The Boston University men's lacrosse team will travel to No. 6/8 Army West Point for a crucial Patriot League showdown on Saturday, April 8. Game time is set for 12 p.m.
In addition to being broadcast on the Patriot League Network, Saturday's game will be streamed live on Twitter. This is the second time that the men's lacrosse team has been featured on that platform. BU defeated Harvard, 13-8, on March 21 in a game that was simulcast across Twitter.
BU (9-2, 3-2 PL) is looking for an important fourth win in Patriot League play which will help ensure a first-ever berth in the Patriot League playoffs. The Terriers are currently in third place in the conference at 3-2 while Army West Point (9-1, 5-0 PL) has already clinched a postseason berth thanks to a perfect 5-0 start to the league slate.
The Terriers were held to just six goals at Lehigh, but don't expect that trend to continue at Army West Point. BU had been held to single digits just four times this season prior to Saturday and has scored at least 12 goals in games following those four single-digit outings In fact, the Terriers average 15.25 goals per game in contests after they fail to score at least 10 times.
Overall, BU has scored at least 10 goals on six different occasions, including two 18-goal performances which matched the program record for goals in a game. The Terriers spread the wealth, as 22 different players have scored a goal this season, most in the country. BU is second in the Patriot League in points per game (18.45) and third in the conference with 11.27 goals per game.
Saturday's game projects to be a defensive battle with both teams boasting top-10 defenses. BU ranks ninth in the nation in team defense, allowing a mere 7.82 goals per game this season, while Army West Point is second in the NCAA at just 6.80 goals allowed per game. The Terriers are undefeated when holding opponents to 10 goals or fewer.
Army West Point is on an eight-game win streak, with the most recent victory coming this past Saturday, an 11-10 triumph over Bucknell. The Black Knights' have won their last two games by a combined three goals.
Cole Johnson and Nate Jones pace the offense, as both players have scored 20 goals. Johnson also leads the team in assists (13) and points (33). Dan Grabher is fifth in the nation in faceoff win percentage (.672) while Johnny Surdick is fifth in the country in caused turnovers per game (2.33). AJ Barretto is fourth in the nation in goals-against average (7.08) and has a .547 save percentage as well.
The Terriers will conclude the Patriot League portion of their regular-season schedule at home, with the first of those remaining two tilts coming on Saturday, April 15, when Loyola Maryland visits Nickerson Field. That contest will be part of the second annual Lax-a-Palooza event.
