Preview: NCAA Division II Men's Final Four
by Paul Ohanian | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
The NCAA Division II men's lacorsse semifinals will be played at
campus sites Saturday, with Le Moyne and C.W. Post hosting
games.
Three-time national champion (2004, 2006, 2007) and top-ranked Le
Moyne welcomes Northeast-10 rival Merrimack at noon in the third
meeting between the teams this season. Both teams earned North
Region berths.
East Coast Conference champion and Central Region representative
C.W. Post, making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005,
hosts Carolinas Conference champion and South Region rep Limestone
at 1 p.m. in the other semifinal.
The semifinal winners advance to the national championship game at
Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., on Sunday, May 24.
A closer look at the semifinal matchups:
No. 5 Merrimack (14-2) at No. 1 Le Moyne (15-0)
Merrimack's best wins: Dowling 11-8, Bentley
(twice), 6-5 (3OT) and 9-6
How Merrimack can win: Despite the debate about
whether or not Merrimack deserved the at-large berth -- some would
have tabbed defending champion NYIT instead -- the Warriors now get
a third shot at Le Moyne. Merrimack must get greater productivity
from senior Greg Rogowski and the attack unit to have a chance for
the upset. Rogowski, one of the most prolific scorers in Division
II history, has been able to manage just one goal in the two prior
games against the Dolphins.
Le Moyne's best wins: Merrimack (twice), 5-4 and 10-2,
C.W. Post 6-5, Mercyhurst 11-5
How Le Moyne can win: The Dolphins have the
nation's top-ranked defense, anchored by senior goalie Doug McIver
and two-time NE-10 Defenseman of the Year Drew Bezek. The
undefeated Dolphins have allowed more than five goals just once
this season, and have a nation's best 3.60 goals against average.
That defense has completely neutralized Merrimack's offense in the
two meetings this year, allowing a combined six goals in the two
games. Another low-scoring game won't faze the Dolphins in their
quest for a fourth straight appearance in the final.
No. 6 Limestone (10-3) at No. 2 C.W. Post (13-1)
Limestone's best wins: St. Leo 11-10, Queens
(twice), 14-8 and 12-10
How Limestone can win: Now making their 10th
straight NCAA tournament appearance, the Saints have a veteran team
with lots of postseason experience. Coach Mike Cerino's squad may
not be able to match C.W. Post's firepower, but with nine seniors
and 27 letter winners back from last year's semifinal squad, the
Saints could pull the Pioneers into a low-scoring, ball possession
tempo that would play to their advantage. The key will be
controlling faceoffs and getting big stops from senior James Touhy,
the Carolinas Conference Goalie of the Year.
C.W. Post's best wins: Mercyhurst 10-5, NYIT
16-12, Molloy 16-5
How C.W. Post can win: Led by senior Greg Cerar,
the ECC's Player of the Year, and fellow senior Dave Loftus, the
Pioneers may have the most potent offense among the four
semifinalists. The Pioneers have averaged nearly 16 goals per game
while playing one of the stiffest schedules in the country. While
somewhat overshadowed, the defense has been solid as well, allowing
more than eight goals just once this season. Finishing undefeated
in the strong ECC has prepared the Pioneers for the challenge of
the postseason.
Five Burning Questions
Was Merrimack deserving of the at-large berth over
defending champion NYIT?
This was really the only tough call the committee had to make in
selecting the four-team field, and frankly, it would not have even
been an issue had NYIT defeated Mercyhurst in the season finale.
But losing to Hurst tagged the defending champs with a second loss,
similar to Merrimack. What may have helped Merrimack is that both
of its losses came against No. 1 ranked Le Moyne, while NYIT's
earlier loss was against C.W. Post.
Now that they're in, can Merrimack give Le Moyne a better
test than they did in the NE-10 final?
After losing by a narrow 5-4 score against Le Moyne back on April
11, Merrimack appeared to have few answers for the Dolphins in a
10-2 conference championship game loss. The biggest concern for the
Warriors has to be that senior Greg Rogowski, one of the most
prolific scorers in Division II history, has been able to manage
just one goal in the two games. It's unlikely that Merrimack can
win if Rogowski is held in check by the Dolphins' defense once
again.
Will Limestone's playoff experience pay
dividends?
The Saints are making their 10th straight NCAA tournament
appearance, contrasted by the fact that C.W. Post returns to the
postseason for the first time since 2005. This may not be one of
Coach Mike Cerino's most talented Limestone teams, but it does have
lots of experience with nine seniors and 27 letter winners back
from last year's semifinal squad. If the Saints can pull the
Pioneers into a low-scoring, ball possession tempo and stay close
into the fourth quarter, the upset could be had.
How explosive is Greg Cerar and the C.W. Post
offense?
While Cerar (42g, 33a) is the offensive leader, the Pioneers have
a lot of offensive weapons to surround the senior All-American. A
defense that concentrates on shutting off Cerar could be
susceptible to the exploits of senior Dave Loftus (41g, 12a) or one
of five other players that have at least 16 goals this season.
Is this ultimately Le Moyne's championship to
lose?
Anchored by a defense that features two of the best players in the
nation in junior defenseman Drew Bezek and senior goalkeeper Doug
McIver, Le Moyne is clearly the team to beat. The undefeated
Dolphins have allowed more than five goals just once this season,
and have a nation's best 3.60 goals against average. If defense
does indeed win championships, it's hard to picture anybody but Le
Moyne hoisting the trophy in Foxboro on May 24.
