DETROIT (4/28/2016) -- It will be a festive mood before the game, but then it will be all about business as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team hosts Marist in a must-win battle on Senior Day this Saturday, April 30.

The game is set for 1:00 p.m., on Titan Field and will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Mike Feld and Patrick McEwen on the call. 

Prior to the game, the Titans will honor their six-member senior class in Paul Bitetti, Connor Flynn, Andy Hebden, Chris Perry, Mike Spuller and Jordan Yono. All six were part of the Titans 2013 MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance as well as last season's school-record eight victories. 

The Titans come into the game at 2-3 in the MAAC and have a chance to advance to the MAAC Championship for the sixth-straight year with a win and a Siena loss to Monmouth. Only two of the four teams in the conference have qualified for the postseason as Marist at 3-2 in the league is already guaranteed no lower than a No. 3 seed.

The Detroit-Marist match-up has been one of the most hotly contested series in Titan history as eight of the nine games have been decided by three goals or less, including six by one goal and two going into overtime. The teams have also met three times in the postseason with the Titans defeating the high-seeded Marist squad in 2011 and 2013.

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AGAINST THE MAAC
Detroit is 21-22 in regular season league play since joining the MAAC in 2010. UDM opened its' MAAC history with a 2-6 mark in 2010 and was 4-2 in 2011 and 2015.      

Last year, Detroit tied its program record with four wins again to share second place. 

THE SERIES
This has been one of the most hotly contested series in Titan history as eight of the nine games have been decided by three goals or less, including six by one goal and two going into overtime. The teams have also met three times in the postseason with the Titans defeating the high-seeded Marist squad in 2011 and 2013. 

Detroit is 2-1 in the series at home and has won the last two at Titan Field. 

ABOUT MARIST
Marist has won six of the last eight games and enters the contest at 7-6 overall, 3-2 in the MAAC. The two losses in that span have been in overtime to Quinnipiac and to Manhattan.

The Red Foxes have already clinched a spot in the MAAC Championship and will be either the No. 2 or 3 seed. 

Joseph Radin leads the MAAC with 43 goals and 3.31 goals per game, while JD Recor is second on the team and tied for sixth in the league with 1.83 goals per game to go along with 1.69 assists per contest, third in the conference. 

Ralph Faiella tops the team with 16 caused turnovers to go with 25 ground balls, while Frankie Brier has registered 13 caused turnovers and is tied for the team high with 34 ground balls.

Nick Nye is 58-of-178 (.326) in faceoffs with 34 GB's and Brian Corrigan has started all 13 games and is posting a .580 save percentage and an 8.29 goals against average. 
   
UP NEXT
Hopefully, the outcomes come up positive for the Titans and if they do, Detroit will actually meet up with Marist again in the MAAC Championship semifinals on Thursday as the red, white and blue would be the No. 2 seed with the Red Foxes seeded third. 

That game would be played at Quinnipiac, the regular season champion.

PLAYOFF PUSH
The Titans will need a win and some help from Monmouth as the Hawks need to beat Siena. If that were to happen, Detroit would be the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Championship.

Here are the playoff scenarios for Detroit, Canisius, Marist, Monmouth and Siena as Quinnipiac has already clinched the top seed and Manhattan has been eliminated.

Detroit
A    Will finish as #2 seed with:
i.    Win AND Monmouth win
B    Cannot finish as #3 or #4 seed
C    Will miss MAAC Championship with:
i.    Win AND Siena win
ii.    Loss

Marist 
A    Will finish as #2 seed with:
i.    Win
ii.    Loss AND Siena win
B    Will finish as #3 seed with:
i.    Loss AND Monmouth win
C    Cannot finish below #3 seed.

Canisius 
A    Cannot finish as #2 seed.
B    Will finish as #3 seed with:
i.    Marist win OR loss AND Siena win
C    Will finish as #4 seed with:
i.    Marist win AND Monmouth win
D    Will finish 5th in standings and miss MAAC Championship with:
i.    Detroit win AND Monmouth win

Monmouth
A    Cannot finish as #2 seed.
B    Will finish as #3 seed with:
i.    Win AND Marist win
C    Will finish as #4 seed with:
i.    Win AND Detroit win
D    Will miss MAAC Championship with:
i.    Loss

Siena
A    Cannot finish as #2 or #3 seed.
B    Will finish as #4 seed with:
i.    Win
C    Will miss MAAC Championship with:
i.    Loss

THE GREAT WALL OF WEBER
Junior Jason Weber topped the country for the second-straight year with 14.43 saves per game last season, while finishing third in the nation - and second in the MAAC - with a .589 save percentage.

He has now recorded double-digit saves in 30 of his 36 career games, including 16 with 15+, 11 with 17 or more and two with 20 or more. 

In 36 career games – 35 starts – he has posted 502 saves, a .595 save percentage and a 9.69 goals against average, the latter two school records.

In the season opener, Weber made 18 saves at No. 11/12 Ohio State and he also had 12 at No. 1/2 Notre Dame. He picked up a career-high seven ground balls versus No. 19/17 Marquette. 

WEBER LEADS ALL ACTIVE GOALIES
Junior Jason Weber's 13.94 saves per game lead all active goalies, while his 502 saves are eight among current active netminders.

BO KNOWS
Junior Kyle Beauregard tied his career high with three goals at Monmouth, including two in the fourth quarter.

The three goals came after not scoring at all in the previous two contests. 

Earlier in the season, he picked up a team and season-high five ground balls against Siena.

He is currently fifth on the team with 10 points and fourth with eight goals. 

POWER PLAY
The Titans' man-up unit was tremendous again last season as Detroit was second in man-up offense connecting on 23-of-51 opportunities (.451) in the MAAC. 

That was after setting a NCAA record with a .708 mark (34-of-48) in 2014. 

This year, Detroit is second in the MAAC and 20th in the nation on the extra attack scoring at 41.2% (14-of-34). 

In the last 38 games, UDM is 71-of-133 (.533) with the extra-man offense. 

RECORD-SETTING DEFENSE
Detroit allowed a program-best three goals in its 9-3 victory on the road at Manhattan on March 19. 

The previous record for fewest goals allowed by the Titans was four in a 4-3 loss at Ohio State back in 2011.

The Titans gave up just 25 shots in the game, tied for the fourth least in program history and the fewest since VMI attempted 24 in 2013. UDM also won the battle of ground balls 31-17, tied for the second largest ground ball margin in school history with the 31-17 it had in the win over Marist in the 2011 MAAC Semifinals. 

RETURN OF THE SHARK
Sophomore Mark Anstead tallied an assist last week, running his consecutive point streak to 25-straight games, tied for the 25th longest streak in the nation.

Through 11 games, he leads the team in points (25) and assists (14) and is tied for second with 11 goals. He is also tied for fourth in the league and 54th in the country with 1.2 assists per contest.

He was named the MAAC's Offensive Player of the Week on March 7 - the second time in his career he has garnered the offensive player accolade - after totaling nine points on five goals and four assists at the Midwest Classic. 

Anstead tied his career high in all areas with six points, three goals and three assists against No. 19/17 Marquette and that was after tallying two goals and an assist in the tournament opener against Bellarmine.

ANOTHER HEBDEN MAKING HIS MARK
Senior Andy Hebden tallied his first collegiate hat trick in the season opener at No. 11/12 Ohio State and posted another hat trick with three goals at Manhattan on March 19.

Hebden currently leads the team with 18 goals and is 10th in the MAAC with 1.64 goals per game. 

In fact, his 18 goals and 22 points are career high surpassing the eight goals and 13 points he had as a freshman. 

A team captain, Hebden is the younger brother of former team captain and three-time All-MAAC defenseman Jamie Hebden '13. 

GJOKAJ WINS THE FACEOFF
Junior Ben Gjokaj had another great day at the faceoff position winning 14-of-21 at Monmouth.

That was after a career performance going 15-of-22 on faceoffs and tying his season and career high with four ground balls against Quinnipiac, a team that was 19-for-19 in faceoffs the previous week against Marist. 

The 15 wins were just one away from Brandon Davenport's '13 mark of 16 set in 2010 and 2011.

Earlier in the year against Manhattan, he was 12-of-16 with four ground balls and had eight wins versus Siena and last week he was 7-of-15 at Canisius. 

Gjokaj is now 56-of-90 (62.2%) in faceoffs in MAAC games, including 36-of-58 (62.0%) in the last three games. 

Before this season, his previous high was four faceoff wins at VMI in 2014. 

THREE IN FOR GILHOOLY
Sophomore Alec Gilhooly posted his first career hat trick along with a career-best four points at Mercer on Feb. 20. 

He tied his career high in points with two goals and two assists in the win at Manhattan. 

He is third on the team with 17 points and tied for second netting 11 goals.  

OH YONO
Senior Jordan Yono tallied his first career goal on his first career shot against No. 20/20 Air Force on March 26. 

The defenseman took the faceoff and after Pat Masterson picked up the ground ball, he fed Yono for the goal late in the fourth period.

TAKE IT AWAY
Senior Paul Bitetti leads the team with 16 caused turnovers and is tied for first in the MAAC and is 30th in the country with 1.4 caused turnovers per game.

He recorded a season-high three caused turnovers at Manhattan and came up with a pair against No. 20/20 Air Force, Siena and at Monmouth.

Bitetti is now fourth in school history with 58 caused turnovers, just two behind Jason McDonald '12 for third place. 

NO EASY ONE'S
The Titans have never been afraid to play anyone and this year is no different with one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in school history.

On the docket this season was Air Force, Notre Dame, Marquette, Michigan and Ohio State as the slate featured seven opponents that posted a combined 56-46 record (.543) last year with a pair of NCAA Tournament teams, including Final Four member Notre Dame.

The Titans have already faced four ranked teams on the year, the most  Detroit has ever matched up with in a single season.

On the year, the non-conference opponents have a record of 46-30 (.605) record.

FIRST POINTS
Sophomore Lucas Ducharme posted his first collegiate goal at Mercer on Feb. 19. Freshman Patrick Walsh had his first collegiate points on two assists at Manhattan on March 19 and sophomore Charlie Hayes notched his first career point on a goal against Siena on Apr. 9. 

Long stick midfielder Austin Polson-McCannon also posted his first goal on his first collegiate shot at Monmouth. 

SWEET PICKENS
Bo Pickens had a great collegiate debut collecting a game-high three caused turnovers at No. 11/12 Ohio State in the season opener.

CONGRATS PAT
Sophomore Pat Masterson recently received the Detroit Historic Memorial Award, presented to a History major by the Historic Memorial Society in Detroit for outstanding achievement in the study of American history.