CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -Harvard Men's Lacrosse will begin it's four-game road stretch, the longest of the 2023 season, this Saturday when it travels to Providence, R.I. to take on the Brown Bears. The Crimson and the Bears will both open up their Ivy League schedules when they meet at 1:00 PM on Stevenson-Pincince Field.
The Crimson and the Bears will meet for the 77th time in program history on Saturday after an instant classic in the 2022 edition of the rivalry. The Crimson came away with the 12-11 win in last year's matchup thanks to a final-second save from Kyle Mullin. Hayden Cheek scored four goals and Sam King registered four points with three assists to help lead the Crimson to the victory over the Bears. The series is split at 5-5 in the last ten matchups, but the Crimson has not defeated the Bears in Providence since 2011.
QUICK HITS
- Sophom*ore attack, Sam King, leads the squad with 18 points off 11 goals and seven assists, both of which are team-highs. King exploded for a career-best seven goals and nine points in the Crimson's win over Virginia to open the season.
- Senior SSDM, Chase Yager, flies all over the field for the Crimson and has shined particularly on defense in 2023. The Virginia native leads Harvard with five caused turnovers and has scooped up 11 GBs.
- Harvard's offense has worked quickly in 2023, averaging an offensive possession length of 24.0 seconds, the third fastest in the nation. The Crimson also makes the most of its chances, scoring on 31.2 percent of its possessions, a mark that ranks 14th in the nation.
- Harvard's 21 goals in the season opener against Virginia was the second-most by a Harvard team in the first game of the season, the first coming in 1961 (23 vs. CCNY).
- Harvard's man-down defense is best in the Ivy League (.733 stop rate)
- The Crimson has the nation's No. 2 man-up offense in the country as of March 15 with a .667 man-up percentage.
- The Crimson's nine-game home win streak was snapped at nine games after the loss to Michigan a week ago. The nine-game streak was tied for the longest since the 1987-89 seasons.
- Harvard sports the tenth-deepest roster in the nation according to lacrosse reference. The Crimson's 25.8 average players who have factored statistically give them the ranking. It's weighted depth of 29.2 is the second-best in the nation and it's top-10 share (68.2) is the 13th lowest in the country, showcasing the contributions from its bench.
- The Crimson's adjusted strength of schedule ranks No. 10 in the nation according to Lacrosse Reference.
- Miles Botkiss has come on strong as of late, scoring four goals and throwing two assists to total six points over the past two weeks.
- First-year players continue to get into the mix for the Crimson as John Aurandt IV and Teddy Malone each have four points and Defender, Charlie Muller is second on the team with 12 groundballs.
THE MATCHUP
Scouting Brown
The 3-2 Bears are coming off its worst outing of the season a 6-19 loss at the hands of the No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels. Prior to the loss, Brown had rattled off three straight wins over Providence, Vermont and Stony Brook. Through week 5, Brown sits at No. 22 in the LaxELO Power Rankings by Lacrosse Reference and No. 31 in the RPI rankings.
Like Harvard, Brown displays a fast paced offense that ranks 16th with 13.6 goals per game and 12th with a pace of 27.4 seconds per possession. The charge is led by senior Devon McLane and his 13 goals and 21 points. FOGO, Matthew Gunty is also amongst the nation's best, posting a .595 faceoff winning percentage to put him at No. 20 in the nation and No. 2 in the Ivy League.
Defensively, the Bears have struggled to hold off opposing attacks, allowing 12.2 goals per game, a mark that puts them last in the Ivy League. Brown also ranks 66th in the nation with only 5.4 caused turnovers per game and 33rd in defensive efficiency, allowing goals on 27.8 percent of opponent possessions.
Notes and Storylines
Super-Man-Up
The Crimson's man-up offense has been lethal in 2023, posting the second-best man-up percentage in the nation (.667) through the first four games. Harvard's man-up offense has already tied the 2022 total of 12 goals in just three weeks. Hayden Cheek and Owen Gaffney are tied for the team and Ivy League lead with three man-up goals this year, which was the season total for team leaders, Miles Botkiss, Andrew Perry and Cheek last season.
Better Hurry Up
When opponents possessions last more than 60 seconds, Harvard ranks 13th in the nation, according to Lacrosse Reference, by allowing goals on only 38.2-percent of possessions.
Efficient in Transition
Harvard's clear percentage has improved from a season ago when it ranked No. 64 in the nation. Through four games, the Crimson has posted a clear percentage of .889, good for No. 19 in the nation. It's transition defense has not skipped a beat since posting the sixth-best opponent clear percentage in 2022 (.779). In the first set of games, the Crimson's opponents are only clearing the ball at a .773 rate, the fifth lowest in the nation.
Crimson Causing Chaos
Harvard's success halting opponents' man-up attempts is due in part to the team's ability to cause turnovers. After finishing fourth in the nation a year ago in caused turnovers per game, Harvard is back in the top ten early in the 2023 season, causing 10.5 turnovers per game to rank No. 8 in the nation. Chase Yager leads the team with five CTs in 2023, while 20 different players have registered a CT this year. The Crimson is only one of two teams in the Ivy league (Cornell) to have seven players with three or more CTs.
Passing the Rock
The Crimson's 10th-ranked scoring offense is powered by an assist per game total that ranks No. 9 in the nation. Throwing 8.50 assists per game puts Harvard first in the Ivy League as well. Sam King and Andrew Perry have been at the forefront of the passing attack, ranking in the top 15 in the Ivy League with 1.75 and 1.25 assists per game, respectively. It's 16 assists against Virginia is still the third-most by a team in a game this season.
Sam King Continues His Streak
Sophom*ore, Sam King has recorded at least one point in 18 games he has played in with the Crimson and is coming off a four-point effort against Michigan. The sophom*ore has amassed 64 points in his collegiate career, averaging 3.5 points per game in his career, the highest total on the team.
Getting on the Ground
Seven Crimson players have recorded 10 or more groundballs this season, the second most in the Ivy League. King leads the charge with 13 GBs while first-year Charlie Muller and Andrew DeGennaro are a close second with 12 each,
Off the Draw
Harvard's offense has shown great effectiveness off the faceoff, scoring on 34.9-percent of possessions that start after a draw. That total ranks 11th in the nation and its average possession of 30.5 seconds off the draw is the fourth-fastest in the country. It's numbers off a a defensive stop are also amongst the nation's best with a 34.3 percent efficiency (12th) and an average possession length of 26.6 seconds (7th).
Up Next
Harvard will have a quick turnaround, as it will play again on Tuesday for its lone midweek matchup against the Boston University Terriers. The Charles River rivalry will be renewed when the two sides meet on Nickerson Field at 7 PM (ESPN+). Harvard will then take another quick trip up North to continue Ivy League play and take on the Dartmouth Big Green in Hanover, N.H. next Saturday.
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