CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- University at Albany's John Carroll (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) and University of Hartford's Jared Franze (Glenville, N.Y./Niskayuna) have been named America East Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, in men's lacrosse for the week ending March 28. The awards were announced Monday afternoon.
Carroll, a sophomore goaltender, made 14 saves, including six in the fourth quarter, to lead Albany to its first win of the season, a 7-6 upset victory over No. 19 Bucknell Saturday. Carroll, who made two point-blank saves in the game's final minutes, stopped 70 percent of the shots he faced and held the Bison to 5.86 goals below their season average. He also tied a season-high with three ground balls. Carroll leads America East with 12.57 saves per game this season and is third with a .515 save percentage.
Franze, a freshman attack, came off the bench on Saturday to net one of the Hawks' six goals in a heartbreaking 7-6 overtime loss at Sacred Heart. The goal was the rookie midfielder's 13th of the season and put the Hawks back on top in the first quarter at 3-2. Also tabbed Rookie of the Week on Feb. 20, Franze is tied for seventh among league leaders is goals (13) and goals per game (1.85).
Stony Brook fell two spots to No. 19 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and three spots to 20th in the USILA Coaches' Poll after splitting a pair of contests last week. The Seawolves were edged 12-9 by Cornell, which is No. 6 in the poll this week, and slipped by Bryant, 8-7, Saturday. The Bulldogs received votes in last week's poll.
Conference play begins this week with Hartford hosting Albany on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, Stony Brook goes to UMBC, while Vermont hosts Binghamton. Both contests start at 1 p.m.
Team Notes
Albany (1-6) picked up its first victory in a 7-6 upset of nationally-ranked Bucknell on March 27 … The Bison were No. 19 (USILA) and No. 18 (Inside Lacrosse) in the polls … The Great Danes ended an eight-game losing streak that dated back to April 25th of last year … Rocky Bonitatibus (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) and Kyle Brunk (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) scored one minute and seven seconds apart in the fourth quarter to break a 5-5 tie …Bonitatibus, who scored his first of the season and fourth of his career, sent a high shot from the left side into the net with 6:43 remaining … Goalkeeper John Carroll (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) made six of his 14 saves in the final period … Carroll stopped Bucknell’s Charlie Streep twice in the final minute, including tipping a shot with two seconds to play … Carroll has made double-figure saves six times this season and on 12 occasions as a collegian … Dave Brock (Burlington, Ontario / Nelson) equaled career-highs in goals (3) and points (4) … Brock, who also had four points in the opener, drew his team even at four apiece in the third period … The senior scored a man-down goal early in the second quarter, the first by a UAlbany player since last April 19th … Luke Cometti (Syracuse, N.Y. / West Genesee) put his team ahead, 5-4, with his first goal of the year ... Defensive midfielder Mike Finnegan (Bay Shore, N.Y. / West Islip) netted his first goal as a collegian in the second quarter … Brian Caufield (Bay Shore, N.Y. / West Islip) had two assists and moved past the 120-career point mark (57 goals, 64 assists) … Albany defeated a national top-20 opponent for the first time since a 12-9 win over No. 13 Massachusetts on March 10, 2009 … the Great Danes halted a string of eight straight losses to top-20 teams … Albany is 28-24 all-time in Division I games decided by two goals or less.
Binghamton (2-5) was idle last week but returns to action on Tuesday at home against Lehigh. The Bearcats and Mountain Hawks will meet for the first time in program history ... Freshman attack Matt Springer (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) ranks third among all freshmen at the NCAA Division I level with 2.43 goals per game. He has recorded a pair of hat tricks this season and has recorded at least one point in all seven of the team's games this season ... Sophomore face off specialist Jeff Donigan (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) currently ranks No. 14 in the nation with 5.29 ground balls per game ... Junior goalie Dan Solazzo has recorded a save percentage of at least 50 percent in four of the Bearcats' seven games this season ... The Bearcats are the least penalized team in the America East Conference, averaging just 2.00 penalties and 1.14 penalty minutes per game.
Hartford (2-5) suffered another heartbreaking overtime loss, this time falling to the Sacred Heart Pioneers by a 6-5 final on Saturday night in Fairfield, Conn. … Three of the Hawks’ five losses in 2010 have been decided by a single goal with two needing extra time … The Hawks held a commanding 6-3 halftime lead but were held scoreless by the stingy Pioneers’ defense in the final 30 minutes of regulation … The Pioneers found the back of the net three times during Hartford’s scoreless drought to knot the game at 6-6 … Sacred Heart senior Evan Morgan proved to be the hero on Saturday as he delivered the game-tying goal with two ticks remaining on the regulation clock and struck again with the game-winner 1:47 into the overtime period … Sophomore Aidan Genik (Toronto, Ontario/Malvern C.I.) scored a pair of goals and assisted on one to lead the Hartford attack … Sophomores Carter Bender (Caledon, Ontario/Brewster Academy) and Ryan Compitello (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) also added one goal and an assist apiece … The classmates are currently riding respective scoring streaks of 19 and 18 games … In goal, sophomore Scott Bement (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) made a season-best 18 saves and has moved up to eighth on the all-time save lists with 207 … The Hawks will play two-straight at Al-Marzook Field as they host Albany on Wednesday, March 31 (3:30 p.m.) in their America East opener and welcome in-state rival Quinnipiac on Saturday, April 3 (1 p.m.).
For the first time since 1994, UMBC (1-5) did not have a scheduled men’s lacrosse game on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday after a campaign had started… The Retrievers open America East play at home vs. Stony Brook on Saturday, April 3… UMBC is 5-1 in conference openers, dropping only a 2007 decision at Albany… The Retrievers are 11-4 vs. the Seawolves and have won five straight in the series… Two of Stony Brook’s four victories have occurred at UMBC Stadium… In two games last season, senior attackman Matt Latham (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) amassed seven points (6 goals, 1 assist) vs. the Seawolves… He has scored in all four meetings with SBU, totaling 11 goals and 12 total points… UMBC has won 13 straight regular season America East home games and is 15-1 overall, with its lone loss occurring vs. Stony Brook in April of 2004. They are now 27-5 all-time in America East play, including 12-4 on the road… UMBC has held 25 of 32 teams to single digits in goals ... Senior midfielder Kyle Wimer (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) is one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in the sport of men’s lacrosse.
#17/17 Stony Brook (5-3) split its two games last week… Junior Kevin Crowley (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster) scored four goals but the Seawolves lost to Cornell, 12-9… SBU rallied from a three-goal deficit in the first quarter… Senior Charlie Paar (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) made four of his 10 saves in the fourth quarter… Stony Brook was held scoreless for over 20 minutes of game action… The Seawolves bounced back on Saturday, defeating Bryant, 8-7… Junior Jordan McBride (New Westminster, British Columbia/New Westminster) scored three goals for the Seawolves… He’s in sole possession of second place in school history with 117 goals… McBride needs 17 in five games to pass Kevin Pall ’02 who scored 133 in three seasons… After taking an 8-3 lead, Bryant rallied for four straight, but SBU held off the Bulldogs and enter America East play with a .500 record for the fourth straight year… The Seawolves open America East play at defending champion UMBC on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Vermont (1-7) lost at Delaware on Saturday 14-6 … Junior Derek Lichtfuss (Lutherville, Md./St. Paul’s) had three goals in the loss against the Blue Hens … Sophomore Geoff Worley (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS) added three assists … Worley leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points … Junior Liam Thomas (Spring Lake Heights, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) posted two goals for the Catamounts and freshman Augie Remien (Winnetha, Ill./Lawrenceville School) notched the first goal of his career against Delaware … Vermont has 11 man-up goals on the season in eight games … Junior Max Gradinger (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) had a team-high six ground balls against the Blue Hens and leads the team in ground balls with 25 … Vermont returns to action on Saturday in its America East opener against Binghamton at 1 p.m. at Moulton Winder Field.