Griffins Return to RMAC Action with Two Road Games
The Westminster men's lacrosse team returns to the road this weekend to play a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games. The Griffins begin the trip on Friday in Pueblo, Colo., to face Colorado State – Pueblo at 7 p.m. They will then head for Alamosa, Colo., to battle Adams State on Sunday at noon.
 
Both games of the weekend will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network, which is available online, or by downloading the app for your Roku device. The host institution is responsible for the production of the game. Live stats will also be available during each game.
 
About the Griffins
Westminster returns to RMAC action after defeating Utah 11-6 on Saturday in an exhibition game. The Griffins are 3-2 overall this season and 2-2 in road games. They lead the RMAC at 3-0 and are the only team still unbeaten in conference games.
 
The Griffins are averaging 11.20 goals per game to rank fourth in the conference. They attempt 32.40 shots per game and score on 34.6 percent of those attempts. The team is fourth in the RMAC by scoring on 27.3 percent of its man-up opportunities.
 
Troy Vance leads the team with 10 goals and is tied for sixth in the conference at 2.00 goals per game. Thomas Sarjeant is second on the team with eight goals and Jake Berard has scored seven times. Nick Marcy leads the Griffins with eight assists and 14 points. Marcy is fourth in the RMAC at 1.60 assists per game and ranks eighth with 2.80 points per game.
 
Westminster has won just 30.4 percent of faceoffs this season – sixth in the RMAC – and they pick up 25.20 ground balls per game. They are second in the league by committing only 16.80 turnovers per contest and have killed 62.5 percent of man-down chances. They have a .818 clearing percentage and average 7.80 caused turnovers per game.
 
Chase Flinders leads the team with 17 faceoff wins and Dalton Tuor has 11 wins. Ryan Coffelt leads all Griffins with nine ground balls and Grant Phillips has a team-best seven caused turnovers.
 
Conner McFarlane has started all five games in goal for the Griffins with a 12.51 goals-against-average and .480 save percentage. Kyler Banks has played in three games with a .474 save percentage.
 
Marcy's Debut
Nick Marcy has been an impact player for the Griffins in the early stages of his freshman season. He currently leads the team with eight assists and 14 points. Marcy had three goals and two assists against Rockhurst in his collegiate debut and then went for two goals and four assists at Maryville. He currently ranks fourth in the RMAC at 1.60 assists per game with his 2.80 points per game ranking eighth in the conference.
 
Vance on the Attack
Troy Vance has scored a goal in every games this season and leads the team with 10 tallies. He has recorded multiple goals in a game three times this season while adding a pair of assists for 12 points. Vance is tied for sixth in the RMAC by scoring 2.00 goals per game. The junior has notched 42 goals as a Griffin and sits 22nd on the school's all-time list. He is also 19th in team history with 94 shots and 65 shots on goal.
 
Sarjeant Sets the Tone
Thomas Sarjeant is third on the team in both goals (8) and assists (4). After only recording one assist in the team's first two games, Sarjeant has 11 points in the past three outings with multiple goals in each game. He now ranks 11th in team history with 120 career points and fourth with 64 assists. Sarjeant is the school's all-time leader at 2.00 assists per game and he is ninth all-time with 176 shots and 118 shots on goal.
 
Phillips Anchors the Defense
Grant Phillips has been the anchor of a Westminster defense that allows 11.20 goals per game. He has started all five games at defense and leads the team with seven caused turnovers. Phillips has a CT in all but one game this season and had a career-high three at Tampa on March 14. He has added three ground balls and one assist this season. Phillips was named Preseason All-RMAC at defense.
 
RMAC Tournament
The 2017 RMAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament will be played on May 5-6 at the home site of the regular season champion. The top-4 teams in the final RMAC standings will compete in the two-day event. Each RMAC teams plays 10 conference games during the regular season to determine the tournament field and seeding.
 
Opponent Info: Colorado State – Pueblo
• CSU-Pueblo enters the week at 3-3 overall and 1-2 at home.
• The ThunderWolves are 1-3 in RMAC play and currently fifth in the standings.
• Nick Matzek leads the team with 23 goals and 33 points.
• Westminster swept two meetings last season, winning 17-10 in Pueblo, and are 3-0 all-time in the series.
 
Opponent Info: Adams State
• Adams State is 3-2 overall and 1-1 at home this season.
• The Grizzlies have gone 2-1 in RMAC games to sit third in the standings.
• Emmitt MacFarlane leads the team with 12 points while Kale Wilson and Collin Cranfield have nine goals apiece.
• Westminster is 3-0 all-time against ASU and went 2-0 last season. They won 10-5 last April in Alamosa.
 
Looking Ahead
The Griffins return to Dumke Field next week to host Colorado Mesa on April 8 at Dumke Field. The team's lone game of the week with start at 3 p.m.