April 23, 2010

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (5-5, 2-3 ECAC) vs.
Bellarmine University Knights (8-5, 2-3 ECAC)
Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 1 p.m.
Quinnipiac Field Hockey & Lacrosse Turf Field - Hamden, Conn.

Bobcats Look To Bounce Back Against Bellarmine
The Quinnipiac University men's lacrosse team returns to ECAC Lacrosse action Saturday, when it plays host to Bellarmine. While the Bobcats own a 4-0 lead in the all-time series, three of the four games have been decided by one goal, including the last two. The Bobcats are coming off a pair of tough losses at Denver and Holy Cross, while the Knights have won two straight. Quinnipiac and Bellarmine have eerily similar results, having both beaten ECAC foes Hobart and Air Force, while losing by six to Loyola (Md.) and four to Denver.

Scouting the Bellarmine Knights
Sean Doyle (29 goals) and Derek Hopcroft (23 goals) pace the Knights' scoring efforts, while Chase Williams (19 assists) and Jarrett Davis (18 assists) often set up the Bellarmine scorers. Craig Carson (.549) and Andrew Bulgarelli (.424) split the face-off responsibilities, while Dillon Ward (10.29 GAA, .545 save percentage) and Scott Bowles (11.22 GAA, .475 save percentage) have nearly split time in net.

Well-Grounded Man
With 60 ground balls so far this season, Zall Pall ranks tied for seventh all-time on the Quinnipiac single-season ground balls list.

Glad To Have You
Junior transfer Christian Haggerty leads the Bobcats in points (30), with 13 goals and 17 assists. His assist total also leads Quinnipiac, and ranks tied for eighth on the program single-season list. Haggerty is the first Bobcat to reach as many as 17 assists in a season since both Joe Baglio (29) and Jeff Speed (24) did so in 2001.

Oppenheimer Climbs Quinnipiac Career Goals List
With three goals April 17 at Holy Cross, Jack Oppenheimer pushed his career total to 45 goals, good for 14th in Quinnipiac history.

Causing Havoc
The Bobcats ranked eighth in the nation in caused turnovers per game, entering the week averaging 10.1 per game.

Kaiser Creeps Up Quinnipiac Scoring List
With his 38th career goal, April 11 at Denver, Todd Kaiser moved into a tie for 17th on the QU All-Time scoring list.

Oppenheimer Goals: The Right Way To Score
With 20 goals this season, Jack Oppenheimer leads the Bobcats. Oppenheimer led the Bobcats in both points (26) and goals (20) in 2009. With four games remaining this season, he's already matched both marks.

A-Pall-ing Performance
Zach Pall has won 71-of-122 (.582) face-offs this season, good for the 11th-best face-off winning percentage in the nation. He's also fifth in NCAA Division I in ground balls per game at 6.67. He won 12-of-18 face-offs at Detroit-Mercy, and picked up a career-high 13 ground balls in the process. Pall also won all seven of his opportunities against Wagner, went 10-of-16 against Providence, 12-of-16 at Air Force, and 12-of-19 against both Hobart and Ohio State.

Benz, But Don't Break
Senior goalie Kevin Benzing has been his typical steady self in net for the Bobcats this season, maintaining a 9.13 goals-against average and a .539 save percentage while posting a 5-5 record. His save percentage ranked 24th nationally to begin the week, while his goals-against average was 21st.

Gettin' After Ground Balls
The Bobcats won a decisive victory in the ground-ball game at Air Force, April 9, scooping up 34 to the Falcons' 15.

Simply the Best
For his 21-save effort at Hobart on March 20, Kevin Benzing was named the ECAC Lacrosse and Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The 21 saves were the most in the nation in a single game during that week, and a career high for the senior goalie.

Marotto Makes His Mark
Alex Marotto scored three goals, all in the decisive second half, March 20 at Hobart. Marotto tied the game at 4-4, before later adding insurance goals to push the Bobcats' lead to 7-4 and 9-7.

New Addition
Junior transfer Christian Haggerty had a team-high six points (two goals, four assists) in the Bobcats' 12-2 win over Providence, March 13. For his effort, he was named the ECAC Lacrosse Co-Player of the Week.

Three For All
Christian Haggerty, Peter McNichols and Jack Oppenheimer each contributed three goals and an assist in the Bobcats' 13-8 victory, March 7 at Detroit-Mercy.

Saving Face
The Bobcats won 22-of-26 face-off opportunities against Wagner. Zach Pall led the way, going a perfect 7-for-7, while Derek Flynn (8-for-10) and Jay Binkowski (7-for-9) were also extremely efficient.

Kaiser Connects
Todd Kaiser led the Bobcats with a goal and an assist in Quinnipiac's season opener against No. 10 Loyola, Feb. 27.

Benzing Sends Back 16 Shots
Kevin Benzing did all he could to keep the Bobcats in the game, Feb. 27, against nationally-ranked No. 10 Loyola. Benzing stopped 16 of the 27 shots he faced on the day.

30 'Cats Back
The Bobcats returned 30 of 35 letter winners from 2009, including the team's top eight goal scorers. Junior Jack Oppenheimer scored a team-high 20 goals last season, while classmate Kevin Kelly was close behind with 17. Senior Ted Dimond also contributed double-digit goals with 12. Seniors Todd Kaiser (7), Garett Kerr (7), Alex DeAlmeida (5), Mike Gast (5), and Zach Dendas (5) all return for the Bobcats' offense.

On Deck
The Bobcats return to action Tuesday, when they travel to Fairfield, Conn., to face future Northeast Conference foe Sacred Heart. Opening face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Campus Field.