Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/22/12
From Press Release

After tying the school’s best record, six Cabrini College men’s lacrosse players have been honored by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) with All-American honors, the organization announced today.

The six awards are the most the Cavaliers have ever received in a single season.

Senior defenseman John McSorley (Ridley) became just the second Cabrini student-athlete to garner First Team distinction and was joined by Lynchburg junior defenseman Joe Lisicky (Unionville). Cabrini’s leading scorer, junior Bobby Thorp (Cherokee) was named to the Third Team.

Senior Brian Hill (Ridley) was joined by juniors Andrew Kvech and Erick Zarzecki and freshman Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove), receiving Honorable Mention.

McSorley joins felow Ridley grad Casey Grugan as the only Cavaliers to be named USILA First Team All-Americans. Both are also Cabrini’s only three-time All-Americans.

A four-time All-Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) First Team honoree, McSorley led the Blue and White with 39 caused turnovers while scooping 35 ground balls. The defenseman also added five goals on seven shots and recorded six assists.

The senior closed his career atop the program’s list with 146 caused turnovers and 74 starts. He ranks second all-time with 196 ground balls in 75 career games.

Thorp had one of the best offensive seasons in school history. The junior posted 89 points on 52 goals and 37 assists. Each total ranks in the top four single season totals in school history.

Thorp was named to the All-CSAC First Team after leading the league in points, goals and assists. His 4.45 points per game rank #15 in the nation in scoring.

Hill joined Thorp at the head of Cabrini’s scoring categories. The senior tallied 79 points, including 47 goals and 32 assists, each ranking in the school’s top seven all-time performances.

The senior is one of just three Cavaliers in school history to reach both the 200 career point and 125 goal plateaus. A two-time All-CSAC First Team performer, Hill ranks in the school’s top six in points, goals and assists while starting 74 games and playing in a record 76.

Kvech garnered All-CSAC First Team accolades after forcing 22 turnovers and securing 56 ground balls. The junior was an integral part of Cabrini’s #2 scoring defense. Kvech also added a pair of assists to the Blue and White’s offensive attack.

Zarzecki, the 2012 CSAC Player of the Year, was among the nation’s best backstops throughout the season. The junior’s 4.9 goals against average currently ranks second in the nation, while his .694 save percentage in #13.

Zarzecki recorded 148 saves on the year while posting the most wins in school history with 17.

DiNenno made an immediate impact on Cabrini’s offense. The rookie won 69% of his faceoff opportunities, the second highest winning percentage in the nation, en route to being named 2012 CSAC Rookie of the Year.

The rookie secured a single season record 116 ground balls while winning while winning 221 faceoffs. DiNenno chipped in with three goals and an assist on the year.

The Cavaliers can now boast 29 USILA All-Americans in the program’s 18 year history. In four of the last five years, at least four Cabrini players have garnered All-American honors.

Cabrini finished the campaign with a 17-3 record, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament with the program’s second appearance in the national quarterfinal round.

The Blue and White captured its 12th consecutive CSAC championship while extending its win streak to 113 regular and postseason over league competition.

USILA All-American
First Team

Attack
Matt Cannone, Salisbury University
Erik Krum, Salisbury University
Jon Leanos, Hamilton College
Greg Wright, SUNY Cortland

Midfield
Sam Bradman Salisbury University
Ryan Clarke Salisbury University
Rich Dupas Stevens Institute of Technology
Kevin McCormick Tufts University

LP Midfield
Brandon Palladino Dickinson College

SS Middie
Dean Rossi Salisbury University

Defense
Matt Callahan, Tufts University
Joe Lisicky (Unionville), Lynchburg College
John McSorley (Ridley), Cabrini College
Andrew Sellers, Salisbury University

Face-off
Tyler Granelli, Salisbury University

Goalie
Sean Aaron, Union College

Second Team

Attack
Bennett Cord, Washington College
Dylan Hoff (Downingtown East), Lynchburg College
Jeff Keating, Roanoke College
Tyler Russell, Rochester Institute of Technology

Midfield
Ian Deveau, Colby College
Joe Slavik, SUNY Cortland
Jimmy van de Veerdonk, SUNY Oneonta
Andrew Wilfong, Lynchburg College

LP Midfield
Jack Kennedy, SUNY Cortland

SS Middie
John Felix, SUNY Geneseo

Defense
Matthew Egan, Bowdoin College
Kyle Holechek, Stevenson University
Tyle Hutchinson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Craig Sullivan, SUNY Cortland

Face-off
Nick Rhoads, Tufts University

Goalie
Mike Kaminski, SUNY Cortland

Third Team

Attack
Robert Thorp (Cherokee), Cabrini College
Mike Tota, SUNY Cortland
Pat White, Western New England College
Beau Wood, Tufts University

Midfield
Jordan Collins-Hartwig, Rochester Institute of Technology
Mark Flibotte, Bowdoin College
Mike Hayden, Roanoke College
Matt Lynch (La Salle), Goucher College

Defense
Eric Horeth, Rochester Institute of Technology
Mike Krajacic, Utica College
Matt Marks, Stevens Institute of Technology
Brian Winterfeldt, SUNY Cortland

LP Midfield
Evan Hockel, Salisbury University

SS Middie
Corey Johnson, Western New England College

Face-off
Andrew Setian, Franklin and Marshall College

Goalie
Ian Bolland, Stevenson University

Honorable Mention

Attack
Rory Averett (Council Rock North), Goucher College
Steve Banick, Stevenson University
Kyle Boncaro, Goucher College
Brian Cannon, Dickinson College
Rich Cheifitz, Kean University
Cory Couture, Denison University
CJ Estes, Nazareth College
Connor Henderson, St. John Fisher College
Brian Hill (Ridley), Cabrini College
Alex Hofrichter, Stevens Institute of Technology
Micah Keller, Hampden-Sydney College
Sean Kirwan, Tufts University
Anthony Mendes, Salisbury University
Tyler Meth, Montclair State University
Robert Nogueras, Trinity College
Adam Nycz, Virginia Wesleyan College
Pat Ohrem, Lynchburg College
Tyler Reid, Stevenson University
Evan Redwood, Amherst College
DJ Rickels, McDaniel College
Mitchell Ritchie, St. John Fisher College
Steve Romano, Lycoming College

Midfield
Coady Adamson, Adrian College
Nick Angrisani, Kean University
Matt Cherry (Radnor), Dickinson College
Taylor Cook, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Mike Delia Springfield College
Kyle Denhoff, St. John Fisher College
Michael Devine, Eastern Connecticut State University
Shane Ferguson, Springfield College
Chris Fuccillo, Catholic University
Eric Gollands, Clarkson University
James Gruppo, Dickinson College
Dorne Harrison, Stevens Institute of Technology
Justin Lea, Stevenson University
Davis Lukens, Denison University
John Lyons, Connecticut College
Carter Mavromatis, Hampden-Sydney College
Mike Perlow, Skidmore College
Nicolas Phillippi, Stevens Institute of Technology
Nick Rossi, Stevenson University
Sam Russell, Whittier College
Phil Valliant, Haverford College
Max Voumard (St. Augustine Prep), Lynchburg College
Jimmy Wenk, Franklin and Marshall College

LP Midfield
Tim Cleary, The University of Scranton
Brayden Gerrie, Roanoke College
Dillon Hamill, Haverford College
Brendan Hanley, Wesleyan University
Ryan Rubenstein, Stevenson University
Peter Windsor, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

SS Middie
Parker Dickerson, Salisbury University
Sam Diss, Tufts University
Andrew McCrumb, Stevenson University
Greg Pierce, Bowdoin College
Sam Stanton, Wesleyan University

Defense
Mitchell Bailey, St. John Fisher College
Nick Farrell, Denison University
Kyle Fendlay, Stevenson University
William Grayson, Gettysburg College
Aaron Harris, Western New England College
Kevin Helm, Bates College
Clay Hillyer, Connecticut College
Lex Johnson, Wesleyan University
Andrew Kvech, Cabrini College
Joe LaSala, Washington and Lee University
Matt Livingston, Union College
Jon Lombardo, Lynchburg College
Nick Sicuranza, McDaniel College
Zeke Smith, Salisbury University
Peter Zouck, Dickinson College

Face-off
Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove), Cabrini College
PJ Hart, Rochester Institute of Technology
Sean McGowan, Drew University
Sam Ozycz, Endicott College
Ryan Paradis, Skidmore College
Michael Steinhauser, Stevens Institute of Technology

Goalie
Joe Banno, Haverford College
Robert Bazlen, Whittier College
Franc Cook, Lynchburg College
Grant Covington, Wesleyan University
Mark Glander, Montclair State University
Peter Johnson, Trinity College
Brewster Knowlten, Western New England College
Robert Maher, Springfield College
Peter Stewart, Washington College
Alex Taylor, Salisbury University
Erick Zarzecki, Cabrini College

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/17/12
From Press Release

The Cabrini College men’s lacrosse season came to an end Wednesday night at with a 14-4 loss at No. 1 Salisbury University in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Cavaliers end the campaign with a 17-3 overall record, tied with the 2008 team for the best record in school history.

The Sea Gulls jumped out to an early lead, scoring the game’s first goal 46 seconds into play and opening a 4-0 lead in the first quarter.

Freshman Anthony DiSanzo got the Cavaliers on the score board, scoring his 19th goal of the season with 20 seconds to play in the first quarter.

Salisbury extended its advantage to 6-1 midway through the second quarter. Senior Brian Hill (Ridley) found freshman Mike Leyden (Haverford High) for the rookie’s 25th score of the season. After 30 minutes of action, the Blue and White found itself trailing 6-2.

While Cabrini returned to the field after halftime with aspirations of cutting in to Salisbury’s lead, the Sea Gulls had other ideas. Salisbury scored four goals in the first six minutes of the third quarter, extending its lead to 11-2.

The Cavaliers stopped the Sea Gulls run at the 6:14 mark of the period when junior Bobby Thorp (Cherokee) hooked up with sophomore Matt Biegel (West Chester East). Biegel’s 25th goal of the season cut Cabrini’s deficit to 11-3.

Salisbury added three more goals in the period, extending its lead to 14-3 with one period to play.

With 10:36 left in the game, Hill recorded his 47th tally of the season on a Thorp assist.

Thorp and Hill, Cabrini’s leading scorers throughout the season, led the Blue and White with two points each.

Freshman Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove) secured a team-high five ground balls, while senior defenseman John McSorley (Ridley) added four.

Freshman Damian Sobieski (Avon Grove) caused a game-high three turnovers. McSorley also added a pair of caused turnovers to Cabrini’s defensive effort.

Junior goaltender Erick Zarzecki recorded eight saves in the loss.

Senior Sam Bradman led the Sea Gulls with seven points on six goals and an assists in the win. Fellow seniors Matt Cannone and Erik Krum combined for five goals and five assists.

Salisbury will face Stevenson University in one of two national semifinals to be played this weekend. Tufts University and SUNY-Cortland will meet in the other semifinal.

The winners will play for the national championship on Sunday, May 27 in Foxboro, Mass.

Tonight’s loss ends the careers of Cabrini’s four seniors, Joe Arrell (Springfield-Delco), Hill, McSorley and Andrew Zelinski. As a group, this foursome is among the most successful classes in program history.

They have led the Cavaliers to a 60-17 overall record, including 24 consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) regular season wins and four league titles.

They have also reached at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament in all four years.

This senior class has collectively started 281 games, recording 301 points including 177 goals. They have caused 199 turnovers and secured 499 ground balls.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/16/12
From Press Release

By virtue of defeating Dickinson College on Saturday, the No. 6 Cabrini College men’s lacrosse team will travel to Salisbury, Md. today to face No. 1 Salisbury University in an NCAA quarterfinal round ga,e.

The action is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium.

Tickets will go on sale at the stadium at 6:00 p.m. Adult tickets will cost $5, while students with ID and children under 12 years old will cost $3.

Wednesday’s game will mark the Blue and White’s second appearance in the NCAA round of eight. It is not the first time Cabrini has visited Sea Gull Stadium. In 2008, the Cavaliers fell at Salisbury 15-7 before the Sea Gulls won the national title.

The clubs also met in the 2003 and 2005 tournaments. The Cavaliers lost 16-1 in a 2003 second round game and suffered a 13-9 opening round loss n 2005.

Cabrini advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinal game after defeating local rival Eastern University 19-3 and topping Dickinson College 12-7, avenging an early season loss.

The Blue and White posed the game’s first five goals at Dickinson, before sealing the game with three late goals.

The Capital Athletic Conference champion Salisbury Seagulls have maintained the top spot in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) poll since April 25, 2011.

After securing a first round bye, the Sea Gulls (20-0) dispatched of No. 10 Goucher College 12-4 on Saturday. Seniors Matt Cannone and Tony Mendes led Salisbury with four points each.

Wednesday’s winner will advances this weekend’s national semifinal round and face either No. 8 Denison (15-1) or No. 5 Stevenson (16-2) who also play on Wednesday night.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/10/12
From Press Release

The Cabrini College women’s lacrosse season came to an end Wednesday, as the Cavaliers fell at No. 3 Gettysburg 22-7, in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The loss was the Blue and White’s first since April 3 and dropped Cabrini to 10-9 on the year.

Katie Blumenthal (Notre Dame Academy) led Gettysburg with five goals and two assists.

Freshman Melissa Scanzano (Haverford High) led the Blue and White with three goals.

Gettysburg, the defending NCAA champions jumped out early, scoring six goals in the game’s first nine minutes. Just over 10 minutes into play, Scanzano opened Cabrini’s scoring with her 36th tally of the season.

Trailing 8-1 with 13:12 to play before halftime, Scanzano again found the back of the net.

Carzo’s 27th goal of the year came with 6:25 to play before halftime, cutting Cabrini’s deficit to 13-3. Less than 30 seconds later, senior Jacky McDermott (Ridley) tallied the final of her 62 career goals.

Senior Katie Slonaker’s free-position shot with 48 seconds to play in the first half cut Gettysburg’s advantage to 15-5. The Bullets added a late goal, taking a 16-5 lead into the half.
Sophomore Sarah Means opened the second half with her 31st goal of the year.

Scanzano closed the Blue and White’s scoring with her third score of the day with just over 20minutes to play.

Scanzano also led the Cavaliers with six draw controls, while sophomores Ali May (Downingtown East) and Suzanne Gennaro (Archbishop Carroll) each forced a pair of turnovers. Sophomore goaltender Janel Folkomer (Springfield-Delco) recorded seven saves n the loss.

Head Coach Jackie Neary and the Cavaliers completed another successful season, winning their 11th Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title. The program also won its 200th game all-time earlier in the year.

Cabrini College SCORING: GOALS: Scanzano, Melissa 3; McDermott, Jacky 1; Means, Sarah 1; Slonaker, Katie 1; Carzo, Sara 1. ASSISTS: None.

Gettysburg SCORING: GOALS: Katie Blumenthal 5; Hannah Church 4; Lindsey Robinson 3; Bridget Kenny 3; Loren Pruitt 2; Bailey Beardsley 2; Taylor Lawlor 1; Mandy Buell 1; Megan Nearing 1. ASSISTS: Hannah Church 3; Katie Blumenthal 2; Lindsey Robinson 2; Kate Higgins 1; Bridget Kenny 1; Cat McCutcheon 1; Loren Pruitt 1.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/10/12
From Press Release

The Cabrini College men’s lacrosse team won its 14th consecutive game Wednesday, defeating Eagle Road rival Eastern University 19-3 in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

The victory propels the #6 Cavaliers into the second round, where they will face #11 Dickinson College on Saturday at a location and time to be determined. The Red Devils topped Kenyon College 15-6 at Dickinson’s Biddle Field.

The Blue and White (16-2) displayed balanced offensive scoring tonight, as nine players found the back of the net, including all six starting offensive players.

Senior Brian Hill (Ridley) led the charge with seven points on four goals and three assists. Sophomore Corey Elmer and freshman Damian Sobieski (Avon Grove) added three goals each.

The Eagles opened the scoring 1:41 into the game, but the Cavaliers responded immediately. Six seconds later, Sobieski scored his first of the day to level the score. Hill converted an unassisted goal at the 9:42 mark for a 2-1 lead.

Though the Blue and White recorded 10 shots in the opening period, they could not find the back of the net. That changed in the second quarter as Cabrini exploded for nine goals.

Elmer opened the period with his 16th goal of the year. Just six seconds later, Sobieski found junior Bobby Thorp, giving the Cavaliers a 4-1 advantage. At the 11:27 mark, Hill converted a pass from junior Andrew Layne (Malvern Prep) for the senior’s second goal of the night.

Hill then found fellow senior Joe Arrell (Springfield-Delco) just over five minutes into the period for the Blue and White’s fourth score of the period. Midway through the quarter, freshman Mike Leyden (Haverford High) found Elmer for the sophomore’s second tally of the game.

One minute later, Sobieski posted an unassisted goal, followed 36 seconds later by the first of Leyden’s two scores in the quarter.

The Cavaliers continued to play through the halftime buzzer, as Leyden and Sobieski scored in the final minute of the period.

Sobieski’s final goal came with just six second left in the quarter and gave Cabrini an 11-1 lead heading into halftime.

After the break, the Blue and White picked up where they left off. Freshman Anthony DiSanzo opened the quarter with his 18th tally of the season. Sophomore Matt Biegel (West Chester East) marked the scoring column with 6:34 to play in the third.

Ten seconds after Biegel’s goal, senior defenseman John McSorley (Ridley) found Hill to complete the senior’s hat trick. An Eastern goal with just under four minutes to play in the period ended a run of 14 consecutive Cabrini goals.

Two minutes later, Thorp ignited another Cabrini spurt as the Cavaliers ended the third quarter with a 15-2 advantage.

Elmer’s goal just 16 seconds into the final stanza kept the momentum with the Cavaliers. Goals by Arrell and Hill extended the Blue and White’s lead to 18-2 with just over 10 minutes to play. Freshman Enrique Montoya closed the game with his 12th score of the season.

Freshman Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove), the nation’s leader in face-off win percentage, sparked the Cavaliers offense, taking 15 of 22 faceoff chances and securing a game-high eight ground balls. Hill, Thorp and senior Andrew Zelinski added four ground balls for Cabrini.

The Cavaliers recorded a season-low nine turnovers, while forcing seven of Eastern’s 18 miscues. Junior Tyler Grau led the Blue and White with three caused turnovers.

Junior goaltender Erick Zarzecki lowered his nation’s best goals against average allowing just three scores, while recording six saves in the win.
Saturday will mark the second time the teams have met this season. Dickinson scored the game-winning goal with :06 on the clock to defeat the Cavaliers 12-11 on February 29.

Eastern University SCORING: GOALS: Matt Soldano 1; Eric Waibel 1; Zac Ivy 1. ASSISTS: Chris Farrar 2; Kyle Gillam 1.

Cabrini College SCORING: GOALS: Hill, Brian 4; Sobieski, Damian 3; Elmer, Corey 3; Thorp, Bobby 2; Leyden, Mike 2; Arrell, Joe 2; Montoya, Enrique 1; DiSanzo, Anthony 1; Biegel, Matt 1. ASSISTS: Hill, Brian 3; Layne, Andrew 2; DiNenno, Anthony 1; Leyden, Mike 1; McSorley, John 1; Montoya, Enrique 1; Sobieski, Damian 1; Thorp, Bobby 1.

Penalties – Eastern University 4/2:30; Cabrini College 4/3:00.

Dickinson 15, Kenyon 6

Tyler White (Penn Charter) and Will Scott (Emmaus) each scored once and Matt Cherry (Radnor) had two assists for the Devils (15-3) in their victory.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/9/12

The USILA rankings for May 7:

Division I

Rank Team Pts (1st) Prev.
1 Massachusetts (15-0) 179 (8) 1
2 Loyola (14-1) 172 (1) 3
3 Duke (13-4) 156 4
4 Lehigh (14-2) 139 7
5 Notre Dame (11-2) 138 2
6 North Carolina (11-5) 137 5
7 Johns Hopkins (11-3) 130 10
8 Virginia (11-3) 127 8
9 Colgate (13-3) 115 11
10 Maryland (9-5) 97 6
11 Yale (11-4) 84 15
12 Princeton (11-4) 67 9
13 Denver (8-6) 62 12
14 Penn State (9-6) 56 14
15 Fairfield (12-4) 53 16
16 Syracuse (9-7) 51 -
17 Cornell (9-4) 43 13
18 Drexel (8-8) 31 19
19 Villanova (8-7) 15 17
20 Bucknell (9-7) 12 20

Also receiving votes: Bryant, Ohio State, St. John’s, Georgetown, Brown, Robert Morris

* * * * * * * *

Division II

Rank Team Pts (1st) Prev.
1 Mercyhurst (13-0) 119( 9) 1
2 Le Moyne (17-0) 111 (1) 2
3 Limestone (16-1) 98 4
4 Dowling (11-2) 85 3
5 Merrimack (13-3) 77 6
6 NYIT (13-3) 65 7
7 Adelphi (13-3) 61 5
8 Seton Hill (12-4) 49 8
9 Catawba (14-3) 37 10
10 Saint Michael’s (11-5) 29 9
11 Pfeiffer (12-6) 22 11
12 Mars Hill (11-3) 20 12

Also receiving votes: Florida Southern, Chestnut Hill, Bentley

* * * * * * * *

Division III

Rank Team Pts (1st) Prev.
1 Salisbury (19-0) 339 (16) 1
2 Cortland (18-0) 324 (1) 2
3 Lynchburg (17-1) 305 3
4 Tufts (16-2) 278 5
5 Stevenson (15–4) 273 4
6 Cabrini (15-2) 242 6
7 RIT (14-2) 235 7
8 Denison (13-1) 214 8
9 Stevenson (16-2) 204 9
10 Goucher (17-1) 162 10
11t Dickinson (14-3) 161 13
11t Bowdoin (13-5) 161 12
13 Springfield (14-3) 151 14
14 Union (11-4) 137 11
15 West. New England (12-4) 93 16
16 Roanoke (11-4) 72 15
17 Trinity (10-6) 58 17
18 Washington (11-5) 47 18
19 St. Lawrence (12-3) 32 19
20 Gettysburg (10–6) 20 20

Also receiving votes: Connecticut College, Eastern Connecticut, Amherst, Ithaca, Adrian, Ohio Wesleyan, Colby, Washington & Lee, Roger Williams, Mary Washington, Birmingham-Southern, Drew, New England College, Clarkson, Montclair State

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/7/12
From Press Release

When the Eastern University men’s lacrosse team dropped a pair of early games this year, the coaching staff knew that if the Eagles were able to secure the Middle Atlantic Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that they would have to go on the road for the first round.

Will Johnson is met by teammates after scoring with 1 minute to play in regulation to force overtime in the MAC Championship Game.

What they did not know is that that road trip would only be about 30 feet.

The MAC Champion Eagles (13-4) will play their first NCAA Tournament game in program history on the other side of Eagle Road against the No. 6 Cabrini Cavaliers at 6:30 on Wednesday evening. The Colonial States Athletic Conference Champion Cavaliers (15-2) have not lost since dropping back-to-back home games to Dickinson and Lynchburg near the beginning of March.

In Cabrini’s 14-game winning streak, the Cavaliers have run roughshod over their most recent opponents. They started their streak with a close 13-11 win at Hampden-Sydney. Then they pulled away to a 7-3 win over Swarthmore College and an 8-1 win over Gettysburg. Since March 14, the only team to be within a dozen goals of the Cavaliers is Gwynedd-Mercy College in the a 13-3 CSAC Final.

The Eagles are also on a winning streak. Since starting league play in mid-April, Coach Wallace’s squad has reeled off seven straight wins. In that stretch, Eastern has played a pair of one-goal games including a thrilling 12-11 overtime win over Commonwealth Champion Widener on Saturday.

The two teams have four common opponents. Swarthmore beat the Eagles 8-7 in the season-opener, and Gettysburg, whom Cabrini beat at home, pulled away to a 10-6 win late over the Eagles in April. Both teams beat FDU-Florham. Cabrini beat the Devils 15-2, and the Eagles have a pair of wins over their Freedom Conference rivals. Their most recent win was a 15-6 result in the Freedom Championship game. Finally, both schools walked over an overmatched Rosemont team.

Cabrini carried the day by a large margin in the last time the two teams met in an official game, but that game, a 2008 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship Game whitewashing, was only three years in for an Eastern program that had never had a winning record. Since joining the Middle Atlantic Conference, the Eastern program has matured into a group that expects to win. The Eagles are 41-23 over the past four years and 34-15 over the past three.

Only four Eastern players, Matt Wagner, Tim Dempsey, Joey Wilmot, and Dave Hoger were on Eastern’s roster in 2009. As evidenced by its performance in the MAC Championship Game, the group that came in and made an impact as freshmen in 2010, is very influential in the Eastern program. Led by goalie Aaron Benz, seven Eastern juniors were named to the All-Freedom team.

There are some similarities between the two squads that will lead to some interesting match-ups on Wednesday. Cabrini freshman face-off specialist Anthony DiNenno earned CSAC Most Outstanding Player honors in his first championship match, and he has won a stellar 70 percent of his face-offs. AJ Ryan’s numbers for the year are not quite as high (59.2 percent) for the Eagles, but the junior from Phoenixville has been on a tear as of late. He has been successful in 86-of-108 draws (79.6 percent) over the last five games. The battle at the X could prove to be very significant.

The two teams also look to their goalies as a backbone of very stout defenses. Eastern’s Aaron Benz stopped a season-best 19 shots in the MAC Championship. Cabrini also relies on a junior in Erick Zarzecki. Zarzecki boasts a stellar 4.29 goals against average and a very impressive 66 percent save percentage.

Cavalier attackmen Bobby Thorp (47 goals, 33 assists) and Brian Hill (40 goals, 28 assists) lead an offense that has scored 272 times in the 2012 campaign. Chris Farrar has 29 goals and 25 assists to lead a balanced Eastern attack that has scored 12 or more goals in six of seven games on their winning streak.

There was a time when the two neighboring schools met in every sport in league games every year. Many sports have kept the rivalry going, but Wednesday’s match-up, with a spot in the NCAA second round on the line means a whole lot more.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/6/12
From Press Releases and Staff Reports

Lehigh earned a home game and Princeton an at-large berth in the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse tournament field announced tonight.

Meanwhile in Division III, Cabrini (Colonial States Athletic Conference champion) and Eastern (Middle Atlantic Conference) – two schools that sit across the street from each other in Radnor Township – will meet in the first round of the Division III tournament. More details on that location and time will be released Monday.

The Patriot League champion Mountain Hawks (7th seed, 14-2) are making their first trip to the NCAA tournament and will host Maryland (9-5) of the Atlantic Coast Conference next Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the first round.

Princeton (11-4), the runner-up of the Ivy League, will play at defending national champion Virginia (5th seed, 11-3) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Owning a school-record 14 victories and the second most wins in the nation, Lehigh’s game will air live nation-wide on ESPNU. The Mountain Hawks earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth via their 16-14 win over Colgate in the Patriot League Championship Game.

“I was pretty calm because I knew we were in,” said Lehigh head coach Kevin Cassese. “I had a feeling in might be Maryland; I think a lot of the prognosticators thought it might be Maryland. We’re excited. We’re very privileged to have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. Our kids deserve it; they’ve worked so hard.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Cassese continued. “I’m so happy for our team, so happy for our seniors. What a year to be a part of Lehigh Athletics.”

Lehigh enters the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 13 of its last 14 games. The Mountain Hawks played three teams who advanced to the NCAA Tournament this season, owning a 3-1 record with wins against North Carolina (9-8), Yale (11-7) and Colgate (16-14) while falling to the Raiders during the regular season (11-10 in overtime).

“I’m excited we get to host it here at Lehigh,” said Cassese. “What a great opportunity, not only for Lehigh but also the Lehigh Valley. Hopefully we get a great crowd on Sunday night.”

The Mountain Hawks have won five straight games at the Ulrich Sports Complex since their home opening defeat to Villanova. The winner of Lehigh-Maryland will face the winner of #2 Johns Hopkins and Stony Brook in the National Quarterfinals on May 19 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

Lehigh and Maryland have met six times in their history, but not since 1940. The sides met five times in a six-year span from 1923-28, with Lehigh’s only victory coming in 1924 (3-0).

The Terrapins advanced to the National Championship Game last season as an unseeded team, defeating #8 seed North Carolina, #1 Syracuse and #5 Duke before falling to #7 Virginia. This marks Maryland’s 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance as it enters with a 9-5 record after falling to Colgate Saturday, 13-11. The Terps earned signature wins against Johns Hopkins and Duke, seeded second and third, respectively.

Four of the Round of 16 winners will meet in the quarterfinals the following weekend at PPL Park in Chester. The other four will head to Annapolis to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The 2012 NCAA Division I lacrosse tournament field:

No. 1 Loyola vs. Canisius

No. 8 North Carolina vs. Denver

No. 5 Virginia vs. Princeton

No. 4 Notre Dame vs. Yale

No. 2 Johns Hopkins vs. Stony Brook

No. 7 Lehigh vs. Maryland

No. 3 Duke vs. Syracuse

No. 6 UMass vs. Colgate

Princeton happy with at-large berth

ESPN’s Paul Carcaterra called Princeton lucky to be in the NCAA tournament, and to that Chris Bates had this to say: “Absolutely.”

The Princeton men’s lacrosse team sweated out a brutal six hours between its 15-7 loss to Yale in the Ivy League tournament final and the announcement of the NCAA tournament pairings, to the point where the team decided not to get
together to watch the show because of the potential for disappointment.

And then it all changed to elation, when the Tigers found out that they’d be playing at fifth-seeded Virginia Sunday at 1 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

“All afternoon, I though the tea leaves didn’t look like they’d lead into the tournament,” says Bates, who watched the show alone at home with his son Nick. “I look at it and I’m surprised. I’m shocked actually. They didn’t
want to get together and watch, and I was just waiting an dhoping.”

The first matchup announced was Loyola, the top seed, against Canisius. The second was Denver against No. 8 North Carolina – and it appeared that the addition of Denver might have meant Princeton was doomed.

Instead, the Virginia-Princeton matchup was revealed next. Once it was, everything changed in a blink.

“In my mind, we can beat anyone,” says Bates. “I can’t wait to see our team again and get fired up and get going. I have faith that we are one of the best teams in the country.”

The task in the first round won’t be easy, as Virginia is the defending champion. The Cavaliers are 11-3 and are led by Steele Stanwick, the 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy winner and the all-time leader in points scored at UVa.

Still, Princeton was flying high prior to Sunday’s game against Yale, who will play Notre Dame in the first round. The winner of the Princeton-UVa game will then play the winner of the Notre Dame-Yale game in the
quarterfinals.

This article will be updated.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/5/12
From Press Release

For the 12th consecutive year, the Cabrini College men’s lacrosse team maintained its spot atop the Colonial states Athletic Conference (CSAC) after today’s 13-3 championship win over Gwynedd-Mercy College.

The win secures the team’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and extends its win streak over conference foes to 113 regular and postseason games.

Cabrini freshman Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove) secured Most Valuable Player accolades after sparking the Blue and White’s offense with 16 face-off wins in 18 chances.

Senior Brian Hill (Ridley) led the Cavaliers (15-2) with five points on two goals and three assists. Junior Bobby Thorp added an assist to his pair of goals.

Thorp opened the Cabrini score book less than 90 seconds into the action as the junior converted a Hill pass. Freshman Mike Leyden’s (Haverford High) 20th goal of the year doubled Cabrini’s lead at the 10:52 mark.

Sophomore Corey Elmer converted a Hill pass into a 3-0 lead with five minutes left in the opening period. A Griffins goal with 3:33 to play cut into the Cavaliers’ lead, but the Blue and White ended the quarter with a 3-1 lead.

Freshman Anthony DiSanzo’s 17th goal of the season extended Cabrini’s lead to 4-1 midway through the second quarter. After another Gwynedd-Mercy tally, freshman Ben Laffoon found the net giving the Blue and White a 5-2 lead at the half.

The Hill to Thorp connection struck again five minutes into the third quarter. Three goals in a 46 second span late in the third period extended Cabrini’s lead to 9-2. Junior Andrew Layne (Malvern Prep) found Hill for the senior’s 39th score of the year.

Thirty second later, Layne sliced through the Griffins’ defense for an unassisted tally. Senior John McSorley (Ridley) completed the spurt with his fifth goal of the season.

Hill again found the back of the cage five minutes into the final period on an assist from sophomore Matt Biegel (West Chester East). Two minutes later, sophomore JoJo Cooper secured the rebound of a shot by freshman Damian Sobieski (Avon Grove) and converted it into Cabrini’s 11th goal of the day.

Less than a minute later, Sobieski marked the score card with an unassisted goal. With just north of five minutes to play, Biegel added a goal to his earlier assist for the Blue and White’s 13th score of the game.

The Cavaliers outshot Gwynedd-Mercy 49-16, forcing Griffins goaltender Ryley O’Keefe to make 17 saves.

DiNenno lead Cabrini with eight ground balls, while Cooper and junior Tyler Grau secured five each.

Cabrini’s junior backstop Erick Zarzecki improved his nation’s best goals against average to 4.29 after recording seven saves on the day.

McSorley and Andrew Kvech cause three turnovers each, while Cooper forced a pair.

Gwynedd-Mercy senior Craig Trueblood led the Griffins (10-6) with a pair of goals.

The Blue and White will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. when the NCAA broadcasts its Selection Show on NCAA.com.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/5/12
From Press Release

After a one year break, the Cabrini College women’s lacrosse team can once again be called “Champions” after defeating Marywood, 19-16, in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) championship game.

The Cavaliers’ 10th win of the season secured the College’s 11th CSAC title in the program’s 16 year history. The victory clinches Cabrini’s ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Jackie Neary’s squad was led by a trio of freshmen in today’s win. Sara Carzo (Strath Haven) was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after posting career highs with four goals and six assists. Carzo’s goals came on just four shots.

Lacie Doubet (Ridley) led the Cavaliers with five goals and seven points. Fellow rookie Melissa Scanzano (Haverford high) joined Carzo with four goals on the day.

The Cavaliers fell behind in the first minute before responding with four consecutive goals. Scanzano’s tally evened the score at the 27:21 mark. Cabrini’s first lead’s came led than two minutes later as Doubet found sophomore Sarah Means.

Senior Jacky McDermott (Ridley) extended Cabrini’s lead 39 seconds on a Carzo pass. Just over nine minutes into the action, junior Christina Pasquariello (Harriton) gave the Blue and White a 4-1 lead. The Pacers evened the score at four with three goals of their own.

Carzo’s goal midway through the first half gave Cabrini a short-lived lead as a Marywood tally leveled the score. Unassisted goals by Scanzano and Doubet gave Cabrini a 7-5 lead with 10 minutes left in the half. A Pacers’ goal at 9:41 halved Cabrini’s lead, but Marywood would get no closer.

The Blue and White immediately responded, as Carzo found the net 10 seconds later. Scores by Pasquariello, Carzo and Doubet gave the Cavaliers an 11-6 cushion with 7:16 left in the half.

Doubet’s goal with 2:14 left in the first half sent Cabrini into halftime with a 12-7 lead.

McDermott and Scanzano added to Cabrini’s lead with goals in the first three minutes of the second half. After a pair of Marywood goals, Carzo found the back of the cage for the fourth time, giving the Cavaliers a 15-9 lead with 20:46 on the clock.

Marywood continued to fight, cutting their deficit in half with just over 16 minutes to play. Cabrini got two of those goals back when Doubet scored her fourth of the game followed by sophomore Ali May’s tally.

After a Pacers’ goal, Scanzano and Doubet again extended Cabrini’s lead to six goals at 19-13 with 5:39 to play. Carzo and Doubet each added a pair of assists to their scoring totals.

Cabrini used a balanced team defense to stifle the nation’s #9 scoring offense. The Blue and White’s sophomore goaltender Janel Folkomer (Springfield-Delco) recorded nine saves, while scooping five ground ball and causing three turnovers.

Sophomore Diana D’Achille led the Pacers (14-4) with six goals. Three players added three scores each as the Pacers suffered their first loss to a conference opponent of the season.

The Cavaliers will learn their NCAA fate on the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Selection Show on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. The show will be broadcast on NCAA.com.

Chris Goldberg