BRISTOL, R.I. - The Roger Williams University Men's Lacrosse Team begins their hunt for their first Commonwealth Coast Conference crown as they travel for a showdown against top-seeded Endicott College in the semi-finals round of the CCC Tournament.
 
"We are excited to be playing in the first place and happy to get eight wins; let alone 11 games," Head Coach Marty Kelly said. "I am happy for the team; they really have worked hard throughout the entire season to put us in this position."
 
The Hawks slid into the postseason as the fourth seed with an 8-3 overall record, 4-3 in CCC play. However, momentum is also on their side after winning five of their final six games including four of their final five conference matchups to grab a postseason berth. On the other side, the nine-time conference champion Gulls roll into the postseason with a 10-2 record and went undefeated in their seven games in conference play.
 
"I am really happy for the team to put themselves in this position," Kelly said. "We have had almost 100 practices, fall and spring. While this is a lot and we are thankful for that, they really do not know one another very well off the field. With no dining commons and locker room, and very limited strength and conditioning based on our roster size, the only time they really see one another is during practice.  Even with having to limit our 'travel' roster has made it even more difficult. It is a real testament to them to stick together and make each other better."
 
For The Hawks
Offensively, the Hawks average 13.00 goals per game, the third most in the CCC. A large part of that is thanks to their effectiveness with an extra man on the field. On the season, the Hawks' 15 man-up goals are the most in the conference.
 
Seven players have averaged one or more points per game this spring for the Hawks, but the offense truly starts and ends with senior Jared Grier (Quincy, Mass.). Grier leads the Hawks in points (50), goals (33), and assists (17). In addition, his totals in points and goals are good for second in the CCC while he also ranks tied for fifth in assists. Alongside Grier in guiding the offensive attack for RWU are the balanced approaches of fellow seniors Tim Mullane (Hanover, Mass.) and Peter Navarro (Londonderry, N.H.). Mullane is seventh in the CCC with 16 assists and tenth with 34 points and 18 goals.  Meanwhile, Navarro is 13^th in the conference with 29 points on 15 goals (t-17^th) and 14 assists (t-9^th). Any mention of the Roger Williams offense would be incomplete however without mentioning senior faceoff specialist Connor Hillemeir (Farmington, Conn.). He stands as the program leader in faceoff win percentage (.653). This season, he is winning a faceoffs at a robust .678 clip while leading the CCC in ground balls with 118 on the season, 32 more than the next best player. Additionally, his 11.80 ground balls per game is the seventh-highest mark in Division III Men's Lacrosse.
 
"Our offense has been solid, Kelly said. "We do have the ability to put some goals on the board and even in games we lost or struggled, they have put pressure on the opposing team. The offense is very balanced and that's how you win games. Unforced turnovers have been an issue for us all season, and if our shooting is off, we struggle. When we are hitting sticks and we are mixing up shots and making extra passes for assisted goals, we are tough to beat!"
 
RWU features a defensive unit that ranked third in the CCC in goals-against average with a mark of 10.71. A large part of their success stems from their ability to cause a steady diet of turnovers as they rank second in the conference with 105 on the season and they feature a strong group of long-stick midfielders and defenders. Freshman Tyler Zanini (Hopkinton, Mass.) leads this unit with 20 caused turnovers to pace the team and rank fifth in the conference, while his 30 ground balls ranks second. Brenden Whitten (Kennebunk, Maine) also slots in just behind Zanini in caused turnovers (14) and ground balls (28). Other key members of the defensive unit are Sebastian Suarez (West Hartford, Conn.) (23 GBs), Brandon Fabel (East Rockaway, N.Y.) (6 CTs), and Hunter Goodrow (Hopkinton, Mass.).
 
"Defensively it has been a work-in-progress," Kelly said. "Unlike the offense, we did not have a lot of experience returning; especially at close defense, but they continue to work and improve. They have done well assisting one another and coaches to adapt on the fly before and during games. If it was not for our defense, we would not be in the playoffs after the Curry game."
 
For The Gulls
Endicott College has a potent offense that ranks second in the CCC and 44^th in the country scoring 15.25 goals per game. Their effectiveness is in large part due to the efficiency of their shots as 62.5% of their shots have been on goal this season. Much of their offense stems from the dominant trio of Jack Sutherland (Sudbury, Mass.), Nick Pagluiso (Shelton, Conn.), and Domenic Russo (Northington, Mass.) and all three of them rank in the top five in the conference in points on the season. Sutherland leads the Gulls with 46 points by ranking second on the squad in both goals (32) and assists (14). Russo is the top goal scorer on the team and in the CCC with 36 goals on the season while Pagluiso is their primary playmakers with a conference-best 30 assists.
 
Defensively, Endicott is stout, and they excel at forcing turnovers with a conference-leading 190 on the season. This comes out to a rate of 15.83 per game, the fourth highest rate in the country. This helps them hold opponents to just 7.66 goals per game, the second fewest in the CCC. Their top defensive players are James Loughran (Cos Cob, Conn.), Andrew Fithian (Marshfield, Mass.), and Nick Sturgess (Hampstead, N.H.). Trio not only leads the Gulls, but ranks 1-2-3 in the CCC in caused turnovers this spring. Lourghran leads the way with 36 caused turnover to go with a team-high 64 ground balls. Right behind him is Fithian with 35 caused turnovers and 38 ground balls. Meanwhile, Sturgess has forced 27 turnovers while running down 41 ground balls.
 
"They are always terrific, Kelly said. "Our OT win over them will provide some extra motivation for them so we need to be ready to match that; especially on the road. We know we can do it!  The winner of the rubber match gets a shot at NCAA berth! Should be fun!"
 
In Goal
The matchup in net projects to be Ryan Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.) opposite Austin Fournier (Martha's Vineyard, Mass.). Bannon has been rock solid in net with an 8-3 record this season and a 53.0 save percentage while his 10.09 goals against average ranks third in the conference. Fournier on the other hand has been outstanding with a 60.1 save percentage, the second best in the CCC and a mark that is just .1 behind the conference leader. As a result, he has surrendered just 7.71 goals per contest and holds a 10-2 record.
 
"It was a bit inconsistent at the beginning but Ryan Bannon has played well the last few games and playing strong," Kelly said. "I think having three new close defensive starters and a number of freshmen defenders on the team has made it challenging for our goalies and Ryan. Ryan really turned up his game in second quarter of Wentworth and played very well against Curry. We will need him to be at his best to win the CCC."
 
Previous Meetings
These two teams squared in a pair of matchups this spring and split the two games.
 
In their conference matchup on the road back on April 3^rd. In that game, Jared Grier scored five goals but the Hawks fell 15-11.
 
More recently, the two teams faced off for a non-conference showdown back on April 21^st in Bristol. In that contest, the Hawks went toe-to-toe with the Gulls and walked-off with the upset victory in overtime, 10-9. Matt Halpin (Hanover, Mass.) had a breakout performance with four points on three goals and an assist in that game while Russo struck for a trio of goals for Endicott. The teams matched up evenly and were tied with 19 shots on goal in the game until the final one when Grier scored the game winner past Fournier to secure their first win over Endicott since 2012.
 
How To Follow Along
Due to CCC COVID-19 protocols, there are still no spectators permitted at any conference athletic events. However, you can still follow along by watching the live stream video or live stats.
 
VIDEO: https://www.ecgulls.com/links/v6q4bt
LIVE STATS: https://www.ecgulls.com/sports/mlax/2020-21/boxscores/20210505_5r65.xml