The Siena and University at Albany men’s lacrosse programs face a similar situation this weekend. Win and they’re in their respective conference tournaments.
There is one big difference: The Great Danes are playing a top-20 nonleague opponent first.
UAlbany (4-6 overall, 3-2 America East) takes on 17th-ranked Yale (6-4) in a 7 p.m. Friday match at Casey Stadium. Then the Great Danes host America East newcomer Merrimack (6-5, 2-3) at noon Sunday.
“Obviously, Sunday’s game is the more important of the two,” UAlbany head coach Scott Marr said. “But we talked about today with the team, we really have to start thinking that we’re in the playoffs now, that we’re in playoff mode. We have to have that desperation to play.”
UAlbany men’s lacrosse
at Casey Stadium, Albany
Friday: vs. Yale, 7 p.m.
Sunday: vs. Merrimack, noon
Siena men’s lacrosse
at Hickey Field, Loudonville
Saturday: vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 1 p.m.
UAlbany women’s lacrosse
at John Fallon Field
Saturday: vs. New Hampshire, noon
UAlbany is in fourth place, a game ahead of UMBC and Merrimack. A win over Merrimack would put the Great Danes into the four-team America East Tournament.
Siena (6-6 overall, 4-4 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) has just one match this weekend, but it’s a significant one. The Saints take on first-place Mount St. Mary’s at 1 p.m. Saturday in the regular-season finale at Hickey Field.
The Saints will qualify for the six-team MAAC Tournament with a victory over the Mountaineers (8-6, 7-1). Siena, in a four-way tie for fourth, can still get in with a loss and some help. But fifth-year goalie Chris Yanchoris isn’t approaching Saturday that way.
“I definitely don’t want this Saturday to be my last weekend of collegiate lacrosse, so it’s definitely do-or-die,”…
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