Big Green Hit the Road for Holy Cross Saturday

By: Justin Lafleur

Story Links

• Game Notes (PDF)
• Live Stats

GAME 2
Dartmouth (1-0, 0-0 Ivy League) at Holy Cross (0-4, 0-0 Patriot League)
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023 – 1 p.m.
Location: Worcester, Mass. – Kuzniewski Field
All-Time Series: Dartmouth, 31-2
Live Stats
 
Today’s Game
The Dartmouth men’s lacrosse team looks to keep the momentum going from its season-opening win when the Big Green travel to Holy Cross to face the Crusaders. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. The Big Green are coming off an exciting 11-10 season-opening win at Merrimack, which saw them outscore the Warriors 4-2 in the fourth quarter, including three goals in the final 7:17 and the game-winner with 3:02 on the clock, to come away victorious.

Saturday’s game will not be streamed, but live stats will be available.
 
The win came over a previously 3-0 team, as Merrimack, Syracuse and Navy were the only 3-0 teams in the nation entering the day (with all ironically falling on Saturday). The victory got some local and national attention, with three individuals earning weekly honors. Freshman goaltender Sam Cooper was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after making 10 saves, including four in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Colin McGill was named Dartmouth Athletics’ Male Athlete of the Week following his four-goal, two-assist performance. Senior Tommy Rogan was named to the USILA/Dynamic National Team of the Week as one of just 10 players in all of Division I recognized. He finished with two goals and three assists, and had a hand in all four of Dartmouth’s fourth-quarter goals, to play a critical role in the victory.
 
The Big Green were also listed on Quint Kessenich’s top 20 among the teams “pollsters have their eyes on.” Another key contributor was senior Mitchell Myers, who won 17-of-26 faceoffs with 12 groundballs, going 15-of-18 over the final three quarters.
 
Turnovers hurt, as Dartmouth finished with 27, but seven were team turnovers (primarily shot clock violations or failure to advance). Merrimack finished with 20 turnovers, 11 of which were caused by the Big Green. After Rogan found McGill in front off a faceoff for the go-ahead goal with 3:02 remaining, the Dartmouth defense did not allow a single shot (nevermind shot on goal), officially causing three turnovers during that stretch.
 
The Big Green will be facing Holy Cross for the first time since 2014. They are eyeing a 2-0 start for the second time since 2020; the Big Green began what proved to be the COVID-19 shortened season 3-0. Prior to 2020, the previous time there was a 2-0 start happened in 2012.
 
With a Win…
– Dartmouth would improve to 2-0 for just the second time since 2012 (with the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season being the other instance).
– The Big Green would win their sixth nonleague game in their last eight tries dating back to last season and ninth in their last 13 tries dating back to 2020.
– Dartmouth would beat Holy Cross for the fourth time in the last six meetings in the all-time series.
– The Big Green would improve to 32-2 all-time against the Crusaders.
 
Scouting Holy Cross
Holy Cross stands 0-4 on the young season, falling to Providence (12-9), Merrimack (14-9), Syracuse (15-6) and Mercer (15-5). Out of the Patriot League, Thomas McIntire leads the offense in goals (12) and points (13) while Cole Kratovil’s three assists lead the way. Matt Major stands second in points (five goals) while Tyler Marmo owns four points (three goals, one assist). Michael Rincon leads the defense with four caused turnovers, to go with 11 groundballs. Holy Cross’ two primary faceoff specialists, Connor DePiero and Jordan Naso, are tied for the team lead in GBs with 14. DePiero has taken the most faceoffs with 48, winning 25 for a 52.1 percent. Naso is right behind in attempts, winning 23-of-43 for a team-leading 53.5 percentage. Dawson Friers has started all four games in goal, tallying a 14.18 goals against average and 51.3 save percentage.
 
Last season, Holy Cross finished 1-13 and 0-8 in Patriot League play. As recently as 2019, the Crusaders advanced to the Patriot League Tournament, finishing 4-4 in the league and 7-7 overall.
 
All-Time Against The Crusaders
Dartmouth leads the all-time series against Holy Cross, 31-2. The Big Green won the first 28 meetings, with the Crusaders winning two of the last five. The teams last played in 2014, a 17-12 Dartmouth win in Hanover. The year prior, the Big Green lost at Holy Cross by an 11-10 final. The only other Crusaders’ victory in the series came in 2010, winning 13-8 at Dartmouth.
 
Individual, Team Recognition After Merrimack Win
Dartmouth beat Merrimack, 11-10, in its season opener on Feb. 18. The win came over a previously 3-0 team, as Merrimack, Syracuse and Navy were the only 3-0 teams in the nation entering the day (with all ironically falling on Saturday).
 
The victory got some local and national attention, with three individuals earning weekly honors.
– Freshman goaltender Sam Cooper was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after making 10 saves, including four in the fourth quarter.
– Sophomore Colin McGill was named Dartmouth Athletics’ Male Athlete of the Week following his four-goal, two-assist performance.
– Senior Tommy Rogan was named to the USILA/Dynamic National Team of the Week as one of just 10 players in all of Division I recognized. He finished with two goals and three assists, and had a hand in all four of Dartmouth’s fourth-quarter goals to play a critical role in the victory.
– The Big Green were also listed on Quint Kessenich’s top 20 among the teams “pollsters have their eyes on.”
 
Road Warriors
Dartmouth will be road warriors in 2023, with eight of its 12 games coming away from home. Five of the Big Green’s six nonleague contests will be on the road, with the exception of a Saturday, Mar. 4 matchup vs. Siena. Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. at Scully-Fahey Field.
 
Lombardo Joins Staff
In July, Dartmouth men’s lacrosse head coach Brendan Callahan announced the addition of Evan Lombardo to his staff as a volunteer assistant coach.
 
Lombardo comes to Hanover after a two-year stint as a graduate assistant with the University of Lynchburg men’s lacrosse team. Lombardo worked primarily with attackmen, focusing on skill development while supporting scheme and culture as well as the Man-Up team.  During his time on the coaching staff, he coached six All-Americans and 12 All-Conference selections. He helped the Hornets to two conference championships and an appearance in the NCAA Elite 8 in 2021. Lombardo was a member of the coaching staff that was named the 2021 USILA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year and the 2022 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
As a player for Lynchburg, Lombardo was a two-time USILA All-American (2017, 2018) and a USILA Scholar All-American (2019). He finished his career with 210 goals, the second most in program history, fourth most in ODAC history, and 25th most in NCAA DIII history.
 
Lombardo graduated from Lynchburg in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education before graduating with a master’s degree in education leadership this past May.
 
Three Earn 2022 All-Ivy Honors
Three student-athletes from the Dartmouth men’s lacrosse team were recognized when the Ivy League announced its All-Ivy teams and major award winners.
 
Mitchell Myers was named first team All-Ivy, Daniel Hincks earned a spot on the second team and Andrew Johnston landed on the honorable mention team. Hincks, a philosophy, politics, and economics major, was named to the Academic All-Ivy team as well.
 
Myers, the FOGO for the Big Green, won 54.4 percent of his faceoffs in 2022 (155-of-280) and scooped 75 groundballs. He also picked up an assist in the team’s 11-9 victory over Siena. Myers led the Ivy League in faceoff percentage on his way to receiving his first All-Ivy honor.
 
Hincks received his first career All-Ivy nod after playing all but 41 minutes in goal for the Big Green last season. He made 168 saves, including a career-high 20 in Dartmouth’s first win over Vermont since the 2017 season. His 12.92 saves per game was third in the Ivy League. Earlier in the season, Hincks was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, which is given to the top male and female college lacrosse player in the country, in addition to being named honorable mention on Inside Lacrosse’s Midseason Men’s Division I All-America list.
 
Johnston was a key figure on the Dartmouth defense, starting all 13 contests. Also his first career All-Ivy honor, he finished the 2022 campaign with 26 groundballs and nine caused turnovers. He scored his first career goal in the win over Bryant on Feb. 26, and had four ground balls and two caused turnovers against Harvard on Mar. 26.
 
Hincks Named 2022 Inside Lacrosse All-American
A senior from last year’s team, goaltender Daniel Hincks was honored by Inside Lacrosse when the organization announced their All-Americans. Hincks was named to the honorable mention team, becoming the Big Green’s first All-American since 2010 graduate Casey Hingtgen was selected as an honorable mention in 2010.
 
A second team All-Ivy selection, Hincks picked up the All-America nod after a stellar season in goal in which he made 168 saves, including a career-high 20 in Dartmouth’s first win over Vermont since the 2017 season. Earlier in the season, Hincks was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, which is given to the top male and female college lacrosse player in the country, in addition to being named honorable mention on Inside Lacrosse’s Midseason Men’s Division I All-America list.
 
Follow Along
Saturday’s game will not be streamed, but live stats will be available.
 
What’s Ahead
Following Saturday’s game, the Big Green return home next Saturday, Mar. 4 to host Siena. Gametime is 1 p.m. on ESPN+.