FAIRFIELD, Conn.— After winning the program's first conference title on Saturday, the Sacred Heart University men's lacrosse team will make its NCAA Tournament debut on Wednesday, May 8, on the road at the University at Albany at 7:00 pm.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champions will face the America East Champions in the opening round on Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium. The winner will advance to take on the No. 1 seed, Notre Dame, on Sunday, May 12 at 5:00 pm.
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THE MATCHUP
Sacred Heart heads to University at Albany for the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Pioneers won the program's first conference title on Saturday, defeating Manhattan College 11-5. Alex Pazienza was named the Most Outstanding Player, and Morgan O'Reilly, Tucker Spencer, and Carson Spooner were placed on the all-tournament team. UAlbany defeated Vermont, 12-11, to claim the Great Danes' 10th AE Championship.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, but the first time at the Division I level. The Pios and Great Danes had three matchups from 1997-1999 while both programs were competing in Division II. UA won the first two and SHU won the last one in 1999.
PIOS IN POSTSEASON
Sacred Heart is riding an 11-game win streak after picking up its first MAAC postseason win in the semifinals followed by the program's first postseason title in the championship game.
This will be the team's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Pioneers were in the MAAC postseason tournament for the second straight season. After going undefeated in conference play at 9-0, the Pios claimed their first-ever regular season title.
The 11-game win streak is the longest in program history, landing SHU the number one seed in the MAAC Postseason Tournament.
The 2023 season was SHU's first year in the MAAC for men's lacrosse, making its first postseason appearance since the 2019 Northeast Conference Semifinal. During its time in the NEC, SHU made four semifinal appearances since the NEC's inaugural men's lax season in 2011.
TEAM NOTABLES
The Pioneers are in the midst of their most successful season in program history.
Their 13 wins is a new program record for wins in a season.
The 11-game win streak is the longest in program history.
Morgan O'Reilly is second in the nation in goals with 54, a new single-season scoring record for SHU.
Alex Pazienza holds the program record for wins in a season at 13. He made a career-high 19 saves in the Pios semifinal victory over Siena and 15 in the championship game to earn the Most Outstanding Player.
POSTSEASON AWARDS
SHU brought in three major award conference winners and eight All-MAAC selections, the most postseason recognition in program history.
Morgan O'Reilly was named the MAAC Player of the Year, Zach Buffington was named the LSM of the Year, and Head Coach Jon Basti was voted Coach of the Year.
Buffington, O'Reilly, and Carson Spooner were placed on the All-MAAC first team.
Jake Ward, Jack Ramsay, Alex Pazienza, and Luke Romanek earned a spot on the All-MAAC second team. First-year James Moran was named to the All-MAAC rookie team.
O'Reilly is SHU's third Player of the Year, and Coach Basti brings in his first-ever Coach of the Year honor.
ON THE SIDELINES
Jon Basti is in his 10th season as head coach of the Pioneers. He came to SHU after serving as the associate head coach at the University of Hartford from 2009-13. His coaching career began at Sacred Heart as an assistant coach from 2000-02 before taking the head coach position at Eastern Connecticut State for two seasons, leading ECSU to a pair of Little East Conference titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Basti is a graduate of Fairfield University and was a member of the Stags' 1996 & 1997 MAAC Championship teams. He also received his master's degree from Fairfield and returned in 2005 as an assistant coach for three seasons. He earned his first Coach of the Year award this season.
POSTSEASON AWARDS
Senior Morgan O'Reilly leads the team and is second in the nation with 54 goals. He has 68 points and 14 assists. O'Reilly is fifth in the nation in goals per game at 3.18 and is tied for fourth in man-up goals at eight.
Junior Jake Ward is another offensive threat for the Pios. He is second on the team in points at 55, coming from 31 goals and a team-leading 24 assists. He was named to the All-MAAC second team this season.
Carson Spooner and Zach Buffington play a huge role in SHU's midfield unit. Buffington, named the MAAC LSM of the Year and All-MAAC first team, is second on the team in caused turnovers (15) and is second in ground balls (45). He has two points from a goal and an assist. Spooner was also named to the first team, tallying 42 points from 23 goals and 19 assists.
Luke Romanek is having a fantastic first season on the faceoff unit for Sacred Heart. He has the top faceoff percentage in the MAAC at .553 and has a record of 170-305. His 170 wins are ranked 26th in the country. Romanek leads the team in ground balls (86).
On the defensive end, Jack Ramsay and Alex Pazienza were named to the All-MAAC second team. Ramsay leads the team in caused turnovers with 18 and has collected 29 ground balls. Pazienza is one of the top goalies in the country. He posts a 9.33 goals against average, which is sixth in the nation. His .569 save percentage is second in the MAAC and seventh in the country.
PIOS BREAKING RECORDS
Sacred Heart is having a record-breaking season. The Pios have won the most games in program history (13). Morgan O'Reilly set the single-season goal record (54). Tucker Spencer set the single-season record for man-up goals with 10, which is the nation's most this season. Alex Pazienza has the SHU D1 record for wins in a season (13).
TOP IN THE NATION
The Pios are well represented in the national stat categories. Morgan O'Reilly is second in the country in goals (54) and is fifth in goals per game (3.18). Tucker Spencer is first in the country in man-up goals with 10, and O'Reilly is tied for fourth with eight. Alex Pazienza is sixth with his 9.33 GAA, and his save percentage of .569 is seventh in the country. As a team, SHU is fifth in clearing percentage .910, 23rd in faceoff win percentage (.532), 15th in points per game (21.29), sixth in scoring defense (9.41 per game), 12th in scoring offense (13.71), sixth in scoring margin (4.29), and seventh in winning percentage (.765).
