#20 Men's Lacrosse Hosts #15 Bucknell Bison in Non-Conference Action

THE FACE OFF 1. The Game #20 UAlbany hosts #15 Bucknell for the seventh game of the 2013 season. The Great Danes are 4-2 on the season after defeating Bryant, 17-15, last Saturday. Following the UAlbany/Bucknell game this afternoon, the Great Danes welcome Division III programs Amherst and Nazareth to John Fallon Field for a matchup between the 2-3 Jeffs and the 4-3 Golden Flyers. 2. Scouting UAlbany The Great Danes, who were chosen first in the America East preseason poll, are currently ranked 20th in both the USILA Coaches’ Poll and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Great Danes debuted their revamped lineup for 2013 in a 16-15 double overtime win at Syracuse, with the entire Thompson Trio on attack. Sophomore Lyle, who moved up to the front line to join his brother, Miles, and cousin, Ty, has been named the America East Conference Player of the Week twice, as he currently leads the nation in scoring, putting up 7.17 points per game, with a nation-best 4.67 assists per game. Miles missed three games with an injury, and took no time getting back into the swing of things in his first game back against Bryant. The junior attackman scored a school-record nine goals, breaking the previous best of eight, set by Merrick Thomson in 2004 and Corey Small in 2009. The feat earned him America East Player of the Week honors on Monday. Also making a splash for the Great Danes so far this season is freshman goalkeeper Blaze Riorden. A native of Fairport, N.Y., Riorden is currently ranked 15th nationally in saves per game, making 12.33 stops per contest. As a team, UAlbany is ranked 1st in the nation in points per game (23.33), 1st in assists per game (8.83), and 3rd in scoring offense (14.50 gpg). 3. Scouting Bucknell #15 Bucknell posted a 9-8 upset over second-ranked and previously unbeaten Cornell at Schoellkopf Field on Tuesday evening. The Bison (7-1) overcame a snow delay, spotted Cornell a 5-0 lead, and then rallied from a one-goal deficit at halftime to win their sixth consecutive game. Sean Doyle led Bucknell with three goals, Chase Bailey had the game-winner, and keeper Kyle Feeney tallied six saves. After allowing six goals in the first half, Feeney limited Cornell to just two more for the rest of the game, both of which came in the fourth quarter. The senior’s strong finish held the Big Red, which entered the game as the highest scoring team in the country at 15.2 goals per game, to a season-low eight total goals. 4. Tewaarton Watch List The Three Musketeers of the Thompson Trio have all been named to the 2013 Tewaarton Watch List, as announced by the organization on Friday morning. While among a group of teams such as Maryland, North Carolina & Duke with three players on the first watch list, UAlbany’s Thompsons are the only related group of players to make an appearance.