half scoring with the Saints ahead 6-3.

 

Clarkson’s intensity would not diminish heading into the second half, though, and the Golden Knights came out firing on Demuth in the early going. The visitors scored the opening two goals of the second half to close the gap to 6-5 with plenty of time to play.

 

St. Lawrence head coach Mike Mahoney would make several adjustments and countered with his corps group of attackers. Sophomore Ben Prime and Russell would tally back-to-back goals a mere 24 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter to extend the Saints’ lead to 8-5.

 

The Knights made one last push midway through the final frame, as Erik Hilfinger and Brian Hoey scored 42 seconds apart at 7:41 and 8:23 of the fourth to pull the visitors within one yet again at 8-7. Although Clarkson had several opportunities, they were unable to get a shot past Demuth late in the game.

 

After a St. Lawrence timeout with 55 seconds remaining in the game, junior Nick Mastine managed to get a shot on net while falling to the turf. His shot found the mesh as Lamb was out of position after trying to chase down a ground ball. The goal put the Saints ahead 9-7 and sealed the team’s sixth straight victory.

 

Although the Saints out-shot Clarkson 46-34, Lamb kept his team in the game with a 20 save performance. However, Demuth was up to the task, as he preserved the St. Lawrence win with 13 saves of his own. For the Saints, Carroll and Russell finished with two goals a piece, while Prime (1g, 1a) and junior Brendan Lynch (2a) finished with two points as well.

 

The Saints’ victory sets up a showdown for first place in the Liberty League with the RPI Red Hawks on Saturday, April 22nd as both teams enter the game at North Country field undefeated. The battle for first is set to begin at 1:00pm.

 

 

 

SAINTS REMAIN ATOP LIBERTY LEAGUE

STANDINGS WITH 9-6 WIN

Apr. 15: Eight different players on the St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team scored goals, including two from sophomore attack Ben Prime, as the Saints (7-3, 3-0) defeated Skidmore College 9-6 in a Liberty League match-up in Saratoga Springs, NY on Saturday.

 

Trailing by one in the early going, head coach Mike Mahoney watched as his offense reeled off five consecutive goals to grab a 5-1 lead midway through the second period. Prime notched the Saints' opening goal at 6:33 of the first quarter to make the game 1-1.

 

Junior Nick Mastine gave the Saints a 2-1 lead early in the second quarter as he rifled a shot past Skidmore goaltender James deGorter. His goal was soon followed by junior Willie Lapinski and freshman Peter Caroll, who scored only 28 seconds apart less than two minutes after St. Lawrence had taken the lead.

 

Skidmore bounced back before the end of the first half as Tom Spinella scored his second of the game after the Saints had extended their lead to 5-1. His goal at 8:30 of the second quarter cut the deficit to 5-2. The Thoroughbreds gained even more momentum before the half when Matt Ward scored on St. Lawrence goalie Justin Demuth with only 1:47 to play in the second quarter. The goal made the game a 5-3 affair heading into the second half.

 

The visiting Saints clamped down in the third quarter, as their offense was able to score four times and their defense was relentless in protecting Demuth. Cory Yawger, Andy Centauro, Kevin Russell, and Brendan Lynch each scored in a span of 4:55 to extend the Saints' lead to 9-3 heading into the final quarter.

 

Although St. Lawrence was held scoreless on the offensive end in the fourth quarter, they were able to protect the win. Skidmore, trailing by six, was able to notch three goals in the final quarter, but was unable to generate enough offense to force overtime. The Thoroughbreds' three goals in the final frame completed the scoring, and made the final score 9-6.

 

Prime's two goals led the Saints, while Carroll, Centauro, and Lynch all finished with a goal and an assist on the day as well. Spinella led Skidmore with four goals on nine shots.

 

Between the pipes, Demuth finished with 10 saves for the Saints while his counterpart deGorter made 16 stops for the Thoroughbreds. Freshman PJ Santora, a face off specialist, has been outstanding for the Saints thus far this season, and he continued to impress on Saturday. The Cos Cob, CT native won 17 of 18 face offs, giving the Saints control of possession and allowing them to outshoot Skidmore 42-28. Santora currently ranks in the top five nationally in face offs.

 

Saturday's victory keeps the Saints tied at the top of the Liberty League standings with RPI. St. Lawrence will next be in action on Wednesday, April 19th as they play host to the Clarkson Golden Knights at North Country Field. The game is set to begin at 4:00pm.

 

 

SAINTS WIN STREAK REACHES FIVE

GAMES WITH 14-4 VICTORY

Apr. 9: Sophomore Kevin Russell scored a goal and added three assists as the St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team extended their current winning streak to five games, knocking off the Oswego State Lakers 14-4 in Canton, NY on Sunday afternoon.

 

Russell's four point effort led the Saints, but there were plenty of outstanding efforts on both ends of the field for head coach Mike Mahoney against Oswego. Sophomore Ben Prime had three points (2g, 1a) on the afternoon, while first year students Peter Carroll and Alex Slauson each had two points on the afternoon.

 

The Saints grabbed an early 2-0 lead less than four minutes into the game on goals by Carroll and sophomore Cory Yawger. However, the Lakers would cut the lead to 2-1 when John Schumacher scored his first of the game with 10:34 to play in the opening quarter.

 

The home team would respond to their opponent's first score, though, running off four straight goals to end the first quarter and grab a 6-1 lead after fifteen minutes of action. The second quarter would be no better for the Lakers, as the Saints merely extended their lead to 9-2 by the end of the first half.

 

With the game in hand, the Saints used their efficient offense and stellar defense to keep the Lakers from mounting any sort of comeback effort. The Saints would again outscore Oswego in the third quarter 3-1, with goals coming from Russell, Prime, and Slauson.

 

With St. Lawrence leading 12-3 entering the final quarter, there was little offense to speak of until the four minute mark. The Saints then netted two quick goals to complete their scoring on the afternoon, as junior Willie Lapinksi scored with 3:47 to play, and Slauson netted his second of the afternoon just 40 seconds later. Oswego would score their fourth and final goal of the game with 1:08 to play, as Tom Maloney scored on St. Lawrence back-up goaltender Thomas Hollingsworth.

 

The Saints were solid in the offensive zone, outshooting Oswego 46-11. Junior netminder Justin Demuth started in net for St. Lawrence, recording two saves on five shots. Sophomore Frank Maguire made three saves on three shots in the fourth quarter in eight minutes of play, while first year student Thomas Hollingsworth allowed the final Laker goal of the game in relief of Maguire.

 

Between the pipes for Oswego was Matt Pfister, who made 12 saves on 26 shots. Schumacher was the leading scorer for the Lakers, as he scored two goals on the afternoon. Rob Tramontozzi added a goal for the visitors, as did Maloney late in the fourth quarter.

 

The Saints will take their five-game winning streak on the road in Liberty League play on Saturday, April 15th as they visit Skidmore College. The game is set to start in Saratoga Springs, NY at 1:00pm.

 

 

SCORING BALANCE, SOLID DEFENSE

BEAT HAMILTON

April 8: St. Lawrence University’s men’s lacrosse team won its fourth straight Saturday afternoon, combining a balanced scoring attack with outstanding defense in a 10-5 win at Hamilton College.

 

The victory gives the Saints a 5-3 overall mark and a 2-0 Liberty League record going into a 2 p.m. Sunday non-league game with Oswego on North Country Field. Hamilton falls to 5-2 overall and 0-2 in the Liberty League.

 

The two teams traded goals through the first 28 minutes of the game and were tied at 4-4, but Nick Mastine gave the Saints a 5-4 lead with 2:02 to go in the first half and Peter Carroll scored with just four seconds to go in the half to put the Saints up 6-4 at halftime.

 

SLU scored the only two goals of the third quarter, Ben Prime from Kevin Russell with 4:18 to play and Mastine picked up his second of the game just under two minutes later to make it 8-4 after three.

Hamilton cut it to 8-5 five minutes into the fourth quarter, but Russell scored from Carroll with 8:37 to go and Cory Yawger iced it from Ben Prime with 5:38 to play.

 

Brendan Lynch joined Carroll, Mastine and Yawger with two goals each in the game for the Saints and Russell and Prime had a goal and two assists each. Saint goaltender Justin Demuth made 10 saves while Ethan Shoemaker stopped eight of 18 shots for Hamilton.

 

LIBERTY LEAGUE HONORS

RUSSELL AND CARROLL

Apr. 4: Sophomore Kevin Russell and freshman Peter Carroll have been honored by the Liberty League for their outstanding performances versus Plattsburgh State and Union last week.

 

Russell provided plenty of offense for the Saints this week as they swept Plattsburgh and Union. He was named the Liberty League's "Co-Offensive Player of the Week." The Madison, CT native tallied ten points combined in the two games, including four goals and six assists. He also notched the game winning goal against the Dutchmen.

 

Carroll has gotten off to a great start in his rookie campaign, and he continued to put up solid offensive numbers last week versus the Cardinals and Dutchmen. The Liberty League chose him as the "Rookie of the Week" as he scored four times against Plattsburgh, and followed that performance with two more goals against Union. The Pennington, NJ native also added two ground balls.

 

St. Lawrence will look to extend their current three game winning streak as they square off with conference rival Hamilton College on Saturday, April 8th in Clinton, NY. Game time is set for 2:30pm.

 

 

 

RUSSELL LEADS THE WAY AS SAINTS

THRASH DUTCHMEN, 17-1

Apr. 1: Sophomore Kevin Russell tallied six points, including three goals and three assists, as the St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team won their third consecutive game and won their Liberty League opener against the Union Dutchmen 17-1 in Canton, NY on Saturday.

 

Russell was one of six Saints who had a multi-point effort against Union on Saturday. It was an excellent all-around effort from head coach Mike Mahoney's team, which improved to 4-3 with the victory and 1-0 in league play.

 

St. Lawrence took ownership of the game in the first quarter, taking a 7-0 lead less than eleven minutes into the contest. St. Lawrence's offensive firepower was merely too much for the Dutchmen's defense, which was constantly pressured by the likes of junior Andy Centauro, Russell, sophomore Ben Prime, and first year student Peter Carroll. The Saints took 32 shots on goal, while their stingy defense relinquished only 10 shots on their goaltenders.

 

After leading 11-0 at the half, the Saints merely extended their cushion to 16-0 by the 45:00 mark in the game. Although Union's Gordon Burdis would slip a shot past the Saints' third goaltender of the afternoon, Frank Maguire, to break up the shutout bid, the Saints rolled to a 17-1 victory to give them some confidence heading into next Saturday's game at currently-undefeated Hamilton College (5-0).

 

Russell was the game's leading scorer with six points, along with fellow attackers Carroll and Prime who each netted two goals. Centauro collected four points on a pair of goals and assists, and junior Willie Lapinski had a solid game with a goal, two assists, and a ground ball.

 

Between the pipes, junior Justin Demuth got the start and he made two saves in 30:00 minutes of play. He was replaced by first year student Thomas Hollingsworth in the third, who made four saves on four shots in Demuth's stead. Maguire then relieved Hollingsworth in the final quarter, making three saves on four shots in 15:00 minutes of play.

 

The Saints and Continentals will meet up on Saturday, April 8th at 2:30pm in Clinton, NY for a conference match-up. The Saints return home the following day, Sunday, April 9th to take on non-conference foe Oswego State. Game time at North Country Field is set for 2:00pm.

 

 

 

SAINTS IMPRESSIVE ON BOTH ENDS OF THE

FIELD IN WIN OVER PLATTSBURGH

Mar. 29: The St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team evened their record at 3-3 with a thorough 16-6 victory over the previously-unbeaten Plattsburgh State Cardinals (6-1) on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The game, which was played at North Country Field, was the home opener for St. Lawrence after a three game road trip to Florida. While in the warmer climates, the Saints battled both No. 1 Salisbury and No. 13 Bowdoin but came up empty. Head coach Mike Mahoney's team then bounced back in the team's final game in Florida with a 16-3 win over New England College.

 

The Saints grabbed an early three goal lead as sophomore Ben Prime came out of the gates firing. The Hingham, MA native scored the two goals in the opening six minutes and assisted on a third to give his team an early cushion. Although Plattsburgh would get one back to make it a 3-1 game midway through the opening quarter, the Saints rallied off the next three goals to extend their lead. First year student Peter Carroll scored at 11:21 and then again 30 seconds later at 11:51 to push the lead to 6-1 heading into the second half.

 

The Saints' relentless attack continued at the opening of the second half, as junior Nick Mastine took a pass from fellow classmate Andy Centauro and fired a laser past Cardinal goaltender Billy Hughes. Mastine's goal came at 4:47 of the third quarter, and would later prove to be the game-winning goal.

 

However, Plattsburgh started to shift the momentum in their direction midway through the third quarter. Trailing 9-3, the visitors scored twice in less than a minute to pull within four. Sophomore Frank Sangiovanni scored a man up at 9:37 of the third, and senior Adam Lockley fired a shot past the Saints' junior goaltender Justin Demuth to climb back into the game.

 

St. Lawrence would have none of it, though, and rattled off the game's next six goals in a span of 7:15 to put the contest out of reach. Centauro, first year student Alex Slauson, Mastine, Carroll, Prime, and sophomore Derek Hansen each scored one of the six goals that helped to seal the team's first home and second consecutive victories. Plattsburgh's Bill Schmitt and St. Lawrence sophomore Tyler Moore each scored a goal in the final quarter to complete the scoring.

 

Demuth finished the game with five saves, while Hughes closed with eight for the Cardinals. Prime led all scorers with five points (3g,2a), while Carroll (4g) and sophomore Kevin Russell (1g,3a) each tallied four points for the home team. Lockley led the Cardinals with three points (3g), followed by senior Jon Kane with two (1g,1a).

 

The Saints were able to pick up the win despite being called for seven penalties throughout the game. Much of their success can also be credited to first year student PJ Santora, who helped the Saints control the game by winning 18 of 24 faceoffs. St. Lawrence's offensive unit also deserves much of the credit, as the home team outshot Plattsburgh 41-21.

 

St. Lawrence will get only a few days of rest as they will now gear up to open the 2006 Liberty League schedule against the Union Dutchmen on Saturday, April 1st at 1:00pm.

 

SAINTS TOP NEW ENGLAND 16-3

March 23: Derek Hansen scored two goals and assisted on two others as St. Lawrence University’s men’s lacrosse team completed its Spring Break Florida trip with a 16-3 win over New England College in Orlando late Thursday.

 

A total of 12 different players had at least one goal for the Saints who led 11-1 at the half and cruised to the victory.

 

Pete Carroll, Cory Yawger, and Tyler Moore had two goals each for the Saints. Justin Demuth played the first half in goal, allowing one goal and Frank Maguire and Thomas Hollingsworth each played a quarter. The three Saint goaltenders combined for ten saves.

 

Other goal scorers for the Saints included Ben Prime, Andy Centauro, Nick Mastine, Rob Kopp, Brendan Lynch, Kyle Benton, John Allen and Brian Chamberlain. Willie Lapinski, Centauro, Kopp, Lynch, Moore and Trevor Rainville added assists.

 

The Saints will play their 2006 home opener against Plattsburgh on March 29 at 4 p.m.

 

SAINTS GIVE SALISBURY A SCARE IN 9-7 LOSS

March 22: St. Lawrence University’s men’s lacrosse team made Salisbury State work for its NCAA record 58 th straight win in a game played in Florida on Wednesday.

 

The Saints and Seagulls were tied 7-7 midway through the fourth quarter and right after Salisbury went up 8-7, SLU had a great opportunity with a one-on-one with the goaltender to tie it again, but goalie Max Zarchin made a great save to deny the chance. The Seagulls then added a late goal for the final two-goal margin and a 9-0 start to the current season.

 

The Saints and the three-time defending national champions, coached by former Saint All America Jim Berkman, a member of the SLU Athletic Hall of Fame, were tied 3-3 after one period, 5-5 at the half and 6-6 after three.

 

“We battled with them…it was fun,” said Saint coach Mike Mahoney. “It was a great game and certainly one we can build on.”

 

Saint goalie Justin Demuth was outstanding with 12 saves while Pete Carroll and Nick Mastine each scored two goals and Ben Prime, Nick Centauro and Brendan Lynch each had single goals in the game.

Mike Hurley led Salisbury, ranked number one nationally, with four goals and two assists.

The Saints conclude their Florida series against New England College on Thursday.

 

13th RANKED BOWDOIN TIPS SAINTS 8-7

Mar. 21: Bowdoin’s Conner Fitzgerald snapped a 7-7 tie with 2:56 to play and lifted the Polar Bears to a 8-7 win over St. Lawrence in a men’s lacrosse game played in Sylvan Park, FL on Tuesday.

 

The Saints take on Salisbury State, winners of 58 in a row and coached by former Saint All America Jim Berkman at 3 p.m. Wednesday in game two of their Florida trip. SLU is 1-2 after the loss to the 13 th ranked Polar Bears.

 

Sophomore Kevin Russell led the Saints with two goals and two assists while Andy Centauro had two goals and an assist and Derek Hansen added two goals. Nick Mastine had the other Saint goal and Justin Demuth had 13 saves in goal.

 

 

 

SAINTS PRIMED FOR TOUGH

FLORIDA SCHEDULE

Mar. 15: The St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team and head coach Mike Mahoney will head to Sanford, FL for three games between March 20th and 23rd. However, this trip is anything but a vacation for the Saints.

 

St. Lawrence will be squaring off with three outstanding teams while making their annual trip south during the University's spring break period. Each of the team's three games will be played at Sylvan Lake Park in Sanford, FL at 3:00pm. The Saints' opener down south is on March 20th, against Bowdoin, the No. 13 team in the country.

 

There will be very little time for the Saints to relax after their opener, however, as their schedule gets only tougher two days later. The Saints will take the field with No. 1 ranked Salisbury, who are the three-time defending National Champions. Finally, the Saints complete their spring break trip with a game against New England College on March 23rd.

 

The rigorous non-conference schedule will hopefully serve the Saints well come the start of the Liberty League season on April 1st against Union. The men's lacrosse team opens their home schedule after they return from Florida with a game versus Plattsburgh on March 29th.

 

 

 

SAINTS PREPARED TO OPEN SEASON

ON SATURDAY AT HARTWICK

Mar. 2: The St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team is set to begin their 2006 season on Saturday, March 4th, in hopes of capturing the Liberty League championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, St. Lawrence will face six resilient non-league opponents before opening their league schedule at home against Union on April 1st.

 

Although the Saints’ non-conference schedule is an extremely difficult one, the team hopes it will prepare them for the rigorous schedule the Liberty League poses in 2006. St. Lawrence opens the season against a tough Hartwick team, then will visit Cortland , one of the top teams in the country on March 11 th. They then head south for their spring break trip, where they will take on two of the toughest teams in the country in Bowdoin and three-time defending National Champion Salisbury State on March 20th and 22nd.

 

St. Lawrence will field a squad that only carries with it two seniors. However, what the Saints lack in age, they make up for in depth and work-ethic thanks to an experienced junior and sophomore class. Coach Mahoney and company also welcome twelve first year students to the 2006 team, adding what the team hopes will be an immediate impact to the program.

 

The captains for the 2006 season are juniors Justin Demuth, Brian Crowley, and Andy Centauro. Demuth hopes to be the Saints’ “rock” in net this season, coming off a season where he earned Second-Team Liberty League honors. He won the job midway through his freshman campaign, and has developed into an outstanding leader. Backing up Demuth will be much-improved sophomore Frank Maguire and first year student Thomas Hollingsworth, who is coming out of high school as an All-American.

 

Protecting Demuth and company will be an experienced defensive unit including Crowley , seniors Tripp Bartlett and Bo McDougall, and juniors J.J. Hearty, Brad Liston, and Rick Slingluff. Meanwhile, sophomore Ben Buskey will handle the LSM duties for the Saints.

 

St. Lawrence also has outstanding depth at the midfield position, which will be anchored by Centauro. He is joined by juniors Willie Lapinski, Brendan Lynch, and Trevor Rainville, along with a slew of underclassmen who will add quickness and intensity to the lineup. Providing the offense will be Liberty League Rookie of the Year Kevin Russell, who led the team in points and assists last season. Accompanying Russell at attacker will be junior Nick Mastine, sophomore Ben Prime and Derek Hansen, and first year student Pete Carroll, who the team hopes can make an impact in his rookie season.

 

“I think we’re potentially a more dangerous team because our scoring should be more balanced this season. Point production can now come from a variety of positions, which we’ll need with our tough schedule,” said coach Mahoney. “Our goal is always to try and compete for a Liberty League title, but be we also want to continue to get better every time we take the field.”

 

The Saints will have their hands full in the conference again this season. The Skidmore Thoroughbreds, who won the league in 2005, will again be a force along with archrival Clarkson University . Hamilton and RPI also will be fielding strong teams this season, along with a much improved Union lineup. The Saints opening game will be played at Hartwick College on Saturday, March 4th at 2:00pm.

 

 

 

SAINTS TO VISIT HARTWICK ON

SATURDAY AT 2:00pm