Providence, R.I. – The 2015 season has come down to crunch time for the 13th ranked Brown men’s lacrosse team with the Bears hosting #10 Cornell on Saturday, April 18 at Stevenson Field, starting at 1pm. The Bears need a win over the Big Red to stay in contention for the Ivy League title. Brown alumni and fans can watch the game live on the Ivy League Digital Network with Mike Rubin calling the play and Mike Mancuso providing the analysis.
The Bears: #13 Brown (9-3, 2-2 Ivy) earned a 15-11 win over Providence College on Tuesday behind Henry Blynn’s ’16 career high six goals. Nine wins are the most for the Bears since posting a 12-4 mark in 2009.
Bears To Wear Throwback Uniforms: To commemorate Brown University’s year-long 250th Anniversary celebration, the Brown men’s lacrosse team will wear throwback uniforms for Saturday’s game against Cornell.
The Big Red: 10th-ranked Cornell (9-3, 3-1 Ivy), coming off a 14-5 win over Hofstra, is tied for first place in the Ivy League standings with Princeton (3-1). Cornell has captured at least a share of the Ivy League Championship in 11 of the last 12 years.
The Brown-Cornell Series Record: Brown and Cornell have met 54 times, dating back to 1964, with the Big Red holding a 36-18 series advantage over the Bears. Cornell has won the last two games between the two teams, including a 14-9 win over the Bears last year in Ithaca, NY, despite three goals by Bears’ attackman Dylan Molloy ’17. Brown captured a 10-9 victory on the road over the Big Red in 2012.
Congratulations Brown Seniors: Brown will honor its eight seniors in pre-game ceremonies this afternoon. This year’s group has posted a 32-23 four-year record so far throughout their Brown careers. Brown’s Class of 2015 includes: Corbin Booker, tri-captain Tim Jacob, Tyler Landis, Stephen Loudon, Nick Piroli, Jordan Schochet, tri-captain Will Swindell and Nick Weeden.
Did you Know?: Brown beat Princeton in back-to-back games for the first time since 1989 and beat the Tigers in Princeton, NJ for the first time since 1991…13th ranked Brown is ranked number two in the latest New England Division I Lacrosse poll…Dylan Molloy ’17 led the Brown team with 29 goals last year, and already has 50 goals in 2015, 3rd best in Brown lacrosse history. He is one of the few players in Ivy history to combine for 40 goals and 20 assists, now with 50 goals and 22 assists. He joins David Evans ‘96 (41 goals, 28 assists in 1994) and Andy Towers ‘94 (46 goals, 21 assists in 1993) as the only Brown players in this category…Brown ranks third among all NCAA Division I teams in scoring with 15.09 goals per game and leads the nation with 10.55 caused turnovers per game… Brown scored 142 goals in 14 games last year and has scored 181 goals through 12 games in 2015…Brown is competing in its 65th season of intercollegiate lacrosse.
Molloy Surpasses Century Mark in Career Points: Sophomore attackman Dylan Molloy (Setauket, NY) leads the nation in goals (4.17 gpg) and ranks second nationally in points (6.00 ppg), and was recently named to the Tewaarton Watch List as a candidate for the nation’s top player. Molloy recently went over the century mark in career points (79 goals, 32 assists – 111 points). He netted five goals vs. Yale and had three goals and two assists vs. Penn. He exploded for eight goals in Brown’s overtime win over Marist, equaling his career single game high. Molloy had two goals and three assists in Brown’s win over Manhattan. He scored three goals in Brown’s 14-9 win over #10 Harvard. Molloy was named the USILA, NCAA and Ivy League Player of the Week after matching the Brown school record for points in a game (13) by scoring a career high eight goals and dishing out five assists in the Bears’ 22-12 win over Michigan. He tied the Brown record of 13 points, held by USILA Player of the Year Darren Lowe ‘92 against Boston College in 1991, and All-American Oliver Marti ‘93 vs. New Hampshire in 1993. He also registered six goals in 30 minutes vs. Hartford. Molloy scored a then career-high seven goals and handed out two assists in the Bears’ win over UMass. Molloy picked up where he left off a year ago, scoring five goals in Brown’s season-opening win over Quinnipiac. Last year, the honorable mention All-Ivy selection led the Bears and ranked sixth in the Ivy League with 29 goals, while adding 10 assists and 37 ground balls.
Brown – Top 10 Single Season Goal Scorers
1. 59 Andy Towers ’94 1991
2. 57 Oliver Marti ’93 1992
3. 50 Rich Tuohey ’90 1990
50 David Evans ’96 1995
50 Dylan Molloy ’17 2015
6. 47 Tom Draper ’64 1963
47 Bob Scalise ’71 1970
8. 46 Oliver Marti ’93 1993
46 Andy Towers ’94 1993
46 Tad Barrows ’80 1980
46 Bob Scalise ’71 1971
Kelly – 26th Nationally In Save Percentage: Junior goalie Jack Kelly (West Islip, NY), a tri-captain for the Bears, ranks second in the Ivy League and 26th nationally in save percentage (.543), while his 10.08 saves per game is second in the Ivies and 16th nationally. He made 15 saves against Penn and 10 vs. Yale. Kelly proved to be the difference in Brown’s 10-8 win over #9 Princeton with 15 saves. He played just a half against Manhattan and made six saves, while allowing two goals. Kelly registered nine saves vs. Harvard, including a point blank fourth quarter save with Brown down two men. He had 14 saves vs. Michigan and made eight saves, while allowing just one goal in 30-minutes of play vs. Hartford. He was superb in Brown’s season debut, making his 15 saves in just over three quarters of play, exiting early in the fourth quarter. Last year, Kelly led the Ivy League and ranked ninth in the nation in saves per game (11.21), and ranked 15th nationally in save percentage (.547).
Caputo Tops Midfield Scorers: Junior middy Brendan Caputo (Westbury, NY) is the Bears top scorer from the midfield with 28 points (20 goals, 8 assists). He had a three goal performance in the Bears’ 10-8 road win over #9 Princeton and netted three goals vs. Yale. Caputo netted two goals in Brown wins over Manhattan and Providence. He scored a key man-down goal against Harvard midway through the fourth quarter and finished with two goals against the Crimson. He had 15 goals and 12 assists a year ago to rank fourth on the Brown team.
Kemp – Second Nationally In Caused Turnovers: Sophomore long stick middy Larken Kemp (Greenwich, CT) leads the Ivy League and ranks second in the nation with 2.27 caused turnovers per game and is 21st nationally in ground balls (5.36 per game).. He continues to be prove he’s one of the top defensive midfielders in the nation, being named the Ivy League Player of the Week for the second time and being heralded as the National Defensive Player of the Week by the Baltimore Sun following Brown wins over Marist and #9 Princeton. Kemp turned in a yeoman’s performance in Brown’s 10-8 win over the Tigers, helping the Bears win at Princeton for the first time in 24 years. He scored two goals and handed out an assist in Brown’s fast-break offense while picking up four ground balls. He also helped Brown’s defense hold Princeton to just eight goals while marking one of its midfield stars, Zach Currier, to just one late goal. Kemp scored a goal and added an assist in Brown’s 16-15 overtime win over Marist, while picking up five ground balls and causing a turnover. Kemp was also named the USILA National Defensive Player of the Week and the Ivy League’s Co-Player of the Week on March 16th after turning in a dominating defensive performance against Harvard, wreaking havoc and disrupting the Crimson attack with eight caused turnovers, four ground balls and a fourth-quarter goal. Kemp had five ground balls and four caused turnovers vs. Michigan, and picked up five ground balls vs. Manhattan. He picked up eight ground balls vs. UMass, and played a key role in Brown’s fast-paced attack with two goals against Quinnipiac.
Gural 11th Nationally In Face-offs: Junior face-off specialist Will Gural (Haverford, PA) ranks 11th in the nation in face-off percentage at .604 after winning 14-of-22 face-offs vs. Providence, while also adding a goal. Gural also excelled in the face-off x vs. Princeton, giving the Bears a 12-9 advantage. He is second on the Brown team and ranks 25th nationally with 5.17 ground balls per game. Gural won 7-of-9 face-offs vs. Manhattan, and captured 16-of-25 face-offs vs. Harvard, including 8-of-9 in the fourth quarter. Gural also posted a big game against Bucknell, winning 15-of-23 face-offs. He also had a strong game vs. Michigan, winning 21-of-34 face-offs against the Wolverines. Gural earned the starting nod in the face-off x to open the season and dominated Quinnipiac by winning 15-of-19 face-offs.
Blynn Nets Career Best Six Goals vs. PC: Bears’ junior attackman Henry Blynn (Villanova, PA), Brown’s second leading scorer with 40 points (30 goals, 10 assists) exploded for a career high six goals vs. Providence, while adding three assists against the Friars. His 2.50 goals per game rank 29th nationally. He fired in four goals in Brown’s 10-8 win over #9 Princeton and registered four goals in the Bears’ 22-9 win over Manhattan. Blynn returned to the lineup after a year’s absence due to injury and scored just 17 seconds into Brown’s season opening win over Quinnipiac. He has now scored four goals four times this season – in wins over Michigan, UMass, Manhattan and Princeton - and tossed in two goals against Bucknell. He added a goal and three assists vs. Hartford. Blynn led the Brown team in scoring as a freshman in 2013 with 35 points (27 goals, 8 assists), and scored five goals in back-to-back games against High Point and North Carolina.
Head Coach Lars Tiffany: Lars Tiffany '90, a two-time Brown lacrosse captain, returned to his alma mater as head men's lacrosse coach in the summer of 2006, and has returned the program to national prominence with Ivy League titles in 2008 and 2010, and an NCAA Championship berth in 2009. Tiffany was named the New England Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009 while leading his team to the number one ranking in New England each year. Tiffany occupies the Rothman Head Coaching Chair for Men’s Lacrosse, an endowed position.
Bellistri On The Attack: Junior Kylor Bellistri (Potomac, MD), the Bears’ third leading scorer with 33 points (27 goals, 6 assists), netted an overtime goal to lift Brown to a 16-15 win over Marist. Bellistri tossed in three goals against Providence on Tuesday. He registered three goals vs. Penn, and scored four goals in Brown wins over Manhattan and Michigan. Bellistri tossed in three goals vs. Bucknell, and stepped up against Harvard with two goals. He scored three goals and handed out two assists vs. UMass after netting two goals in Brown’s season opening win over Quinnipiac. Bellistri is equally adept at scoring from the outside or in tight, and ranked third on the 2014 Brown team with 31 points (20 goals and 11 assists).
Defensive Unit: Brown’s defense returns two starters from a year ago. Sophomore defenseman Alec Tulett (Toronto, Canada) emerged as a starter a year ago and is equally effective as a close defenseman or long-stick midfielder. Tulett registered three caused turnovers vs. Bucknell and four vs. Manhattan. He picked up six ground balls vs. both Princeton and Marist, and ranks third on the Brown team in ground balls (4.83 per game), 29th nationally. Senior tri-captain Will Swindell (Greenwich, CT) had four ground balls and two caused turnovers vs. Manhattan. Swindell started seven games last season and plays a key role in Brown’s clearing game and communicating the slides… Senior Stephen Loudon (Babylon, NY), who also plays football at Brown, has also emerged as a starter at close defense for the Bears.
Piroli Back In The Lineup: Senior middy Nick Piroli (Black River, NY) missed all of last season due to injury and responded with two goals and two assists for the Bears in their season opener Quinnipiac. Piroli, who had two assists vs. Yale, had two goals and two assists in the Bears’ win over Marist and had a key goal in the Bears win over #9 Princeton. He had three assists vs. Manhattan, and played a key role in Brown’s win over Harvard with two assists. He also had a goal and an assist vs. UMass. Piroli was one of the top first year players in the nation as a freshman with 23 goals and a .442 shooting percentage that ranked 18th nationally. Piroli, who came into the season with 39 career goals for the Bears, will see action both on attack and in the midfield.
Brown’s Probable Starters
Attack 4 Dylan Molloy, So.
Attack 6 Henry Blynn, Jr.
Attack 8 Kylor Bellistri, Jr.
Midfield 10 Nick Piroli, Sr.
Midfield 17 Tim Jacob, Sr.
Midfield 41 Brendan Caputo, Jr.
Defense 25 Alec Tulett, So.
Defense 44 Will Swindell, Sr.
Defense 50 Steven Loudon, Sr.
Goalie 91 Jack Kelly, Jr.
F/O 36 Will Gural, Jr.
DM 23 Nick Weeden, Sr.
LSM 42 Larken Kemp, So.
2015 Brown Lacrosse Schedule
2/21 Sat. Quinnipiac 17-6, W
2/28 Sat. at UMass 18-12, W
3/4 Wed. at Hartford 17-8, W
3/8 Sun at Michigan 22-12, W
3/14 Sat Harvard 14-9, W
3/17 Tue. Bucknell 9-10, L ot
3/21 Sat. Manhattan 22-9, W
3/24 Tue. Marist 16-15 W ot
3/29 Sun. at Princeton 10-8, W
4/4 Sat. Pennsylvania 11-14, L
4/11 Sat. at Yale 10-16, L
4/14 Tue. at Providence 15-11, W
4/18 Sat. Cornell 1:00 pm (ILDN)
4/21 Tue. at Bryant 7:00 pm (NEC Front Row)
4/25 Sat. at Dartmouth 1:00 pm (ILDN)
5/1 Fri.- Ivy League Tournament - Semifinals at #1 seed
5/3 Sun. Ivy League Tournament – Finals at #1 seed
5/9 Sat. NCAA First Round Playoffs - Higher Seed
5/10 Sun. NCAA First Round Playoffs - Higher Seed
5/16 Sat. NCAA Quarterfinals – Denver, Denver, CO
5/17 Sun. NCAA Quarterfinals – Navy, Annapolis, MD
5/23 Sat. NCAA Semifinals – Philadelphia, Lincoln Fin. Field
5/25 Mon. NCAA Championship - Philadelphia, Lincoln Fin. Field
Watch Live: Video of all home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on BrownBears.TV as part of the Ivy League Digital Network. Fans can subscribe and view games by purchasing yearly, monthly, weekly or daily packages.
Next Game: Brown will battle Bryant University on Tuesday, April 21 in an Ocean State Cup match-up. Face-off is 7 pm at the Bryant Turf Complex in Smithfield, R.I.
Purchase Brown Tickets: Tickets for all Brown men's lacrosse home games can be purchased online at brownbears.com, calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or walking up to the Box Office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.