No. 14 Men's Lacrosse Set to Face No. 7 Duke Friday Night

Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot

Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Live Statistics
Live Video (with subscription)
Live Audio (WHRB 95.3 FM-Cambridge)
Vote Jason Duboe for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Purchase Tickets (Harvard Faculty and Staff receive up to four free tickets)

The Particulars
The 14th-ranked Crimson concludes a four-game homestand by hosting No. 7 Duke under the lights at Harvard Stadium.

The Crimson owns a 2-1 record during the current homestand with victories over Colgate and Dartmouth.  Duke heads into the week 7-3 overall after defeating Brown, 11-10, in Durham, N.C., Tuesday.

Follow From Home
Live statistics will be available for Friday’s game at GoCrimson.com. Live audio and video will be available at GoCrimson.com via a subscription.  The game will also be broadcast live on WHRB (95.3-FM Cambridge).

Series History
Harvard and Duke have played 14 times, with the Blue Devils enjoying a 10-4 advantage in the series.  The Crimson won last year’s game, 9-6, in Durham on Feb. 22, 2009.  Jeff Cohen scored three goals and added an assist to pace the Harvard offense in the victory.

Last Time Out
The Crimson battled back from a 9-3 deficit in the second half to pull off a 13-11 victory against Dartmouth, as Harvard picked up its first Ivy League victory of the season.  Dean Gibbons tied a career-high with five points (3-2-5), while Jeff Cohen also added a hat trick and an assist.  Alex White contributed a goal, three ground balls, a caused turnover and 12 faceoff wins.

It’s All Over
Harvard is 4-0 when leading after three quarters this spring.

On the Sidelines
John Tillman, the Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Lacrosse, is in his third season at the helm of the Crimson.  He owns an 19-15 record during his stint at Harvard and has helped the Crimson reach as high as No. 11 in the national polls, coming during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Home Turf
The Crimson is 5-1 in its last six home games, dating back to last season.  Three of those wins have come against non-conference opponents: Holy Cross, Canisius and Colgate.

Scoring Streak
Jeff Cohen has earned at least one point in all 20 games during his career, dating back to his first game in a Crimson uniform last season.  During the scoring streak, which ranks tied for 17th longest in the nation, the sophomore attacker has amassed 53 goals and handed out 11 assists for 64 points, the most of any Harvard player during this stretch.

Defense Wins Games
Harvard has held opponents to 71 goals, while the Crimson has netted 86 scores in seven games.  Harvard is outscoring other teams in every quarter except the first (21-22).

Strength Of Schedule
Six of Harvard’s 12 regular-season games are against schools ranked in this week’s Nike/Inside Lacrosse Men’s Division I poll.  The Crimson is currently 1-2 against ranked opponents after beating No. 18 Massachusetts, 14-13, March 13, and falling at No. 14 Georgetown, 13-12, March 3, and No.17 Brown, 13-11, March 20.

Possession Is The Name Of The Game
Harvard has won 104-of-180 faceoffs (.578), with 47 of those victories credited to Andrew Parchman. The Crimson has collected a total of 195 ground balls and has been successful on 118-of-151 clear attempts (.781). Jeff Molinari paces the Crimson with 26 ground balls.

Pacing The Ivy League
Jeff Cohen ranks third in the Ancient Eight with 2.71 goals per game.  Harvard stands second with 12.29 goals per contest and 1.86 man-up goals per game.

Crimson Among The Nation’s Best
Entering the week, Harvard ranked eighth in the country with 12.29 goals per game and eighth with a faceoff win percentage of .578.  The Crimson also stood 12th in man-up offense (.464).  Jeff Cohen was 17th with 2.71 goals per contest, while Dean Gibbons appeared 21st with 2.86 points per game.

Leading the Way
Dean Gibbons paces the Crimson with 27 points on 17 goals and 10 assists, while Jeff Cohen is second with 19 goals and four assists for 23 points.  Cohen has netted four man-up goals, the most on the team, while Gibbons, Travis Burr, Jack Doyle and Alex White have scored two each.

When The Game Is On the Line
Terry White, Kevin Vaughan, Jack Doyle and Christian Oberbeck and Dean Gibbons have notched Harvard’s game-winning tallies.

To The Nines
Harvard has won 36 of its last 45 games in which it has scored nine or more goals. The Crimson has lost 38 of its last 46 games in which it has scored fewer than nine goals.

Bay State Champion
With its 14-13 win at UMass, Harvard has defeated the two other Division I lacrosse programs in Massachusetts.  The Crimson also earned a 9-7 win at Holy Cross March 6.  

Duboe Is All Class
Senior midfielder Jason Duboe has named a finalist for the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.  Duboe is among 20 candidates for the award for displaying both on-field and off-field excellence.  To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, character, community and competition.