Men’s Lacrosse Readies for Turnpike Trophy Tilt With Playoff Spot on the Line

By: Greg Levinsky

Coming off their most lopsided loss of the 2018 campaign, Boston University Men’s Lacrosse will face Patriot League and in-state rival Holy Cross on Friday night, needing a win to clinch a spot in the conference tournament.

The Terriers (6-7, 2-5 Patriot League) withstood a 23-9 loss to Loyola Maryland last Saturday, in which BU was outscored 10-1 in a decisive third quarter after battling in the first half.

Freshman Chris Gray leads BU with 54 points on 22 goals and 32 assists, while junior attack James Burr owns a team-high 33 goals to go with 10 assists. Senior Jack Wilson has contributed 25 goals and 14 assists also.

Gray, Burr and Wilson all scored a pair of goals against Loyola.

The BU offense is also aided by sophomore John MacLean, who owns 20 goals, senior Hayden Ruiz and his 10 goals and 13 assists, as well as classmate Ryan Hilburn, who brings 13 goals to a high-powered Terrier attack.

The Crusaders (4-8, 2-5 Patriot League) are winners of two straight and three of four, rallying for a 10-9 overtime win over Lafayette and a 12-10 decision over Colgate on consecutive Saturdays.

Sophomore attack Kevin Kodzis paces the Crusaders with 20 goals and six assists for a team-high 26 points. Senior attack Logan LeBlond owns eight goals and ten assists, while junior Drew Babiak, sophomore Sean Mullaney and Justin Lynskey have at least 10 goals apiece.

A point in the Turnpike Trophy, an annual challenge across all athletic teams between Boston University and Holy Cross, is on the line. The Terriers currently hold a 15-4 advantage for the 2017-18 academic year.

The Terriers bested the Crusaders 12-11 last year in overtime in their final regular season contest, and the all-time series is tied at two wins each.