Air Force Hosts Army in Rivalry Game
from press release
The Air Force lacrosse team returns home this weekend, March 13, to
host service academy rival Army.???It will mark the first time in
the 16-year series between the two teams that the Falcons have
hosted the Black Knights.
The game is slated to take place at 12:00 p.m. at Falcon Stadium.
Admission prices for the game are $5 for adults and $2 for
children. Live stats will be available for the game at
goairforcefalcons.com.
Last Time Out...
Air Force took part in the annual Pioneer Face-Off
Classic, hosted by Denver, last weekend, dropping a pair of
one-goal losses. On Saturday, the Falcons fell to Lehigh, 14-13, on
a last-second score by the Mountain Hawks, while dropping an 8-7
decision to Penn on Sunday.
Senior Ridge Flick finished the weekend with seven points (2g, 5a),
including a career-high tying five points in the game versus
Lehigh. Meanwhile, junior Zack Carroll scored six points on the
weekend, registering three goals in each game.
Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this weekend with an 0-3 overall record
after a pair of one-point losses at last weekend's Pioneer Face-Off
Classic.
Junior Zack Carroll is the Falcons' leading scorer on the season
with 12 points (8g, 4a), including a team-high eight goals.
Meanwhile, senior Ridge Flick leads Air Force with nine assists in
the first three games. Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson has played
every minute between the pipes for the Falcons and is averaging
just over 10 saves per contest.
Scouting the Black Knights...
Army, receiving votes in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse
Media Poll, enters this weekend with a 1-3 overall record. The
Black Knights are coming off a 12-11 overtime loss to eighth-ranked
Cornell.
The Black Knights are coached by Joe Alberici, who is in his fifth
year at the helm of the program. Through the first four games of
the season, Jeremy Boltus leads Army with 18 points, including a
team-high 10 assists, while Garrett Thul has scored a team-best 11
goals. In addition, goalkeeper Tom Palesky has registered 46 saves
between the pipes for the Black Knights.
Series Records...
This weekend will be the 17th meeting all-time between
service academy rivals Air Force and Army. The Falcons are winless
against the Black Knights, but will host the rivalry game for the
first time in the history of the series this weekend. The last game
between the two teams was a 14-9 Army win at West Point in
2009.
Air Force in the Statistical Rankings...
In the latest national statistical rankings released by
the NCAA???(through games of March 7), Air Force ranks in the top
35 in six categories. The Falcons rank tied for 31st in saves per
game (10.33), 33rd in scoring defense (10.67), tied for 33rd in
scoring margin (-1.67), tied for 34th in turnovers per game
(18.33), tied for 34th in caused turnovers per game (6.67) and 35th
in man-down defense (.583).
In addition, the Falcons have a few players who are ranked among
the top 25 nationally in various statistical categories. Midfielder
Zack???Carroll ranks tied for third in the nation in shot
percentage (.667) and is tied for 22nd in points per game (4.0).
Bryan Gilbreath ranks sixth in the nation in ground balls per game
(7.67), while senior captain Ridge Flick ranks tied for 11th in the
nation in assists per game with 2.33.
How They Rate...
Through games of March 7, Army ranks in the top 25
nationally in caused turnovers per game (8th/9.5), man-up offense
(12th/.533), assists per game (T19th/6.75), man-down defense
(T21st/.667) and saves per game (T22nd/11.5).
Jeremy Boltus ranks 10th in the nation in assists per game (2.5)
and tied for 16th in points per game (4.5), while Tim???Henderson
is ranked 10th in caused turnovers per game (2.25). In addition,
goalkeeper Tom Palesky ranks 19th in save percentage (.535) and
25th in goals against average (9.87)
An Air Force-Army Weekend...
The rivalry between Air Force and Army will take center
stage at the Academy this weekend, and not just in lacrosse. While
the Falcons host the Black Knights for the first-time ever in
lacrosse action, Air???Force will welcome the Army hockey team to
USAFA for the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Hockey Association
Tournament. The best-of-three play-off series begins Friday evening
at Cadet Ice Arena, with games on Saturday and Sunday (if
needed).
In addition, another group of Falcon athletes will compete against
the Black Knights on Friday, as the Air Force men's gymnastics team
travels to West Point for a dual meet.
Pioneer Face-Off Classic All-Tournament Team...
Finishing the weekend with six goals, junior midfielder
Zack Carroll was the lone Air Force representative on the
Pioneer???Face-Off Classic all-tournament team. Carroll, who had
not scored a goal prior to the 2010 season, registered a
career-best three goals in the game versus Lehigh, before adding
three more goals in the contest against Penn.
Shot Stopper...
Junior goalkeeper Brian Wilson put together a pair of
solid games for the Falcons at the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, first
matching a career-high with 12 saves against Lehigh. He was even
more impressive against Penn, tallying 13 saves, while allowing
just eight goals, only half of which were even-strength scores.
He Shoots, He Scores...
After entering the 2010 season without a single career
goal, junior midfielder Zack Carroll has suddenly become the
Falcons' most effective offensive weapon, currently leading the
team with eight goals on the season. Even more impressive is the
fact that Carroll, Air Force's top face-off midfielder, has scored
his eight goals on just 12 shots. His shot percentage of .667 is
tied for the best in the ECAC and tied for third-best in the
nation.
Performance for the Home Crowd...
Sophomore Adam Paranka, a native of Denver, Colo., had a
career-best performance in front of his hometown crowd against
Lehigh during the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, tallying four goals and
an assist to finish the game with five points. Prior to Saturday's
contest, Paranka had never scored more than two goals or two points
in a single game.
Still A Leader...
Senior captain Ridge Flick entered this season as the
Falcons' leader in assists, finishing the 2009 season with a
team-high 22 assists. Flick remains Air Force's assist leader in
2010, with seven assists through the first three games of the
season. He currently leads the ECAC???in assists per game (2.33)
and is tied for 11th in the nation in that category.
Flick, who has scored at least one point in the last 10 consecutive
games (dating back to the 2009 season), tied a career high with
four assists and five points in the game versus Lehigh last
weekend.
Up Next...
The Falcons open up ECAC???competition next weekend, March
20, when they travel to Baltimore, Md., to face currently
ninth-ranked Loyola.???The game, which is slated to begin at 1:00
p.m. (ET) is the ECAC Game of the Week, and will be broadcast on
numerous television networks throughout the nation.
