The final games of the 2013 men's lacrosse season in America East will be played on Saturday and much remains at stake for five of the conference's six teams.
While Albany has locked up the league's regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for the league championship, Binghamton, Hartford, UMBC, Stony Brook and Vermont and are all trying to keep to their seasons alive this weekend. The Catamounts host the Hawks, while the Bearcats visit the Retrievers and the Seawolves entertain the Great Danes.
Hartford at Vermont, 7 p.m. -- Live Video
Both Hartford (6-6, 2-2 AE) and Vermont (4-9, 1-3 AE) can earn America East Championship bids with wins on Saturday when the two teams meet in Burlington with just one game separating them in the league standings. The Hawks, winners of two of the their last three, are seeking their third-straight conference championship bid while the Catamounts look to get back to the tournament for the first time since 2010.
Hartford is coming off a 10-9 overtime loss to Stony Brook while Vermont snapped a four-game losing skid with an 8-7 win at Binghamton last weekend. The game features two of the league's top point getters in Hartford's Jack Bobzien (3.53 ppg, 40 total) and Vermont's Drew Philie (2.92 ppg, 38 total), who rank fifth and sixth, respectively. The Hawks have won two straight in the series, including a thrilling 10-9 overtime win last season.
Binghamton at UMBC, 3:30 p.m. -- Live Video | Live Stats
Playoff bids are also on the line in Baltimore where Binghamton (5-8, 1-3 AE) visits UMBC (5-7, 2-2 AE). The Retrievers, who can earn a championship bid with a win and also with a loss and an Albany win over Stony Brook, have won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Bearcats, but the one loss came last season, a 15-8 Binghamton win.
The Bearcats, who missed last season's conference tournament, have dropped three straight and will try to right the ship behind the league's best defense (10.2 team GAA). Binghamton can earn a bid with a win and a Hartford win at Vermont. The Bearcats' Matt Springer is tied for fifth among league leaders in goals (32) while UMBC's Scott Jones is ninth (27).
Albany at Stony Brook, 7 p.m. -- Live Video | Live Stats
Albany (10-4, 4-1 AE), the 10th ranked team in the country, is the lone team already in the league tournment and can secure its second perfect America East season with a win Saturday at Stony Brook (6-6, 2-2 AE). The Seawolves kept their season alive with a thrilling 10-9 overtime goal at Hartford last weekend while the Great Danes beat UMBC, 16-10.
The Seawolves, who have won seven straight over Albany, can secure a tournament bid with a win or UMBC victory over Binghamton. The game will feature five of the league's top offensive players. Albany's Lyle, Miles and Ty Thompson have combined for 109 goals and 75 assists, while Stony Brook's Jeff Tundo and Brody Eastwood have teamed up for 67 goals and 23 assists.