Manhattan To Open 2019 Season Against Wagner

Prospectus

Riverdale, NY - The Manhattan Men's Lacrosse team will open its 24th season of intercollegiate competition against Wagner on Saturday, February 9 with opening faceoff at Gaelic Park tabbed for 1:00 pm.

For Starters
* Manhattan will be aiming for its second-straight victory in a home opener after besting VMI 12-7 last season.
* The Jaspers will also be looking for their first win in a season opener since defeating Robert Morris 10-9 on February 22, 2008.

The Returners 
Manhattan will boast a roster of 42 student-athletes, including 33 returning letterwinners and nine starters in 2019. 

Captains Named
 
Head Coach Drew Kelleher has announced that junior Kelson Borisenko, senior Sam Crutchfield, senior Dylan DeMuro, senior Parker Giarratana and junior Luke Hanson will be captains for the upcoming season. Click HERE for the full release.

Kelleher On The 2019 Jaspers 

#JasperNation we caught up with HC @DrewKelleher to discuss the upcoming season!

Take a ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/OIB6ym8Zi1

— Manhattan Lacrosse (@ManhattanMLAX) January 22, 2019

 Home Is Where The Heart Is
* The Jaspers will play nine of their 14 games in the friendly confines of Gaelic Park, including five of their seven non-conference match-ups.
 
Non-Conference Noise
* Last year, Manhattan registered four wins during non-conference play, notching its most since the 2009 season.

Man-Down Defense Leads The League
* Also in 2018, the Jasper defense led the nation in man-down defense, killing off 81.6 percent of all penalties.

Series History With Wagner
* Manhattan holds an all-time record of 15-2 against Wagner, including a perfect 7-0 at Gaelic Park, while outscoring the Seahawks by a combined 227-124 count.

Last Time Against Wagner
* The Seahawks posted an 11-5 victory over Manhattan in 2018, despite two goals from junior Trevor Pelletier and one each from classmates Luke Hanson and CJ Scharf.

Scouting Wagner
* In the Seahawks' 2019 opener last weekend, Spencer Kaufman lifted Wagner to a 7-6 overtime victory over Bellarmine while Matt Cefcik earned the win with 16 saves.

Two Years Ago ...
* Junior Parker Giarratana scored three goals, including the game-winner, with two assist in lifting the Jaspers to a thrilling 14-13 triple-overtime win against the Seahawks at Gaelic Park. For his career, Giarratana has eight goals and four assists against Wagner.

Parker Garners Preseason All-MAAC Accolades
* Giarratana was cited by Inside Lacrosse and the MAAC as a preseason all-league selection.
 
* A two-time All-MAAC Second Team honoree, the Sunshine State native registered 23 goals, a career-high 23 assists and a personal-best 46 points in 2018.
* His 1.64 assists per game ranked fourth in the MAAC, while his 23 assists are the most by a Manhattan student-athlete since Eugene Tanner in 2005, and tied for the sixth-most in a single season.

Giarratana In The Record Books
* The 2016 MAAC Rookie of the Year ranks fifth in program history with 83 goals, sixth with 129 points and seventh with 46 assists.
* For his career, Giarratana also has four five-goal performances, two four-score outings and eight hat tricks.

Newcomers
* Kelleher will welcome nine student-athletes into the program in 2019. 

Otto/2002 Team Honored
* Justin Otto '06 was inducted into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame this past November, while the 2002 MAAC Championship team earned special recognition.
* Click HERE for the release on Otto and HERE for the release on the 2002 team.

Up Next
* Manhattan will play at VMI on Saturday, February 16 at 1:00 pm.