March 13, 2009

Stony Brook - Delaware game notes

Stony Brook, N.Y. -

Face-off
Riding a two-game win streak, Stony Brook returns home to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to take on Delaware. A win over the Blue Hens would make it three in a row for the Seawolves, matching the team's best win streak from a year ago when it did it twice. A victory would also raise Stony Brook above the .500 mark for the first time this season as well as match the start from 2008 when the Seawolves also started 0-2 and rallied to a 3-2 record. The game has the makings of a high-scoring affair, with both squads coming into the game averaging over 10 goals per game. Jordan McBride has started to heat up for Stony Brook over the last two games, scoring seven of his team-high 10 goals. Kevin Crowley has been solid in that time as well with five goals and four assists last week, while Robbie Campbell scored both game winning goals for the Seawolves.

The Series
This will be the sixth meeting between Stony Brook and Delaware in men's lacrosse in a series that dates back to 2002. After a two-year hiatus, the series resumed last year at Delaware where the Seawolves took a 3-2 edge in the all-time series with a 19-16 win. The victory was a significant one for Stony Brook; the Blue Hens (ranked #7 at the time) became the highest-ranked opponent SBU has ever defeated in men's lacrosse and Jordan McBride set a school record with 10 goals, one short of the NCAA record. The two teams have met just once before in LaValle Stadium - in 2005 when the Seawolves took a 14-9 victory. Overall SBU has won two straight in the series.

A Look at the Blue Hens
After starting the season with a win, Delaware has won just once in the last five games and comes into the Stony Brook game with a 2-4 record. Three of those losses have come against opponents that have their names in the polls; UMBC, Albany and Georgetown. The Blue Hens lost six starters off of last season's squad that finished 9-7. One who is back is junior attack Curtis Dickson who leads the team with 14 goals despite being held without a goal for the first time in three years in a 12-6 setback to #11 Georgetown on Wednesday. He tallied five times against Stony Brook last season, and has scored at least one point in 32 straight games, the fifth-longest streak in the nation. Junior Tommy Lee has been solid in the face-off circle, winning over 63 percent of his attempts and leading the team with 47 ground balls.