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Men's Lacrosse Travels to No. 1 Salisbury for NCAA Tournament Second Round
Posted: May 10, 2024

Men's Lacrosse Travels to No. 1 Salisbury for NCAA Tournament Second Round

SALISBURY, Md. -  The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team continues its NCAA Tournament run, traveling to the reigning national champions and No. 1 team in the nation Salisbury University (Salisbury) for the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament Second Round Saturday (May 11) afternoon. Opening faceoff between the Blue Jays and Sea Gulls is set for 3:30 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, Md.

USJ BLUE JAYS (17-3, 9-1 GNAC) at #1 SALISBURY SEA GULLS (19-0, 5-0 CLC) 
LOCATION: Sea Gull Stadium (Salisbury, Md.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 11 (3:30 p.m.)
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WATCH: Live Stream
LIVE STATS: Live Stats
GAME PROGRAM: Game Program
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

  • USJ earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship for the first time in program history this past Saturday.
  • The Blue Jays advanced to the second round after taking down SUNY Poly in the first round, 13-2, Wednesday night in West Hartford.
  • The Blue Jays are one of the best teams defensively in the nation, ranking 10th in caused turnovers per game (13.40), fifth in opponent clear percentage (.691) and seventh in scoring defense (7.35).
  • Leading the way offensively is senior attack Ryan Paltauf (Southbury, Conn.), who tops the team with 80 points off a team-high 60 assists and 20 goals. The 60 assists are the most in a single-season in program history.
  • Paltauf ranks 10th in the nation in assists per game (2.95).
  • Senior attack Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.), junior midfielder Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.) and sophomore Nick Pestrichello (Newington, Conn.) form a formidable attacking trio for USJ.
  • Decker tops the team with 48 goals, while Baden has scored 43 and Pestrichello has netted 42.
  • Defensively, senior midfielder Sam Barbetti (Guilford, Conn.) leads the team with 107 ground balls and 34 caused turnovers.
  • Barbetti also leads the team with 117 faceoff wins.
  • Senior netminder Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) has started all but one game in net for USJ in 2024, leading the team with a 8.08 goals-against average, while tallying 152 saves.
  • McCann's goals-against average ranks 10th in the country.

SCOUTING SALISBURY

  • Salisbury earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (CLC) Championship.
  • The Sea Gulls are currently the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, sporting a perfect 19-0 record.
  • Salisbury is on a 39-game winning streak, with their last loss coming on Feb. 25, 2023.
  • Graduate student attackman Jude Brown (Towson, Md.) paces the Salisbury offense with a team-high 106 points off 34 goals and 72 assists.
  • Senior midfielder Luke Nestor (Salisbury, Md.) is the leading goalscorer, topping the team with 53 goals.
  • Defensively, senior defenseman John DeFazio (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) leads the team with 48 caused turnovers and has corralled 83 ground balls.
  • Sophomore faceoff-man Blake Malamphy (Annapolis, Md.) is the primary face-off man for the Sea Gulls, posting a 232-351 record at the "X" and a team-high 161 ground balls.
  • Senior Nicholas Ransom (Prince Frederick, Md.) has started all 19 games in the cage for Salisbury, posting a NCAA-best 6.55 goals against average, 135 total saves and a .574 save percentage.
  • The Sea Gulls are one of the best teams in the history of Division III Men's Lacrosse, lifting a NCAA record 13 National Championships.
  • Salisbury have made 39 total NCAA Tournaments and are currently appearing in their 34th consecutive NCAA Tournament.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

  • Saturday marks the first time that Salisbury and USJ will meet on the field.
  • The Blue Jays have never played a school from the CLC or from The Old Line State.
  • The Sea Gulls have never played a school from the GNAC and are 5-1 against schools from the Nutmeg State.

UP NEXT 

With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the NCAA Tournament Third Round for the first time in program history and would take on the winner of the No. 9 Swarthmore versus No. 17 Endicott matchup on Sunday, May 12. Opening faceoff at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, Md., would be scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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