For the fourth time in the history of the Mount Ida College men’s lacrosse program the Mustangs will be heading to the NCAA tournament to face Bowdoin College this coming Wednesday (May 9, 2012) at Howard Ryan Field in Brunswick, Maine with game time slate for 7:00 p.m. Ninth year Head Coach Andrew Fink will head to post-season action after capturing their second straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship over Norwich University winning 7-4 back on April 29, 2012. Before joining the GNAC two seasons ago the Mustangs were six-time North Atlantic Conference (NAC) title winners combining for eight league championships through Fink’s nine seasons.
Mount Ida senior netminder Jimmy McAllister (Smithfield, RI/LaSalle Academy) became a two-time GNAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year last week leading the nation in save percentage (.687) through all of NCAA Division III. Freshman attacker Michael Trocchi (Danvers, MA/Danvers) was named GNAC Rookie-of-the-Year. Trocchi was atop the league statistics for assists (39) and second overall in points for the season (65). McAllister and Trocchi were also selected as GNAC first team All-Conference recipients. Six Mustangs, including McAllister and Trocchi, were recognized with All-Conference honors. Mount Ida junior’s Nick Maurias, D, (Peabody, MA/Peabody), Nick Yacuzzi, M, (Oakham, MA/St. John’s-Shrewsbury) and Gilson Fernandes, A, (Saugus, MA/Saugus) and McAllister were all first team recipients while Trocchi and senior defender Carl Grimo (Bristol, RI/LaSalle Academy) were selected as second team All-Conference honoree’s.
Mount Ida as a team is ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense only permitting 5.28 goals in 19 contests this season. Head Coach Fink recorded his 100th victory this year back on March 31st with a 20-1 victory over league member Rivier College.
The GNAC title win marked the 15th victory for the Mustangs this year setting the program record for wins in a season (15) breaking the mark set back in 2006. Mount Ida men’s lacrosse faced the Polar Bears in the first round of the NCAA post-season back in 2008 falling by a score of 11-5.
Traveling to the game?
Ticket Information – Ticket Prices for the tournament are
$5.00 for adults; $3.00 for students Children under 2 are free.
Directions to the Ryan Field and Farley Fieldhouse - Take Maine Turnpike north to exit 44 (formerly exit 6A). Follow Route 295 through Portland to exit 28 (formerly exit 22) (Route 1). Follow Route 1 for about two miles. As Route 1 bears off to the left at a set of lights, stay straight on Pleasant Street. Pleasant will end at an intersection with Maine Street in Downtown Brunswick. Take a right on Maine and travel approx. a quarter of a mile. After a tan church, take an immediate left on Old Bath Road. The main Bowdoin campus will be on your right. At your first set of lights, take a right. The fields are located approximately ¼ mile on the right side of Route 123. Look for a black sign that says Farley Field House. Ryan Field is located to the left behind Farley Field House at the end of the parking lot.