LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine University lacrosse team will make its 2017 home debut Saturday night against the Michigan Wolverines in a 6 p.m. contest at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.
The 2017 Knights opened with a loss on the road last week at Robert Morris, but hope to rebound against a solid Wolverine squad that has started the season 3-0 and is receiving votes in the Inside Lacrosse media poll.
Bellarmine is led offensively by preseason All-Southern Conference selection
Tucker Ciessau. The senior from Scituate, Massachusetts was BU's leading scorer in 2016 and picked up where he left off by notching four goals in the Knights' opener against Robert Morris.
The Knights, picked fourth in the preseason SoCon poll, also got solid offensive contributions from
Ryan Coukoulis with two goals and freshman
Morgan Macko registered a goal and an assist in his collegiate debut.
Defensively, Bellarmine is anchored by preseason All SoCon selection
Kevin Fahey. The senior recorded a caused turnover and a ground ball in the season opener. Other solid defensive contributions last week came from long stick middie
Evan P. Kalish and Aiden Christian, who each caused two turnovers.
In goal, Bellarmine Coach
Kevin Burns gave freshman
Jordan Dondoyano the start against Robert Morris, but
Chase Rose also saw action with competition for playing time also coming from
Max Cartor.
Michigan, out of the Big 10 Conference, enters having already posted wins over Cleveland State, Lafayette and Detroit Mercy. Sophomore Brent Noseworty and senior Ian King are the top point-producers for the Wolverines on the season with 14 and 13 respectively.
Tommy Heidt has won the starting goalie spot for Michigan, and he boasts a save percentage of 67 percent, which ranks best in the Big 10 and sixth nationally. His 6.28 goals-against average is eighth-best at the NCAA Division I level.
In the "X," Michael McDonnell is winning 67 percent of the faceoffs for Michigan, taking 44 of 66 draws on the season.
Saturday's game will be the fifth time Bellarmine and Michigan have met with both teams winning two games in their previous meetings. The Knights prevailed in 2012 and 2013 with Michigan taking an 11-10 overtime victory in Louisville in 2014 and winning 16-9 in Ann Arbor last season.
The lacrosse game will piggy-back on Bellarmine's homecoming basketball games, which will be played earlier in the day (women: 1 p.m./men: 3:15). Anyone holding a ticket for the basketball games will be admitted to the lacrosse game free.
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