ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Mar. 11, 2016) - The stage is set for a dramatic and epic showdown at John A. Darcy Field on Saturday (Mar. 12) as the No. 13 Molloy College men's lacrosse team hosts No. 10 LIU Post in an East Coast Conference battle that will also pit Long Island lacrosse versus Long Island lacrosse. Molloy will come into this contest with a 5-0 record, the best start for the maroon and white since winning nine straight to open the 2013 campaign. That said, LIU Post swept both contests last season including eliminating the Lions in the East Coast Conference semifinals on Apr. 29 in Brookville.
About the Lions- Molloy defeated Southern New Hampshire in its most recent contest by a 15-8 final score on Wednesday night (Mar. 9). Senior attacker
Kevin Teresky (South Huntington, N.Y.) had a five-goal effort in the win, while
Connor Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) and
Peter Clark (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) added four and three goals, respectively. The maroon and white were up 7-1 at the end of the first quarter against the Penmen and cruised to the victory afterwards.
- Clark leads the team with 16 goals while Teresky has accumulated a team-high in points (22) through five games this season. Two other players---
Austin Valenti (Baldwin, N.Y.) and
Jon Camposa (Syosset, N.Y.) have scored ten goals in the 2016 campaign as the Lions have outscored opponents 71-45 and 45-22 over the last three wins against Georgian Court, Chestnut Hill and SNHU.
- Sophomore goalie
Ryan Toomey (Hicksville, N.Y.) is 5-0 this season with a 9.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of 48.3%. He recorded his first double-digit save game of the season on Wednesday, stopping 11 Penmen shots in the win.
- Junior midfielder
Frank Sciulla (Rocky Point, N.Y.) continues to be a force at the face-offs for the maroon and white. Sciulla won 16-of-25 draws against Southern New Hampshire and so far this season his F/O percentage is at 58.9% (66-112).
Concerning the Pioneers- After losing two early-season contests to top-ten teams Merrimack and Adelphi, LIU Post has won three straight with victories versus Saint Thomas Aquinas, Roberts Wesleyan and most recently, Georgian Court. The offense has come alive for the Pioneers in the last three contests, as the green and gold have outscored opponents by a 47-12 margin.
- The offense for the Pioneers is led by a three-pronged attack with high school teammates and seniors Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) and Ryan Slane (North Babylon, N.Y.) scoring 12 and 13 goals this season, respectively. The team's point leader, however, is another senior in attacker Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) who has 16 goals and 24 points so far.
- Junior midfielder Anthony Galeotafiore (Wantagh, N.Y.) is quite good at the face-off circle, winning 52-of-84 attempts for a 61.9% efficiency rating. The Farmingdale State transfer also leads the team with 27 ground ball pickups.
- Last season, the Pioneers had the East Coast Conference Goalie of the Year in Adam Winne (Ridgefield, Conn.). While the senior is still a part of the team this year, LIU Post has elected to start junior college transfer Matthew Liantonio (Miller Place, N.Y.) in cage for a majority of its games. Liantonio is 2-2 thus far with a 9.54 GAA and a save percentage of 48.3%.
