COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Capital University men's lacrosse team receieved the Ohio Athletic Conference's fourth seed, earning a match with OAC regular season champion John Carroll University on Wednesday, May, 4 in the first round of the OAC Tournament. The winner of the 7 p.m. match in University Heights, Ohio will go onto the OAC Tournament Championship for a chance at the tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament.
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Don Shula Stadium (University Heights, Ohio)
Coverage: Video | Live stats
OAC Tournament site
THE OPPONENT – JOHN CARROLL (10-5 overall, 6-1 OAC)
John Carroll struggled to find its identity early in the season, starting with a 1-2 record. After fighting its way to three straight wins the Blue Streaks lost two straight, falling to a 4-4 record at the half way point of the season. John Carroll went on to win six of its last seven in conference play, including its current five-game winning streak.
The Blue Streaks offense is led by junior attacker Declan O'Grady, who is third in the OAC with 41 goals. Michael Hubert has the second-most assists in the conference with 32. Collin Rice is second on the team with 27 assists. O'Grady was held to just two goals in John Carroll's last meeting with Capital while Rice got off three assists. Hubert did the most damage to Capital's defense with five scores.
Kyle Patterson is the Blue Streaks' choice to handle faceoffs, boasting a .611 percentage (190-of-311). As a result, Patterson leads the team with 72 ground balls. Jack McClean is second, picking up 57. Tommy Adolf has harassed opposing offenses causing 34 turnovers along with his 48 ground balls.
Kyle Lake will likely get the nod at goalkeeper. The junior is second in the conference in goals allowed (50) and fifth in goals-against average (8.93). He has made 48 saves on the season.
John Carroll averages 11 goals and 38 shots per game.
Last season, John Carroll finished the regular season with a 9-7 overall record, 3-3 in conference play before falling to the first-seeded Crusaders in a close 8-6 match.
PREVIEWING CAPITAL
The Capital Crusaders have experienced an up-and-down season, coming off a season in which it won the first OAC regular season championship in program history. The Crusaders rolled to an 8-2 record through the first half of this year's schedule. During that span, Capital enjoyed its share of blowouts, outscoring its opponents, 157-73.
Once conference play began, the Crusaders exchanged losses, highlighted by a two-game stretch in which they picked up wins against Wilmington College and the University of Mount Union. In its season finale, Capital picked up a big 18-5 win against Muskingum University while receiving the help it needed from Otterbein University to earn the tournament's final spot.
Sophomore Brennan O'Callaghan (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) has turned in another dominant season, putting his name at the top of several OAC stastical categories. O'Callaghan leads the conference in shots (175), points (79), and goals (56). He has also shown off his versatility, tying teammate Brent Walton (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) for the fourth spot in the conference in assists with 23.
Freshman Christian Crossingham (Sandpoint, Idaho) has made an impact at the 'X' in his first season, winning 212-of-336 (.631) faceoffs and picking up a team-leading 73 ground balls. Danny Davide (Massillon, Ohio) is second on the team with 54. Sophomore Ryan Maloney (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) has recorded 25 caused turnovers, followed by Tate Stover (23) and Dylan Bishop (20).
Sophomore goaltender Cole Palmby will man the cage for Capital. He is top five in the league in goals-against average (7.73), and third in both saves (134) and save percentage (.554).
In Capital's last meeting with John Carroll, Carson Paull paced the Crusaders with three goals, five on goal, and four ground balls. Walton also had a solid game with a pair of goals on three shots and two caused turnovers.
As a team, the Crusaders are averaging 14.29 goals on 43.7 shots per game.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
A year ago, Capital finished 14-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 on the conference. They then went on to defeat John Caroll in the first round of the OAC Tournament before advancing to the championship game against Otterbein. Capital fell to the Cardinals, 8-5, at Bernlohr Stadium.
TICKET INFORMATION
Quarterfinals/Semifinals/Finals - $7
OAC Student with valid ID - Free
Non-OAC Students 18 years and under - $2
Senior 62 years and older - $5
OAC Lifetime Passes will be honored for all championships (regular-season passes will not)
