Complete Game Notes

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The 12th-ranked Gettysburg College men's lacrosse team will make its eighth straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament and its 21st overall when it hosts the University of Scranton Royals at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round.

The two teams will meet for the ninth time, with the Bullets holding an 8-0 lead. They have not met since Gettysburg's 15-6 victory in 1994. While the Bullets are 20-20 all-time in the NCAA tournament, the Royals are making their first NCAA appearance in the program's 25-year history.

Ticket prices for Wednesday's game are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens, and $1 for children ages 2-12.

Gettysburg (11-6) received a “Pool C” at-large berth in the tournament after its 6-5 loss to sixth-ranked Dickinson College in the Centennial Conference (CC) championship game back on May 1. Sophomore #J.T. McCook# made 15 saves for the Bullets, who shut out the Red Devils in the fourth quarter after falling behind 5-2 early. Freshman Martin Manilla scored two goals while sophomore Nick Avedisian won 10-of-15 face-offs.

The Bullets, who had won five straight games prior to their loss to Dickinson – including a 10-7 victory over No. 10 Haverford College in the semifinals – have received outstanding defense this season. Gettysburg leads the Centennial Conference with a goals-against average of 6.73, with only two opponents reaching double figures in scoring – the fewest the team has allowed since 2007. The Bullets have also posted 10.41 caused turnovers per game, a mark that ranks second in the conference.
Senior defenseman and First Team All-Centennial Conference selection John Odierna leads the team with 29 caused turnovers and has picked up 34 ground balls while senior defenseman Tommy Barnett has scooped a team-best 44 ground balls to go with 26 caused turnovers. Junior defenseman Billy Grayson has added 38 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers. Between the pipes, McCook has been the goalie of record in every game, posting a 6.80 goals-against average – second in the Centennial Conference – and a .589 save percentage.

Offensively, Gettysburg has received balanced scoring, with seven different players posting 10 or more goals. Junior Pat Sartory, a Second Team All¬-Centennial Conference selection, leads the team with 29 goals while seniors #J.C. Ward and Danno Lynch# are close behind with 24 apiece. Ward was a First Team All-CC pick while Lynch was named to the second team. Ward is the team leader in assists (17) while senior Chris Cahill has contributed 16 goals and 15 assists. In addition, freshman Henry Tesar has closed the season with a flurry, scoring 10 of his 13 goals over the team's last five games.

At the X, Avedisian has enjoyed an outstanding season, leading the Centennial Conference with a .625 face-off percentage.

Scranton (9-7) enters the tournament on a four-game winning streak and punched its NCAA playoff ticket with a 12-8 win over Goucher College in the Landmark Conference championship game to capture a “Pool A” automatic bid. The Royals, who entered their conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, beat third-seeded Catholic University 12-9 before knocking off top-seeded Goucher. In the championship game, junior Daniel Slade exploded for five goals and one assist while sophomore Taylor Nelson added two goals and two assists. Sophomore Ben Worthington finished with 17 saves for Scranton while senior Patrick Cefalu won 14 of 23 face-offs.

For the season, Scranton ranks fourth in the Landmark in goals per game (9.94) and fifth in goals-against average (9.97). The Royals have been paced by Nelson, who leads the team in goals (31) and points (42). Junior Mike Rufo has added 25 goals while Slade has contributed 23 tallies. Senior Sean Coleman leads the team with 18 assists.

In goal, Worthington and senior Jeremy Dowiak have split time. Worthington has gone 4-2 with an 8.39 goals-against average and a .574 save percentage while Dowiak is 4-5 with a 11.09 GAA and a .487 save percentage. Scranton is also armed with an adept face-off specialist, as Cefalu, a First Team All-Landmark honoree, leads the conference in face-off percentage at .624 (221-354) to go with 137 ground balls. Fellow first-team all-league pick Tim Cleary leads the team with 16 caused turnovers.