April 26, 2002

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook (8-5) at UMBC (4-6), Saturday, April 27 - 7:00 p.m.

Last Time Out: Stony Brook earned an 11-7 victory over Delaware in its final home game of the season last Saturday. Thirteen seniors played their final home game as the Seawolves improved to 8-5.

About The Opponent: UMBC sports a 4-6 record heading into Saturday's game. Joey Kestermann leads the team in scoring with 20 points (9g, 11a). Jon Harasym is second with 19 (8g, 11a). The Retrievers are coming off a 15-9 win over Army last Saturday.

The Series: UMBC holds a 4-1 series edge between the two teams. Stony Brook's only win over the Retrievers came last season, when it knocked off the No. 16 team in the nation 10-9. It was the highest ranked opponent that the Seawolves have ever beaten.

Last Year: Mike Dworczyk's goal with 2:55 remaining in regulation lifted Stony Brook to a thrilling 10-9 win over UMBC. It was SB's first and only win in two seasons of action as a member of the ECAC Lacrosse League.

Hitting The Ground: The duo of Eric Hatkewitz and Kyle Pearl have been a big reason why the Seawolves are second the nation in face-offs. Hat (64 gb) and Pearl (43 gb) have been groundball machines on face-offs this season. In addition, they have also gotten into the scoring act. Pearl (4g, 5a) has nine points while Hatkewitz has totaled six points (4g, 2a) this season.

Saving The Best For Last: Senior Denis Scannell is enjoying his best season in a Seawolf uniform. Entering the final regular season game of the year, he has totaled 24 points (16g, 8a), surpassing his previous high of 20 that he set in his freshman year. He has now scored at least one point in nine straight games. Scannell has also been a force on face-offs and groundballs - he ranks eighth in the nation in face-off percentage (.621) and 13th in groundballs (6.00).

The Rookie: Three-time America East Rookie of the Week selection Steve Conlon has registered a point in 12 of 13 games this season. He ranks second on the team in scoring with 18 goals and 17 assists, averaging 2.77 points per game which is seventh-best in the conference.

Facing Off: Stony Brook entered the week second best face-off team in the nation, winning 63.8 percent of its draws. It trails only Towson(.652). Dennis Nafte ranks second (.660) while Denis Scannell is eighth (.626).

Tough Endings: Heading into the playoffs, Stony Brook will hope to improve upon finishing out each quarter. The Seawolves have given up 11 goals in the final minute of a quarter this season -- three have come in the final minute of regulation.

One-Goal Blues: Four of Stony Brook's five losses have come by one goal -- two in the final minute of regulation and the other in triple overtime. Stony Brook is 2-4 in one-goal games this season.

Playoffs: Stony Brook will be the third seed in the America East playoffs that begin next Wednesday. It will face the loser of the Albany/Hartford matchup that takes place on Saturday.

News And Notes: Kevin Pall's 42 goals ranks as the sixth-best single season effort all-time. He is eight goals away from matching the single season record of 50 that he set last year . . . Sean Farrell recorded his first hat trick in the win over Delaware . . . SB's defense ranks as the eighth-best in that nation along with Johns Hopkins, giving up only eight goals per game . . .