Game Notes vs. Michigan

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Ultimate Soccer Arenas Info .       FOX 2 News Feature On the Titans-Wolverines Match-Up

DETROIT -- It has been talked about since the game was first announced and now the Great Lake State's newest rivalry will be at the forefront as the Detroit Titans meet the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.

There are still tickets left for the event as you can be a part of lacrosse history to see the Preseason MAAC favorites Detroit Titans and the inaugural game for the University of Michigan. Tickets will be sold at the door at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. For more information on tickets, call 248-648-7000.

Fans can also follow all the action for free on live stats as well as watch a video stream of the game for a paid subscription of $6.95. Both links are located on top of this release.

The game has already drawn some great interest, especially locally where the match-up was featured on a news segment on FOX 2. You can watch that clip by clicking here.

The Titans come into the game at 0-2 after opening the season on the road at No. 19 Delaware last Saturday and at Ohio State on Thursday.

Senior Scott Harris leads the team in scoring through two games with five points on four goals and an assist, while sophomore Shayne Adams (4-goals) and Joel Matthews (3-goals, 1-assist) are tied for second with four points apiece.

Michigan was a power on the collegiate club scene and announced just last year that it would elevate its program to varsity status. The Wolverines downed Denison, 12-8, at home last week in an exhibition game.

PRESEASON FAVORITES
The Detroit men's lacrosse team was chosen as the favorite to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) as the league's Preseason Coaches' Poll was released on Feb. 3.

“It is great to be recognized by the coaches, but we all know this is the preseason and our goal is to be champions at the end of the year,” said head coach Matt Holtz. “The MAAC is a tough league and extremely competitive and on any given day, anyone can win so we have to make sure we keep working hard to achieve our goal.”

Detroit totaled 43 points, edging out last year's MAAC regular season and tournament champion Siena who had 42.
Marist was picked to finish third accumulating 34 points, while both Canisius and Jacksonville tied for fourth with 27. Rounding out the poll was Manhattan (13) and VMI (10).

Detroit also had two players on the Preseason All-MAAC team in junior Jamie Hebden and sophomore Shayne Adams.
Hebden was a second team All-MAAC selection last year at defense, while Adams was the conference's Rookie of the Year at attack.

ULTIMATE ADVENTURES
Detroit will play its third career game inside Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac.

UDM played in front of 1,565 fans in 2010 as the Titans dropped a 12-8 contest to Bellarmine.

Last season, the red, white and blue cruised past Mercer, 19-3.

WELCOME TO DIVISION I
The Titans first opponent at home this season will also have a “first” on its side as Michigan will officially open Division I play on Sunday.

The Wolverines become the second school in the state to sponsor DI lacrosse and with over 40 student-athletes combined on the field in the game from the state of Michigan, it just continues to show how quickly the sport is growing here in the Midwest.

EXPERIENCE ON OUR SIDE
The Detroit Titans return 29 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's squad that was a game away from the NCAA Tournament.

UDM also returns 90% of its offense from a year ago and 87% of its goal scorers, including  its top four point producers from a season ago.

AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE BACK AGAIN
The aggressive defense that Detroit has imposed for two straight seasons reached the pinnacle of Division I as the men's lacrosse team led the nation in caused turnovers in 2011.

The Titans averaged 11.63 caused turnovers per game in 2011, just one of three teams to tally double digits in that category ahead of Georgetown (11.50) and Yale (10.29). Last year, UDM was third in the country forcing 10.47 turnovers per contest.

As a team, Detroit was also in the top 20 in ground balls per game (15th with 32.94) and saves per game (16th with 11.63).

A number of Titan student-athletes were in the top 50 in certain categories, including four Titans who were among the nation's best and were in the top 20 in caused turnovers, ground balls.

That group was led by junior Jordan Houtby – the MAAC LSM Of The Year - who was second in caused turnovers at 3.25 per game and 11th in ground balls picking up 6.06 per game. He trailed only Brian Karalunas (4.38) of Villanova – a senior and three time three-time USILA All-American – in the caused turnover category. His 97 GB's were also second in the MAAC behind VMI face-off specialist Stephen Robarge (132).

Junior Jamie Hebden was fifth in caused TO's at 2.5 per game, while his 40 total caused turnovers were the fifth-most in the country. The second team All-MAAC defender was also just outside the top 50 in ground balls scooping up 3.75 per game to rank 52nd.

Senior Jason McDonald was also inside the top 50 in caused turnovers placing 48th with 1.31 per game.

MCDONALD NOW AT 44-STRAIGHT
Only one Titan has started all 44 games in the history of the Detroit program and that is senior captain Jason McDonald.

McDonald's 44-straight starts are tied for the fifth-most in the nation with goalies Tyler Fiorito of Princeton and Mark Manos of Drexel.

BROTHERLY LOVE
Detroit senior midfielder Brad Janer will have some family out on the field in the Great Lake State's newest rivalry.
Janer's younger brother, Jeff, is a sophomore on the Michigan squad and it has been reported that the Janer family will have over 30 members in attendance for the game.

THE FIRST 4-YEAR SENIOR CLASS
As Michigan embarks on its first lacrosse season, the Titan seniors will celebrate all their hard work and effort they have put in to help build this program.

Detroit has 10 seniors who have been a part of the program from the very start in 2009 and when Senior Day rolls around in late April, they will get their proper send off.

The ten four-year seniors who have worn the uniform from the very start are: Jon Bemben, Scott Harris, Brad Janer, Tim Lehto, Jason McDonald, Ty Maruyama, Adam Nolan, John Nowicki, Adam Parrottino and Danny Preston.

LOVE THOSE CANUCKS
Detroit has really used its neighbors from the North to its advantage as the Titans have four Canadians on its roster and each has made a big impact.

Junior Jordan Houtby and sophomores Shayne Adams and Joel Matthews each hail from St. Catharines, ON, while sophomore Tom Masterson is from London, ON.

Houtby, Adams and Matthews have all known each other since they were kids and all chose to come to Detroit and help build the Titan program.

WE ARE FROM MICHIGAN
Detroit has built its program from the ground up and although student-athletes from Canada and New York have played a big role in the Titan success, there is no discounting the players that come from Michigan.

UDM has 28 players on its roster from the Great Lake State, including some key contributors in senior midfielder Scott Harris (38 G, 36 A, 74 P), senior midfielder Tim Lehto (25 G, 15 A, 40 P), 2011 second team All-MAAC selection junior Jamie Hebden (66 CT, 93 GB) and two-time team captain Brad Janer (16 CT, 65 GB).

STAYING OUT OF THE BOX
Detroit has totaled 20 penalties and 15.5 minutes of infraction time in its first two games.

The penalties have seen UDM give up nine goals with the man-down, but the red, white and blue do have a shorthanded goal off the crosse of senior John Nowicki against No. 19 Delaware.

HEALTHY AND READY TO GO
Sophomore Shayne Adams returns to the Titans after a devastating injury ended his fantastic rookie season. He was back to his old tricks with a hat trick in the season opener at No. 19 Delaware and added another goal at Ohio State.

Adams tore his ACL with 11 seconds to go in the MAAC semifinals victory over Marist and was not able to play in the championship game against Siena.

He garnered first team All-MAAC honors as well as the League's Rookie of the Year in 2011 and was the Titans Offensive Player of the Year. He led the team and was second in the MAAC with 35 goals and tied for fifth in the conference with 41 points.

He was 13th in the nation with 2.33 goals per game, while ranking 30th with a .385 shot percentage and 63rd averaging 2.73 points per game. His 35 goals led all freshmen at Division I and was tied for 13th in the country.

Overall, he found the back of the net in 14 of his 15 games, tallied multiple goals 11 times - including in seven straight games at one point - while registering five hat tricks and setting the Titan record for goals in a game with seven against Mercer

WELCOME BACK MATTHEWS
Sophomore Joel Matthews is back to team with childhood friend Shayne Adams at attack. Matthews did not play in 2011 as he sat out to concentrate on academics, but he already has three goals and four points on the year.

Matthews was the Team MVP second team All-MAAC in 2010. He led Detroit with 37 goals and 48 points, fifth and sixth in the conference, respectively, and ended the year 14th in the country with 2.47 goals per game and 36th totaling 3.2 points per game. His 37 markers led all Division I freshmen on the year and he also registered seven hat tricks.

HOUTBY BACK TO HIS OLD TRICKS
After finishing second in the nation in caused turnovers a year ago, junior Jordan Houtby started the year right where he left off causing four turnovers and picking up five ground balls in the season opener at No. 19 Delaware.

HARRIS NETS THIRD CAREER HAT TRICK
Senior Scott Harris moved to the midfield this year, but that has now slowed down his offense one bit.
Harris tallied his third career hat trick with three goals at Ohio State.

He currently leads the team in scoring with five points through the first two games, including four goals.
For his career, he has 38 goals and 36 assists for 74 points.

ACADEMIC PRAISE
The Detroit men's lacrosse team had a great presence on the 2012 UDM Athletic Director's Honor Roll as 31Titans earned their way on the academic list.

The honor went to those who attained a minimum of a 3.0 GPA during one of the semesters during the 2011 academic year.

This impressive list boasts 241 student-athletes from every varsity sport as well as spirit group members.

“I am extremely proud of our Titan student-athletes who work hard every day with a strong commitment to their education and their sport while also serving the community through various service and outreach initiative,” said UDM Associate Vice President and Director of Athletic Keri Gaither. “Our coaches do an excellent job in recruiting fine young men and women to UDM and I'd also like to thank the outstanding UDM faculty and staff who diligently support the student-athletes in reaching their goals.”

Over 70 percent of the Titan student-athletes are being recognized for their achievements in 2011. This marks the 22nd consecutive semester in which over 50 percent of the University's student-athletes have achieved a 3.0 or better.

“Each individual coach, administrator and parent should be proud of our student-athletes and how they represent UDM's athletic department in the classroom,” said Amy Gasahl, Assistant Director for Compliance & Academic Coordinator. “This large number of student- athletes being honored shows the commitment Titan Athletics has towards academic success.”

TITAN CAPTAINS
Four experienced upperclassmen comprise the Titan captains for the 2012 season as head coach Matt Holtz announced that seniors Brad Janer, Ty Maruyama, and Jason McDonald along with junior Jamie Hebden will receive the honor for the 2012 campaign.

“Leadership is a very important part of our program,” said head coach Holtz. “These young men know what I expect from our team leaders and how to help their team move forward.”

For McDonald, it marks the third-straight year that the defenseman has received the captain distinction. He is a two-time member of the Detroit Athletic Director's Honor Roll and earned both MAAC All-Academic Team and MAAC Academic Honor Roll accolades last season.

Playing at midfield, Janer and Maruyama are both captains for the second-straight year. Both are three-time members of UDM's Athletic Director's Honor Roll and two-time members of the MAAC Academic Honor Roll and the MAAC All-Academic Team.

A fierce defenseman, Hebden earns the captain honor for the first time in his career. He was a second team All-MAAC performer and Detroit's Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore after finishing fifth in the country in caused turnovers at 2.5 per game.