Coming off a nice 12-7 win over the University of New Hampshire last Wednesday, the Dartmouth men's lacrosse team is looking to improve its record in its final game against Harvard University this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Memorial Field.
The Big Green are looking to improve their record (4-7, 1-4 Ivy) against a tough Harvard squad which is ranked No. 17 in the nation.
The Crimson (7-5, 4-1 Ivy) still have a shot at the Ivy title if Princeton University loses Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania.
Harvard is led by two-time Ivy Player of the Week Mike Ferrucci, a sophomore attackman who leads the team with 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists).
However, the Crimson offense is very diverse, as six players have more than 20 points, and two more have at least 10. Senior goalie Rob Lyng has been reliable in goal, with a 10.69 goals against average and a .576 save percentage.
The Big Green have had some trouble this year, with close losses to SUNY Stony Brook, Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Sophomore Andrew Dance has performed well in goal, with a .531 save percentage. Dance played particularly well in Wednesday's game against UNH, with 22 saves and a goal.
Senior attackmen Brian Merritt and Scott Hapgood, a team co-Captain, have led the Big Green offense so far this year. Merritt, the team leader with 54 points (31 goals, 23 assists), was named to last week's Ivy Honor Roll for his 14 points against the University of Vermont and UNH, and is ranked among the scoring leaders in the Ivy League conference.
Merritt's scoring outburst last week vaulted him into Dartmouth's top ten career leaders in points, goals and assists, making him of the most prolific goalscorers and playmakers in the history of Dartmouth lacrosse.
Hapgood, meanwhile, is only slightly behind Merritt, with 40 points (24 goals, 16 assists), including two assists against UNH, and is ranked third among Dartmouth's career leaders in goals.
Other players have come on strong for the Big Green in the second half of the season. Senior attackman Scott Watts has 21 points (16 goals, 5 assists), and had a hat trick in Wednesday's game.
Overall, Dartmouth's attack is a dangerous group, as they have combined for 71 of the team's 119 goals.
The opening draw is at 1 p.m.
