DETROIT (4/23/2016) -- The Titans picked up an important win last week and now they will look to inch even closer to a playoff bid as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team visits Jesuit-rival Canisius on Saturday.
 
Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York. The night game will be Senior Day for the Golden Griffins and it can be seen live on ESPN3.
 
Detroit fell behind early last week at Monmouth and it look as though UDM's season might come to an end, but after a 4-0 Hawks run to start the game, the Titans netted five in the final period to win, 9-8. The win moved the red, white and blue to 2-2 in the MAAC with two games left.
 
With Canisius and Monmouth at 2-2 in the MAAC and Detroit hosting Marist – who is 3-2 – next week, the Titans actually control their own destiny for a playoff spot. If Detroit can win its final two games, it will finish as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MAAC Championship, while one win in the final two games could have the Titans in the playoffs depending on how tiebreakers shake out.
 
Detroit is 5-2 all-time playing at the Demske Sports Complex, which includes 2-1 against Canisius. The Titans are 3-1 in the MAAC Championship when it has been hosted by Canisius winning their only league title there in 2013.
 
The game is also a match-up of two of the eight Jesuit-playing Division I lacrosse teams. The others are Fairfield, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Loyola (Md.), Marquette and St. Joseph's.
 
AGAINST THE MAAC
Detroit is 21-21 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
The two Jesuit lacrosse-playing schools in the MAAC have met seven times with Detroit leading the all-time series, 5-2.
 
The Titans have won three in a row in the series and are 2-1 on the road at Canisius.
 
ABOUT CANISIUS
Canisius will look to get back on track as the Golden Griffins have dropped three in a row, two of those non-conference affairs. Canisius lost 15-6 at home to Robert Morris earlier in the week and that was after falling 17-9 at Quinnipiac last Saturday.
 
The Golden Griffins two MAAC wins came at Siena (12-9) and against Manhattan (13-11), while they lost at Marist (13-10) and at home against Monmouth (11-6).
 
Jeff Edwards leads the team and is third in the MAAC at 3.4 points per game, totaling 34 points on 12 goals and 22 assists. Connor Kearnan and Nick Tuttle both have a team-high 19 goals, with Kearnan adding 13 assists for 32 points.
 
Steven Coss is 97-of-194 (.500) in facepffs with a team-best 40 ground balls and Brendan Barren tops the team with 15 caused turnovers.
 
Liam Ganzhorn has started nine games in net and has a .474 save percentage and a 12.04 goals against average.
           
UP NEXT
Detroit will wrap up the regular season at home next Saturday, April 30, as the Titans welcome Marist to the Motor City. It will be Senior Day at Titan Field.
 
PLAYOFF PUSH
The Titans control their own destiny if they want to make the MAAC Championship for the sixth-straight year, which would be the longest streak out of anyone in the league.
 
Two wins and Detroit will seal a playoff spot, while a win this week or next week against Marist will put the red, white and blue in scoreboard watching mode to see how the tiebreakers shake out.
 
Canisius also needs a win to qualify for the postseason.
 
These two teams are no stranger to playing late important games in the league as UDM has defeated Canisius on the final day of the season in 2013 and 2015 in order to knock off the Golden Griffins and earn a playoff spot.
 
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Detroit is 5-2 all-time playing at the Demske Sports Complex, which includes 2-1 against Canisius.
 
The Titans are 3-1 in the MAAC Championship when it has been hosted by Canisius winning their only league title in 2013.
 
JESUIT PRIDE
Detroit is one of just eight Jesuit schools playing Division I lacrosse.
 
The others are MAAC-rival Canisius, Fairfield, Georgetown, Holy Cross, Loyola (Md.), Marquette and St. Joseph's.
 
BO KNOWS
Junior Kyle Beauregard tied his career high with three goals last week 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.
 
ANOTHER DEFENSIVE AWARD FOR WEBER
After helping the Titans keep their postseason aspirations alive with a win at Monmouth, junior goalie Jason Weber was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season last Monday.
 
Weber earns the honor for the eighth time in his career.
 
Detroit erased an early 4-0 deficit on the road as it came back to defeat the Hawks, 9-8. The Titans were down 4-0 midway through the second, and it could have been more if not for Weber's nine saves in the first half.
 
He would finish the game with 14 saves marking the 30th time in 35 career games that he has registered double-digit saves.
 
Weber also garnered the honor on March 21 after stopping nine shots and allowing a school-record low three goals at Manhattan.
 
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 35 career games, including 16 with 15+, 11 with 17 or more and two with 20 or more.
 
In 35 career games – 34 starts – he has posted 493 saves, a .598 save percentage and a 9.64 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 14.09 saves per game lead all active goalies, while his 493 saves are eight among current active netminders.
 
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 12th in the nation on the extra attack scoring at 43.8% (14-of-32).
 
In the last 37 games, UDM is 71-of-131 (.538) 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 a goal and two assists last week, running his point consecutive streak to 24-straight games, tied for the 26th longest streak in the nation.
 
Through 10 games, he leads the team in points (24) and assists (13) and is tied for second with 11 goals. He is also fourth in the league and 55th in the country with 1.3 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 16 goals and is ninth in the MAAC with 1.56 goals per game.
 
In fact, his 16 goals and 19 points are already 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 last week 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 was 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.
 
Gjokaj is now 49-of-75 (65.3%) in faceoffs in MAAC games, including 29-of-43 (67.4%) in the last two 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.
 
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 last week.
 
TAKE IT AWAY
Senior Paul Bitetti leads the team with 16 caused turnovers and is leading the MAAC and is 21st in the country with 1.6 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 43-27 (.614) record.
 
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.
 
FLYNN WITH THE START
Senior Connor Flynn made his third collegiate start against Siena last week, finishing with eight saves in the first 30 minutes of action.
 
Flynn is 1-1 in his three career starts, picking up a win in his first collegiate appearance in 2014 against Mercer.
 
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.