Brown Opens 2006 Lacrosse Season at Home vs. UMBC
Feb. 22, 2006
Providence, RI -
The Brown men's lacrosse
team will open its 2006 season at home on Saturday, February 25th, against
the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC). The game will be played at Brown's new Field Turf playing
surface, located adjacent to Stevenson Field, beginning at 12:00 noon.
Last Year: The
Bears posted a 6-6 record in 2005 and will be looking to return to the NCAA
Playoffs for the first time since 1997.
The 21st-ranked UMBC squad posted a 7-8 overall record last
season and is the pre-season favorites to win the America East Conference.
Season Opener: Brown began playing lacrosse in 1926, and will be
opening its 58th season of intercollegiate lacrosse. The Bears
fielded a varsity team from 1926 to 1937, and 1961 to the present.
Where
The Game Is Played: Saturday's game against UMBC is being
played on Brown's new, and still unnamed, Field Turf playing surface, located
behind the Olney Margolies Athletic Center and adjacent to Stevenson Field in
the Erickson Athletic Complex.
Brown is scheduled to play all of its games at Stevenson field, but will
move to the new field for early season games and in adverse weather conditions.
Nelson
At The Helm: Head coach Scott
Nelson, the 2004 New England Coach of the Year and winner of over 200 career
games, is entering his sixth season as coach of the Bears.
The
Series Record: Brown and UMBC have met just once
before, in 1981, with the Retrievers earning a 13-5 decision over the Bears.
Give
Wailes An Assist: Senior All-Ivy Kyle Wailes, who will play both in the
midfield and on attack, ranked third nationally and was the Ivy League leader
in assists with 30 for the season, averaging 2.50 assists per game. He led
Brown in scoring with 35 points (5 goals, 30 assists).
Captains: Senior captains Rob Cotter and James Faello were mainstays of the Brown defense, helping to
hold opponents to just 9.42 goals per game. Senior captain Grant Derkac is Brown's top defensive middie. Senior captain Will
McGettigan, who played in all 12
games for the Bears a year ago, will play in the midfield and on attack, after
scoring four goals and picking up 10 ground balls.
Goal
Scorers: The Bears' attack
will be solid with the return of junior Dave Madeira, Brown's top goal scorer (23), and second leading
returning scorer overall (25 points).
Madeira's 8 man-up goals led the Ivy League and helped the Bears lead
the Ivy League with 20 man-up goals. He scored a career high four-goals against
Dartmouth and added three goals against Hartford. Junior
Alex Buckley will also provide a potent
scoring punch from the midfield.
Buckley, Brown's fifth leading scorer last year with 20 points (15
goals, 5 assists), proved he can score goals in bunches, netting a career high
four goals against Quinnipiac.
Shields
- Pre-Season All-American: The Bears defense will be buoyed by the return of junior
All-Ivy Bobby Shields, a fierce
defender, who was often matched-up against the opponents' top attackman. Shields, a pre-season All-American,
picked-up 18 ground balls for the season, and scored his first career goal
against Yale.
In
Goal: The Bears will once
again be solid in goal with the return of senior All-Ivy goalie Nick
Gentilesco, who led the Ivy League and ranked 14th nationally
with an 8.06 goals against average.
He registered a season high 17 saves vs. Yale, and posted an Ivy League
leading .568 save percentage.
2006
Brown University Men's Lacrosse Schedule
2/25 Sat. UMBC 12:00
p.m.
3/4 Sat. at
Hofstra 1:00
p.m.
3/8 Wed. at
Hartford 3:00
p.m.
3/11 Sat. BELLARMINE 3:00
p.m.
3/18 Sat. UMASS 1:00
p.m.
3/25 Sat. at
Ohio State 7:30
p.m.
3/29 Wed. at
Notre Dame 3:30
p.m.
4/8 Sat. at
Yale 1:00
p.m.
4/11 Tue. HARVARD 7:00
p.m.
4/15 Sat. at
Penn 1:00
p.m.
4/22 Sat. DARTMOUTH 1:00
p.m.
4/29 Sat. at
Cornell 1:00
p.m.
5/6 Sat. PRINCETON 1:00
p.m.
