April 12, 2011

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (4-4) vs.
Harvard University Crimson (6-4)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 4 p.m.
Quinnipiac Field Hockey & Lacrosse Turf Field - Hamden, Conn.

Bobcats Get Final Non-Conference Test Tuesday Against Harvard
The Quinnipiac University men's lacrosse team gets its final non-conference test of the 2011 regular season when it plays host to Harvard Tuesday. The Bobcats are coming off a pair of tough-fought Northeast Conference victories at Bryant and at home against Robert Morris. After winning five of its first six games, Harvard has dropped three of its next four. The Crimson has fallen at Dartmouth and Albany, as well as a 13-12 home defeat against nationally-ranked No. 5 Cornell this past Saturday in the span. The lone win came against No. 15 UMass, 11-9, on March 29. The Bobcats and Crimson have met twice, both Harvard wins, in 2004 and 2005.

Scouting the Harvard University Crimson
The Crimson is led by Dean Gibbons, whose 36 points lead the sixth-best scoring offense in the nation (11.8 goals per game). The Crimson is also sixth in points per game (18.5). Gibbons' 20 goals are second only to Jeff Cohen's 22. Kevin Vaughan (13), Daniel Eipp (13), Ryan Stevens (12) and Terry White (11) have also scored double-digit goals. Andrew Parchman has taken the majority of face-offs for Harvard, winning 52 percent (79-152). Daniel DiMaria's 40 ground balls lead the Crimson, while Jason Gonos has a team-high 12 caused turnovers. Harry Krieger has seen the majority of time in net, compiling a 10.19 goals-against average and a .500 save percentage.

Tricky Trio
Kevin Kelly, Christian Haggerty and Jack Oppenheimer each registered hat tricks against Robert Morris on April 9. Kelly scored a team-high five goals, while Haggerty and Oppenheimer had three goals each.

A Goalie's Revenge
After being peppered with 1,431 shots in his four-year Quinnipiac career, senior goalie Kevin Benzing unleashed his first career shot, a full-field heave that found the back of the net on the fly, April 9 against Robert Morris.

NEC Honors Kelly, Webster
The Northeast Conference named Kevin Kelly and Dylan Webster its player and rookie of the week, respectively, on April 11. Kelly scored five goals against Robert Morris, while Webster scored a goal, added three assists, won all 10 of his face-offs, scooped up seven ground balls and caused two turnovers. The award was the first of the season for Kelly and the fifth for Webster.

Wilbur's Game-Winner
Seeing just his second game action of the year, sophomore Brendan Wilbur scored twice, including the game-winning goal as time expired, Apr. 1 at Bryant. Wilbur had scored just once before in his career, Mar. 4, 2010, against Wagner. He proved it was not a fluke, scoring twice more and adding an assist, Apr. 9 against Robert Morris.

Causing Havoc
A year after finishing fifth in the nation in caused turnovers per game (10.21), the Bobcats currently rank fourth among NCAA D-I teams at 10.13. Jake Glebocki has led the way with 2.00 CT/gm. (16th-NCAA).

Benz, But Don't Break
Senior goalie Kevin Benzing has been particularly stingy this season, averaging 11.13 saves per game (13th-NCAA) while maintaining a .546 save percentage (22nd-NCAA) and a 9.19 goals-against average (33rd-NCAA).

Stepping Up On The Man-Up
QU is 12th in the nation in man-up offense (.393). The Bobcats have connected on nearly 40 percent of their opportunities (.393).

Oppenheimer Climbs Quinnipiac Career Goals List
Jack Oppenheimer's 66 career goals rank ninth in Quinnipiac history.

Hagg of a Streak
Christian Haggerty has recorded at least one point in each of his 22 games in the blue and gold. The 22 games rank 21st among active point streaks in the nation.

Do We Call Him A Rookie of the Year Candidate At This Point?
Dylan Webster was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the fourth time in five weeks after scoring an improbable goal against Bryant. After getting the ball checked out of his stick, Webster recollected and shot it past two defenders and the Bryant goalie to give QU a late 12-10 advantage.

Benzing Grabs Second In Saves
With 19 saves against Holy Cross March 5, Kevin Benzing passed Mike Sturmer '99 (428) for second all-time at QU. He now stands at 478, 150 behind the all-time leader at Quinnipiac, T.J. Barnett '04 (628).

Career-High For Coppolecchia
Chris Coppolecchia scooped up a career-high seven ground balls, March 26 at UMBC.

Webster Wins Again...And Again
Dylan Webster was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the third straight week, March 21. The freshman midfielder had a goal and an assist against Hartford, March 19, a week after tallying two goals in the Bobcats' 9-3 win at Providence, March 12. He began the stretch with three goals and an assist against Holy Cross, March 5.

Benzing Takes Second NEC Defensive Player of the Week
Kevin Benzing was named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks on March 21. The senior goalie made 12 saves on 22 chances in the Bobcats' 10-9 overtime loss to Hartford.

Hat Trick Twosome
Kevin Kelly and Christian Haggerty each compiled hat tricks against Hartford. Kelly now has five hat tricks for his four-year career, while Haggerty has four in his two years at QU.

Second Half Lockdown
QU outscored Providence, 6-0, in the second half on March 12. After the teams were deadlocked at 3-3 following the first half, Quinnipiac scored goals on six of seven shots on goal, while Bobcats goalie Kevin Benzing stopped all five shots on goal he saw in the second half.

Good Things Come In Three's
Kevin Kelly tallied a career-high six points on three goals and three assists, March 12, at Providence.

NEC Recognizes Benzing, Webster
The Northeast Conference recognized Kevin Benzing and Dylan Webster as its defensive player and rookie of the week, respectively, on March 7. Benzing made 31 saves in two games, including 19 in the Bobcats' 10-5 victory against Holy Cross. Webster scored three goals and added an assist against Holy Cross.

New To The NEC
With Bryant becoming eligible for postseason play in 2011, the Northeast Conference now has six men's lacrosse-playing institutions and has officially become a men's lacrosse league. QU joins Bryant, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Wagner.

Crazy Eight
Quinnipiac finished 2010 eighth in the nation in ground balls per game (35.57).

20/20
Christian Haggerty became just the fourth player in Quinnipiac history to compile a 20-goal, 20-assist season with 20 goals and 25 assists last year. Haggerty joined Joe Baglio (49 G, 29 A in 2001) as the only other Quinnipiac player with a 20-20 season at Division I, while Brian Perry (33 G, 25 A in 1998) and P.J. Gillard (24 G, 21 A in 1995) achieved the feat at the Division II level.

Glad To Have You
Christian Haggerty led the Bobcats in points (45), with 20 goals and 25 assists in 2010. His assist total tied for second on the QU single-season list, tied with Brian Perry in 1998. Haggerty was 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 Goals: The Right Way To Score
With 32 goals last season, Jack Oppenheimer led the Bobcats and moved into 10th all-time on the Quinnipiac single-season chart. Oppenheimer's 66 career goals rank ninth all-time at Quinnipiac.

15 Seniors Depart
The Bobcats must find a way to replace 15 graduated seniors from a year ago, many coming in the midfield. The top scorer to depart is Alex Marotto, who contributed 15 goals, while Todd Kaiser also chipped in with 12 goals. Garett Kerr also had 10 goals. Face-off specialist Ben Mullaney will certainly be missed, while Alex DeAlmeida's 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) will also have to be replaced.

Up Next
The Bobcats return to Northeast Conference action Saturday, when they play host to Mount St. Mary's. Opening face-off from the Quinnipiac Field Hockey & Lacrosse Turf Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.