Falcon Lacrosse to Host Jacksonville in Conference Action
3/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Full Notes in PDF 
AIR FORCE vs. JACKSONVILLE
Saturday, March 25, 12:00 p.m. MT
Falcon Stadium, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
THIS WEEK: Air Force returns to Falcon Stadium to defend the home turf against the Jacksonville Dolphins in a SoCon match up, Sat., March 25, at noon MT. The Falcons and 'Phins will meet for the sixth time in program history. Air Force leads the five-game series, 4-1. The Falcons are 1-1 against Jacksonville when playing at Falcon Stadium.
TUNE IN: The game will be broadcast with live stats by Falcon Vision via the GoAirForceFalcons.com platform. Fans can access the live links by going to GoAirForceFalcons.com and clicking the watch live and live tracking links in the schedule dropdown.
A QUICK LOOK AT AIR FORCE: Air Force's top-three scorers, Walsch, Hruby and Grant Gould, combine for 48 goals and 17 assists this season. Walsch and Hruby are tied for first in the conference in goals per game (2.38); they have 19 goals apiece. Hruby's last game extended his goal-streak to 21-games dating back to March of last season. The goal-streak is the third longest running streak in the nation behind 2016 Tewaaraton Award winner, Dylan Molloy of Brown. The Coppell, Texas, native's six-point showing against Detroit Mercy, Mar. 11, marked his third hat trick and the team's most individual single-game points this season. Hruby is second in the conference with four individual man-up goals and leads the conference with a 0.380 shot percentage.
Walsch's four goals from last week are the most by a SoCon player through five conference matchups played and are tied for second-most among all games played this season. The Tewaaraton watch list player has led Air Force in goals and points every year since joining in the 2014-15 season. Walsch, a native of Finksburg, Maryland, leads all active Falcons in career goals, assists and points. He is also third in the program's career record book in career goals (91), assists (56) and points (147).
Air Force will defend Falcon stadium leading the SoCon in clearing percentage (0.906), man-up offense (0.409), scoring offense (10.63) and turnovers per game (12.00). The Falcons have the second-best winning percentage (0.625), scoring defense (8.50), scoring margin (2.13), and points per game (16.00) in the conference. Air Force has outscored all opponents this season, 85-68, while taking 312 shots to opponents' 201.
At face-off, sophomore midfielder Trent Harper has taken the reins with a .564 win-percentage. Harper was credited as the conference Defense Player of the Week, Feb. 28, for his part in a big win over Cleveland State where he registered a .762 face-off win-percentage on the game. He has the fourth best face-off winning percentage in the conference. Harper and Josh Radjenovich combine for a .500 face-off win-percentage in all games.
Air Force's defense combines for 56 caused turnovers; Brandon Jones leads the pack with nine to his credit. Joe Matarazzo and Nicholas Accardi are tied for second on the team in caused turnovers with seven apiece. The Falcons have outscored their opponents, 85-68, in eight games, while allowing seven man-up goals in 17 opportunities. Freshman goalkeeper Paxton Boyer, who helped upend No. 10 Duke by allowing no goals in the final seven minutes of action, has 51 saves against 122 shots on goal by opponents this season. Boyer's goals-against average is 7.97; third best in the SoCon. He has a .451 save percentage against 201 shots faced this season.
JACKSONVILLE AT A GLANCE: The Dolphins will take the field under the guidance of head coach John Galloway, who in his first season at the helm of Jacksonville lacrosse. Galloway joined the Dolphins after a four-year stint at Providence College. The Dolphins are led by sophomore attacker Will Hendrick, who has 39 shots for12 goals and three assists to his credit. Hendrick holds a shot on goal percentage of 74.4; the highest on the team for any player with more than 10 shots on goal. Chicquen McLean is second on the team with seven goals and six assists; he has a shot on goal percentage of 70.8. Jacksonville is 30-percent in converting man-up opportunities into goals.
At X, Hunter Forbes is 85-164 in face-offs this season; he holds a 51.8 face-off win percentage. Forbes leads the 'Phins, and the Southern Conference, with 36 ground balls to his credit. On the defensive side of the field, sophomore defender Max Hartong leads Jacksonville with five caused turnovers, while sophomore defender Andrew Mitchell in second with four. The Dolphins' defense has allowed 99 goals this season while the offense has only netted 47. Junior goalie Ben Gleichenhaus has logged the majority of minutes in the Dolphins' cage. He has a 13.96 goals-against average with a 49.7 save percentage. He has made 92 saves against 192 shots on goal.
UP NEXT: Air Force travels to Milwaukee, Wis., to take on Marquette in a Tuesday match up, March 28, at 4:00 p.m. CT. On Saturday, April 1, Air Force returns home to take on Bellarmine in Southern Conference action at Falcon Stadium, at 7:00 p.m. MT, in Air Force's only home night game of the season. Live stats and broadcasts will be available for both games.
LAST WEEKEND: Eight Falcons registered 14 goals to lead Air Force to a win, 14-6, in the conference opener against Mercer, Sat., March 18, in Macon, Ga. Walsch led the team with four goals and an assist, while Jack Flynn, Gould and Hruby tallied two goals apiece. Sean LaVine and freshman Chet Dunstan registered their first career goals in the win. The Falcons remain unbeaten by Mercer in the seven-game series.
WALSCH WINS WEEKLY SOCON HONOR: Walsch registered four goals and an assist to lead Air Force to victory in the conference opener against Mercer (3-4, 0-1 SoCon) on Saturday in Macon, Georgia. The junior, who leads the Falcons with 19 goals and nine assists on the season, extended his point-streak to 32 games, dating back to March of 2015. Walsch tallied his third goal of the game in the third quarter to claim for his fourth hat trick of the season. His four goals against Mercer tied an Air Force single-game season high.
