Air Force Opens ECAC Slate at No. 5 Loyola
3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
March 15, 2012
The Air Force lacrosse team opens its 2012 ECAC slate this weekend, March 17, when they visit fifth-ranked Loyola in a 12:00 p.m. (ET) contest.
GAME INFORMATION
Live Stats/Audio/Video: loyolagreyhounds.com
Series History: Loyola leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Last season, Air Force earned its first-ever victory over Loyola, registering an 8-6 win over the 17th-ranked Greyhounds on March 19 at the Academy.
LAST TIME OUT...
In a neutral-site contest, Air Force came from behind to score a 9-8 overtime victory over service-academy rival Army. Sophomore Tommy McKee tallied the equalizer with six seconds remaining in regulation, while classmate Erik Smith registered the game-winner off the opening face-off of the extra period.
Smith and freshman Keith Dreyer each scored two goals and an assist to lead the Falcons, while junior goalkeeper Austin Fox tallied a career-high 13 saves.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS...
Air Force, receiving votes in this week's USILA coaches poll and Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll. enters this weekend's contest with a 3-2 overall record following its overtime win over service academy rival Army.
Freshman Keith Dreyer leads the Falcons' offense with 22 points on the season, including a team-best 14 assists, while sophomore Mike Crampton is the team's top goal scorer with 12 tallies on the year.
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS...
Loyola, ranked fifth in the latest USILA coaches poll and sixth in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, currently holds a 5-0 record on the season and a 1-0 mark in the ECAC. The Greyhounds are coming off a 13-8 victory over then-11th-ranked Duke.
Mike Sawyer is Loyola's leading scorer with 23 points on the season, including a team-best 18 goals, while Eric Lusby adds 21 points (15g, 6a) and Justin Ward has tallied a team-high nine assists on the year. In addition, J.P. Dalton leads the Greyhounds at the face-off X, winning over 60 percent (69-of-114) of his draws.
AIR FORCE IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS...
In the latest national statistical rankings released by the NCAA (through games of March 11), Air Force ranks second in the nation in man-up offense (.650) and tied for second assists per game (9.2) and ranks in the top 15 in three other categories: points per game (T5th/21.4), scoring offense (T9th/12.2) and scoring margin (12th/+3.2).
In addition, the Falcons have several players who are ranked among the top 30 nationally in various statistical categories. Freshman Keith Dreyer ranks second in the nation in assists per game with 2.8, while sophomore Erik Smith is tied for 21st with 1.8 assists per game. Dreyer also ranks tied for seventh nationally in points per game (4.4) and Smith is 17th in ground balls per contest (5.6). Meanwhile, freshman Ryland De Pol ranks tied for 11th in shot percentage (.533) and sophomore Mike Crampton ranks tied for 30th in goals per game (2.4).
HOW THEY RATE...
Through games of March 11, Loyola leads the nation in man-up offense (.733) and assists per game (9.4), while ranking in the top 10 in six other statistical categories: points per game (4th/22.4). scoring offense (5th/13.0), scoring margin (5th/+5.4), caused turnovers per game (T6th/10.0), scoring defense (T7th/7.6), face-off win percentage (7th/.595).
Individually, Mike Sawyer ranks third nationally in goals per game (3.6) and fourth in points per game (4.8), while Eric Lusby is tied for ninth in the nation in goals per game (3.0) and 12th in points per game (4.2). In addition, Scott Ratliff ranks tied for 13th nationally in caused turnovers per contest (2.2), while J.P. Dalton is 15th in face-off win percentage (.605).
BEATING THE BLACK KNIGHTS...
Air Force's win over Army on Saturday was just its second in the 18-game series against the Black Knights. After dropping the first 16 contests in the series, Air Force has won two in a row, beginning with an 8-7 overtime victory in Colorado Springs in 2010.
FALCONS' WIN STREAK...
After dropping its first two games of the season, Air Force has won its last three contests, marking its longest win streak since 2009, when they Falcons closed out the regular season with four straight victories.
ECAC CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK...
Freshman Kyle O'Brien was the first Air Force player to earn ECAC weekly honors this season, as he was named the league's co-rookie of the week on March 12, following his performance against Army.
O'Brien picked up a team-high six ground balls and registered a team-leading two caused turnovers in the Falcons' 9-8 overtime victory over the Black Knights, registering his biggest takeaway in the final 1:15 of regulation with Air Force trailing 8-7. O'Brien stripped the ball from Army's leading scorer, giving Air Force another possession and a chance to send the game into overtime.
ON THE EMO...
Air Force's EMO unit struggled against Army on Saturday, scoring on just 2-of-8 man-up opportunities. However, the Falcons are among the nation's leaders in man-up offense, ranking second with a .650 percentage. The top man-up unit in the nation belongs to Loyola, which has scored on the EMO in 11 of 15 attempts this year.
HIGH-OCTANE OFFENSE...
Air Force has found success on the offensive end early this season, averaging 12.2 goals per contest through the first five games of the year. In contrast, the Falcons averaged just 9.0 goals per game in 2011.
There are currently seven players on the Falcons' roster who are averaging at least one goal per game and six who are averaging at least two points per contest. Leading the way is freshman Keith Dreyer, who has tallied 22 points on the year, ranking tied for seventh in the nation in points per game.
UP NEXT...
The Falcons return home next weekend, March 24, when they host in-state rival Denver in an ECAC match-up.
