MOUNT ST. MARY'S (0-5) at MANHATTAN (0-5)
Sunday, March 9, 2014, 1:00 p.m.
Gaelic Park, Riverdale, N.Y.
LIVE STATS
MOUNT UPDATE: The Mountaineers lost at Towson, 9-1, on Saturday afternoon to fall to 0-5 on the season. Chris Klaiber recorded 18 saves for the Mount in the game while Robert Jones scored the Mount's lone goal. The Mountaineers were outshot 40-21 in the contest while Towson held a 25-14 advantage in ground balls.
ABOUT THE JASPERS: Manhattan is 0-5 this year after falling to Hartford, 12-7, this past Saturday. Ryan Payton had a hat trick for the Jaspers in the loss. Payton leads Manhattan with six goals and an assist for seven points while Patrick Hodapp has seven points (2g, 5a) as well.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES: Mount St. Mary's holds a 14-7 lead in the all-time series with Manhattan, including a 16-7 victory last year at Waldron Family Stadium. The Mount has won the past three meetings since a 5-3 loss to Manhattan in the 2009 MAAC Tournament. The Mount is 4-1 all-time on the road against the Jaspers.
LAST YEAR'S GAME: Andrew Scalley had six goals and four assists for a career-high 10 points to lead the Mount to a 16-7 win over Manhattan last year. Cody Lehrer added a hat trick in the win as well. The Mount led 5-4 midway through the third quarter before reeling off 10 of the next 11 goals to seal the victory. Paul Moreau led the Jaspers with a pair of goals.
KLAIBER STEPS UP IN THE CAGE: Senior Chris Klaiber has been a bright spot for head coach Tom Gravante. Klaiber tallied 18 saves in the Mount's 9-1 loss at Towson on Saturday. Earlier this year, he recorded a career-high 20 saves in the Mount's 10-4 loss at Georgetown on Feb. 12. It was the most saves by a Mountaineer player since T.C. DiBartolo made 20 against Georgetown on April 7, 2010. It is just the 17th time in school history that a goalkeeper has made 20 or more saves in a game. The Mount record is 30 saves set by Pat McNulty against Villanova on April 28, 1990. For the season, Klaiber is averaging 13.2 saves per game, has a 12.97 goals against average and a .555 save percentage.
FIRST GOALS: Eight different players on the Mount roster have scored their first collegiate goals this season. In the Mount's 14-6 loss to No. 4 Virginia, Evan Gormley and Mike Fields each tallied two goals, notching their first collegiate goals in the process. Face-off specialist Nick Haley also added his first career marker in the game. Earlier this season, Bubba Johnson, Robert Jones, Ryan Lamon, Greg Mulvaney and Mike Pascali notched their first career goals as well.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Despite scoring just 19 goals over the first five games of the year, the Mount has had 12 different players register a goal in 2014. Last year, the Mount had 14 different players tally a goal.
CHECKING IN ON THE DEFENSE: Kyle O'Brien leads the Mount defense with seven caused turnovers this season. Nick Haley leads the squad with 13 ground balls while he has won 40-of-97 (.412) face-offs.
THE SCHEDULE: The Mount is facing a daunting schedule in 2014. Already, the Mount has played the two teams who are now the top two teams (#1 Maryland, #2 Virginia) in the latest USILA National Rankings. #3 Johns Hopkins and #17 Drexel will play at the Mount later this season. The Mount's schedule is currently ranked as the 8th toughest schedule in the nation.
PRESEASON POLL: The Mount was tabbed to finish in sixth place in the annual Northeast Conference Preseason Poll. Defending champion Bryant was picked to finish first with Robert Morris and Hobart in a tie for second. Saint Joseph's, Sacred Heart, the Mount and Wagner round out the poll.
THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE: The Mountaineers are in the Northeast Conference, which will be in its fourth season of play. The NEC has a new look this year as Hobart and Saint Joseph's join the league, which includes the Mount, Bryant, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart and Wagner. Mount St. Mary's won the inaugural NEC title in 2011, while Bryant has won the league the past two years.
UP NEXT: The Mount hosts No. 17 Drexel on Saturday, March 15, at 12:00 p.m.
