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No. 6 Men's Lacrosse Continues Postseason Play at No. 2 Lasell in GNAC Semifinals
Posted: May 01, 2023

No. 6 Men's Lacrosse Continues Postseason Play at No. 2 Lasell in GNAC Semifinals

NEWTON, Mass.— The sixth seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team looks to make it back-to-back upsets, heading north to Massachusetts to face second-seeded Lasell University (Lasell) in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals Tuesday night. First faceoff against the Lasers is set for 6:00 p.m. on Grellier Field in Newton, Mass.

 
#6 USJ BLUE JAYS (10-8) at #2 LASELL LASERS (11-6) 
LOCATION: Grellier Field (Newton, Mass.) 
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 2 (6:00 p.m.)
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

  • USJ advanced to the semifinals after knocking off third-seeded Rivier University, 8-6, this past Saturday in the quarterfinals.
  • Sophomore midfield Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.), paced the offense, netting a game-high five goals, while senior goalkeeper Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) was stellar in net, tallying 15 saves.
  • The Blue Jays have been on fire as of late, sporting a four-game winning streak entering the semifinal round.
  • The Blue Jays are paced offensively by senior attack Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.). Baden has tallied 66 points on the year, netting 49 goals while dishing out 17 assists. The goal tally is the fourth most in the GNAC.
  • Decker has enjoyed a stellar debut season after transferring to USJ ahead of the 2023 campaign, ranking second on the team with 61 points and 41 goals, while leading the Blue Jays with 20 assists.
  • Freshman Nick Pestrichello (Wethersfield, Conn.) has been a force in his debut season, sitting third on the team with 46 points and 34 goals.
  • McCann has been a presence in goal for USJ this year, posting an 8-8 record in between the pipes. The netminder has tallied 179 saves, a 53.4% save percentage and a 9.94 goals against average across 941:30 minutes of action.
  • Senior defender Michael Callahan (Hampton, N.J.) has been a force defensively for USJ, causing 32 turnovers, the fifth most in the GNAC.
  • Sophomore midfield Luke von Borstel (Massena, N.Y.) has established himself as the primary faceoff man for USJ, winning 104 of his 187 faceoff attempts, the eight most in the conference.
  • The Blue Jays have made teams pay for giving them man-up opportunities, leading the GNAC with 44 man-up goals.
  • USJ have reached the playoffs in every season since the men's lacrosse team made its debut in 2020 and are making their inaugural appearance in the semifinal round.

SCOUTING LASELL

  • Lasell, who earned the second-seed in the GNAC postseason, advanced to the semifinals after defeating seventh-seeded Jonson & Wales, 13-5, this past Saturday.
  • The Raiders finished the regular season with a 10-6 record overall, including an 8-2 mark in conference play.
  • Lasell is led by graduate student attack, Patrick Mulhern (Pembrook, Mass.). Mulhern, who racked up four goals and four assists in the Lasers quarterfinal victory, paces the offense with 52 points from 33 goals and 19 assists.
  • Freshman attack Jack Tauson (Northbridge, Mass.) has had a solid freshman season for the Lasers, ranking second on the team with 39 points off 26 goals and 13 assists.
  • Sophomore midfield Matthew Carbone (Needham, Mass.) is a threat at the faceoff "X" for the lasers, winning 204 of his 353 faceoff attempts, the third most wins in the GNAC, while tallying 117 ground balls, the third best in the league.
  • Senior defender Tyler Rose (Springfield, Mass.) has caused opposing attacks trouble, racking up 50 caused turnovers, the second most in the league.
  • Sophomore Michael Catalano (Norwood, Mass.) serves as the team's goalkeeper, sporting a 10-6 record with 183 saves, a 57.7% save percentage and a 9.36 goals against average.
  • The Lasers are making their 11th straight appearance in the GNAC postseason and look to make their third straight GNAC Championship Game. Last season, the Lasers fell in the title game to Norwich University.
  • Lasell have won two GNAC Championships, with the most recent being in 2021.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

  • Tuesday marks the fourth meeting all-time between the Blue Jays and Lasers.
  • Lasell have had the upper hand against USJ, posting a perfect 3-0 record.
  • The Raiders defeated the Blue Jays earlier this season, 15-7, in Newton.
  • The meeting is the second all-time in the postseason, as USJ and Lasell met in last year's quarterfinals, where Lasell eliminated USJ with a 13-6 win.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Championship for the first time in program history, facing the winner of No. 1 Emmanuel and No. 5 Dean. The GNAC Title game is set for Saturday, May 6 at the site of the higher seed.

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