Air Force Hosts Army in Rivalry Game
3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
March 10, 2010
The Air Force lacrosse team returns home this weekend, March 13, to host service academy rival Army. It will mark the first time in the 16-year series between the two teams that the Falcons have hosted the Black Knights.
The game is slated to take place at 12:00 p.m. at Falcon Stadium. Admission prices for the game are $5 for adults and $2 for children. Live stats will be available for the game at goairforcefalcons.com.
Last Time Out...
Air Force took part in the annual Pioneer Face-Off Classic, hosted by Denver, last weekend, dropping a pair of one-goal losses. On Saturday, the Falcons fell to Lehigh, 14-13, on a last-second score by the Mountain Hawks, while dropping an 8-7 decision to Penn on Sunday.
Senior Ridge Flick finished the weekend with seven points (2g, 5a), including a career-high tying five points in the game versus Lehigh. Meanwhile, junior Zack Carroll scored six points on the weekend, registering three goals in each game.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this weekend with an 0-3 overall record after a pair of one-point losses at last weekend's Pioneer Face-Off Classic.
Junior Zack Carroll is the Falcons' leading scorer on the season with 12 points (8g, 4a), including a team-high eight goals. Meanwhile, senior Ridge Flick leads Air Force with nine assists in the first three games. Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson has played every minute between the pipes for the Falcons and is averaging just over 10 saves per contest.
Scouting the Black Knights...
Army, receiving votes in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, enters this weekend with a 1-3 overall record. The Black Knights are coming off a 12-11 overtime loss to eighth-ranked Cornell.
The Black Knights are coached by Joe Alberici, who is in his fifth year at the helm of the program. Through the first four games of the season, Jeremy Boltus leads Army with 18 points, including a team-high 10 assists, while Garrett Thul has scored a team-best 11 goals. In addition, goalkeeper Tom Palesky has registered 46 saves between the pipes for the Black Knights.
Series Records...
This weekend will be the 17th meeting all-time between service academy rivals Air Force and Army. The Falcons are winless against the Black Knights, but will host the rivalry game for the first time in the history of the series this weekend. The last game between the two teams was a 14-9 Army win at West Point in 2009.
Air Force in the Statistical Rankings...
In the latest national statistical rankings released by the NCAA (through games of March 7), Air Force ranks in the top 35 in six categories. The Falcons rank tied for 31st in saves per game (10.33), 33rd in scoring defense (10.67), tied for 33rd in scoring margin (-1.67), tied for 34th in turnovers per game (18.33), tied for 34th in caused turnovers per game (6.67) and 35th in man-down defense (.583).
In addition, the Falcons have a few players who are ranked among the top 25 nationally in various statistical categories. Midfielder Zack Carroll ranks tied for third in the nation in shot percentage (.667) and is tied for 22nd in points per game (4.0). Bryan Gilbreath ranks sixth in the nation in ground balls per game (7.67), while senior captain Ridge Flick ranks tied for 11th in the nation in assists per game with 2.33.
How They Rate...
Through games of March 7, Army ranks in the top 25 nationally in caused turnovers per game (8th/9.5), man-up offense (12th/.533), assists per game (T19th/6.75), man-down defense (T21st/.667) and saves per game (T22nd/11.5).
Jeremy Boltus ranks 10th in the nation in assists per game (2.5) and tied for 16th in points per game (4.5), while Tim Henderson is ranked 10th in caused turnovers per game (2.25). In addition, goalkeeper Tom Palesky ranks 19th in save percentage (.535) and 25th in goals against average (9.87)
An Air Force-Army Weekend...
The rivalry between Air Force and Army will take center stage at the Academy this weekend, and not just in lacrosse. While the Falcons host the Black Knights for the first-time ever in lacrosse action, Air Force will welcome the Army hockey team to USAFA for the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament. The best-of-three play-off series begins Friday evening at Cadet Ice Arena, with games on Saturday and Sunday (if needed).
In addition, another group of Falcon athletes will compete against the Black Knights on Friday, as the Air Force men's gymnastics team travels to West Point for a dual meet.
Pioneer Face-off Classic All-Tournament Team...
Finishing the weekend with six goals, junior midfielder Zack Carroll was the lone Air Force representative on the Pioneer Face-Off Classic all-tournament team. Carroll, who had not scored a goal prior to the 2010 season, registered a career-best three goals in the game versus Lehigh, before adding three more goals in the contest against Penn.
Shot Stopper...
Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson put together a pair of solid games for the Falcons at the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, first matching a career-high with 12 saves against Lehigh. He was even more impressive against Penn, tallying 13 saves, while allowing just eight goals, only half of which were even-strength scores.
He Shoots, He Scores...
After entering the 2010 season without a single career goal, junior midfielder Zack Carroll has suddenly become the Falcons' most effective offensive weapon, currently leading the team with eight goals on the season. Even more impressive is the fact that Carroll, Air Force's top face-off midfielder, has scored his eight goals on just 12 shots. His shot percentage of .667 is tied for the best in the ECAC and tied for third-best in the nation.
Performance for the Home Crowd...
Sophomore Adam Paranka, a native of Denver, Colo., had a career-best performance in front of his hometown crowd against Lehigh during the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, tallying four goals and an assist to finish the game with five points. Prior to Saturday's contest, Paranka had never scored more than two goals or two points in a single game.
Still A Leader...
Senior captain Ridge Flick entered this season as the Falcons' leader in assists, finishing the 2009 season with a team-high 22 assists. Flick remains Air Force's assist leader in 2010, with seven assists through the first three games of the season. He currently leads the ECAC in assists per game (2.33) and is tied for 11th in the nation in that category.
Flick, who has scored at least one point in the last 10 consecutive games (dating back to the 2009 season), tied a career high with four assists and five points in the game versus Lehigh last weekend.
Up Next...
The Falcons open up ECAC competition next weekend, March 20, when they travel to Baltimore, Md., to face currently ninth-ranked Loyola. The game, which is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. (ET) is the ECAC Game of the Week, and will be broadcast on numerous television networks throughout the nation.
