ST. BONAVENTURE (8-2, 3-0 MAAC) at SIENA (3-8, 1-3 MAAC)
Saturday, April 16 – 3:00 p.m.
Loudonville, N.Y.
TV: Siena All Access (webstream)

OPENING FACEOFF
St. Bonaventure looks to continue its recent hot streak, hitting the road to play Franciscan sister school Siena Saturday afternoon outside Albany. The game is slated for a 3 p.m. start. The Bonnies will aim to continue their strong play on the road – SBU has been perfect at home, winning nine straight dating over a full calendar year at the Marra Athletics Complex. Away from home, Bona's is 3-2 this season with both losses coming to nationally-ranked foes (at Saint Joseph's, at Richmond). The Bonnies have scored wins at VMI, Cleveland State and Marist.

IN THE RANKINGS
For the first time in program history, the St. Bonaventure men's lacrosse team is earning votes in the national Top 20 polls. After running their winning streak to six games last weekend, SBU picked up votes in the Inside Lacrosse Division I Media Poll and was listed as one of the teams considered for the USA Lacrosse Magazine Top 20 poll as well.

St. Bonaventure has already set the program record for victories with eight. Last year, the Bonnies won their first five games at the Division I level. The previous school record of six as an intercollegiate program came during a 6-8 campaign in 1991.

IMPRESSIVE RUN STARTS CONFERENCE PLAY
St. Bonaventure did not have an easy road to its 3-0 start in MAAC action. Bona's first three games came against the three teams listed atop the MAAC preseason poll: SBU won at conference power Marist in the league-opener March 19 – the Red Foxes were selected second in the preseason poll. Then, SBU defeated Manhattan, the preseason No. 3, at home March 26 by a convincing 15-9 tally. Last weekend, the Bonnies were able to win against the defending conference champ and preseason favorite Monmouth, 6-3, on home turf. That win also avenged a MAAC semifinal loss to the Hawks in New Jersey last spring.

DOBSON MAKING NATIONAL HEADLINES
Bonnies senior goalie Brett Dobson is making his case as one of the nation's top players and continued to earn press around the national lacrosse circles after an incredible performance against Monmouth where he made 21 saves and had an .875 save percentage in a 6-3 win. Already a Tewaaraton Award Watch List selection, Dobson received the following awards this week:

• USA Lacrosse Magazine Division I Player of the Week
• The Lacrosse Network national Player of the Week
• Inside Lacrosse Prime Time Player of the Week
• MAAC Defensive Player of the Week (sixth time this season)
• USILA Division I Team of the Week

Dobson has made 168 saves this season and has at least 14 in every game but one — a 21-0 win over Hampton in which he made three stops and played just over 36 minutes. Overall, he's saved 68 percent of shots faced for a defense that's tied for first nationally in scoring average with Georgetown (8.20 goals per game allowed).

Dobson is the top goalie in the nation by a wide margin (Owen McElroy is second in the nation with a save percentage of 62.7 percent), and Dobson's 168 saves trail only Duke's Mike Adler (174).

FIRST TO 100
Senior Sean Westley became the first player in Bonnies history to reach 100 career points, doing so on the game-winning goal vs. Monmouth last Saturday. In 39 career games, Westley owns 58 goals and 43 assists, both program highs.

RECORD-SETTING HEIGHTS
Senior Jackson Rose continues to add to his team-best goals total, now with 24 on the season. His 24^th of the year set a bit of Bona history as the Texas native now has more goals than any other Bonnie in a single season since the rebirth of the program in 2019. Sean Westley finished last year's 10-game campaign with 23 goals. Rose also ranks second nationally in shot percentage, sending over 54 percent of his shot attempts into the back of the net.

Bonnies men's lacrosse was an intercollegiate sport from 1989-1993 and during that time the single-season goals leader was Paul Demore with 25 in 1992. Dana Torres also netted 24 goals in 1989.

Westley currently stands with 38 points on the season, just behind Jake Rosa's 39 last year as the most since the rebirth of the Bonnies program. The all-time SBU intercollegiate record for season points belongs to Paul Demore with 41 in 1992.

Westley is also chasing the single-season assists mark of 23 set by Todd Cilano in 1993. Westley has 18 helpers so far this year. Jake Rosa finished with 22 last year.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
St. Bonaventure enters this weekend leading the nation in scoring defense, tied with Georgetown for fewest goals allowed to opponents on average. While much of that goes back to the amazing play of Dobson in net, the Bonnies have several of the MAAC's top defenders. The defensive unit was bolstered in a big way with the preseason All-MAAC pick Zack Belter, who returned for the conference opener after missing all of non-conference play due to injury. The senior long pole has caused six turnovers in his three games this year, adding six groundballs while bringing an imposing presence defensively. Sophomore Cam Germain has started every game (10 GB, 4 CT) as has junior Adam Shank (13 GB, 6 CT). Senior Andrew Hersey (12 GB, 5 CT) has added valuable depth at LSM. The unit has continued to thrive despite the loss of David Steria to injury. Steria was one of the MAAC's leaders in caused turnovers with 10 through seven games this year.

ROOKIE CONTRIBUTIONS
While a large part of Bona's success thus far can be attributed to its impressive upperclassmen, an influx of freshmen have added some needed depth to take the program to the next level this season. Conor Murphy has played in all 10 games and is tied for sixth on the team with nine points including five goals and four assists. Fellow freshman Anthony Cimino has also been a mainstay this season and is one of the MAAC's leaders in assists with nine. At the faceoff X, Trent Grainger has been key, ranking second in the MAAC with a winning percentage of nearly 55 percent, a nearly 20 percent increase over last year. Aiden MacDonell has also been a regular contributor to Bona's top-ranked defense. 

ABOUT SIENA

• The Saints are 3-8 overall and 1-3 in MAAC play including a 1-3 record at home.
• Siena's one league win was an impressive one: the Saints dominated Monmouth on the road, 10-1, April 2. Goalie Chris Yanchoris stopped 21 shots and allowed just one tally against him that day.
• The Saints have two of the MAAC's top goal scorers: Christian Watts is second in the conference with 26 goals this year (2.3 per game) while Pratt Reynolds is fifth with 23 tallies. As a team, the Bonnies and Saints rank second and third in the MAAC with 108 and 103 goals respectively, behind only Canisius (117). Yanchoris has a 10.8 GAA while making 15 saves per game with a .589 save percentage, behind only Bonaventure's Dobson in the latter two categories among MAAC goalies.
• The Saints could easily have an unblemished MAAC record. Siena's three conference losses are all by one goal apiece: at Canisius (9-8), at Marist (11-10) and vs. Manhattan last weekend (8-7).
• In non-conference play, the Saints scored wins over UMass-Lowell (14-10) and St. John's (13-10) and tested themselves with a challenging schedule including road games at No. 15 Army and Albany.

SERIES HISTORY
The Bonnies and Saints are meeting for the third time as Division I opponents. The teams split the first two meetings as Siena won the only game on its home turf, 17-10, on March 12, 2019, during Bona's first season after rejuvenating the program that season. The Bonnies won last year's meeting in Western New York, 11-6.

Sean Westley had a day for the program record books last season, netting six goals at the Marra Athletics Complex on 10 shots. That total stands as the most goals in a single game by a Bonnies player. Austin Blumbergs added a pair of goals while Jackson Rose, Zach Owens and Brett Beetow all scored in the victory. Austin Holley had eight faceoff wins. In net, Brett Dobson made 15 saves.

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