Nov. 20, 2003
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Back to the Dance: Lafayette makes its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 1998. The Leopards fell to No. 1 Clemson, 5-0, in the first round that season. Lafayette earned a trip to the 1995 tournament with a 4-3, double-overtime win over Loyola (Md.) in the play-in game. The Leopards then split a pair of games with Ivy League foes, downing Cornell, 2-0 in overtime, in the first round, then falling to Brown, 2-0, in the second round.
Adding to the Hardware: Second-seeded Lafayette won its fifth Patriot League Tournament championship last weekend, defeating third-seeded Holy Cross, 5-1, and fourth-seeded Lehigh, 2-0. Senior forward Ralph Rapuano was named Tournament MVP after scoring a goal in the 78th minute against Holy Cross and tallying the eventual game-winner in the 44th minute against Lehigh. The championship was Lafayette's first since 1999 and fifth since 1994.
Finishing Strong: Lafayette enters the tournament on a four-game winning streak, including the two victories at the Patriot League Tournament. The Leopards posted a 5-1-1 record over the final month of the season, with the lone loss a 1-0 non-league decision at Columbia on Oct. 28. Lafayette outscored its final seven opponents 15-3.
All-League Honorees: Three Leopards earned All-Patriot League recognition. Senior forward Jamie Mullarkey and senior defender Tom Wajda were named to the All-Patriot League First Team, while senior midfielder Matt Battiste was selected to the second team. Wajda was a repeat selection to the first team, while Mullarkey earned second-team honors in 2001. Battiste was a first-time All-League selection.
Leading the Way: Three seniors serve as tri-captains for the Leopards: forward Jamie Mullarkey and defenders Tom Wajda and Andrew Cottrell.
The Boss: Dennis Bohn is in his third season at the helm of the Lafayette program. He has compiled a record of 27-15-12 during his first three years on College Hill and has led the Leopards to the four-team Patriot League Tournament the past two seasons. Bohn became the 18th head coach in the history of Lafayette soccer on March 20, 2001 after serving two years as an assistant on Tim Lenahan's staff at Lafayette. Prior to Lafayette, Bohn spent one season as an assistant at his alma mater, Columbia University.
Familiar Faces: All nine seniors on the Lafayette roster will be in the starting lineup. The remaining two starters are juniors Nathan Jolly and Victor Krasij.
The Friendly Confines of Metzgar Field: Lafayette was a perfect 6-0 in home contests at the Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex this season. In fact, the Leopards are unbeaten in their last 12 home matches (10-0-2) dating back to last season.
What the Voters Think: Lafayette is ranked seventh in the most recent NSCAA/adidas Mid-Atlantic regional rankings released on Nov. 17. Rutgers is ranked second in the region and 18th nationally.
Against the Big East: Lafayette is 5-6 against schools which were Big East members at the time the schools met since the conference began sponsoring soccer in 1982. The records:
Syracuse 2-2 Rutgers 0-3 Villanova 2-0 Boston College 1-0 Connecticut 0-1
Stone Solid: Senior goalkeeper Jay Freedman has come up large down the stretch for the Leopards. In his last six starts, Freedman has allowed just two goals in 574 minutes. For the season, Freedman has posted a 9-2-2 record in 13 starts and has recorded four shutouts. He ranks second in the Patriot League with a 0.79 goals-against average and third in shutouts.
Finishing in Style: Senior forward Jamie Mullarkey has nearly doubled his career point total this season alone. Mullarkey entered 2003 with 29 career points on seven goals and 15 assists. His season totals entering today's match are 24 points on eight goals and eight assists. All three figures are single-season career highs.
League Leaders: Jamie Mullarkey ranks first in the Patriot League in assists (8), second in points (24) and third in goals (8). He is tied with teammate Nathan Jolly for second in the league with three game-winning tallies. Jay Freedman ranks second in goals-against average (0.79) and third in shutouts (4). As a team, Lafayette leads the league in goals (32) and goals per game (1.68) and ranks second in goals allowed (20) and goals allowed per game (1.05).
Crazy 8s: Lafayette reached double-digits in the win column this season after winning eight matches each of the past four seasons. Lafayette last posted 10 or more wins in 1998, when the Leopards (16-5) won the Patriot League Tournament and defeated Dayton in a play-in game before falling to No. 1 Clemson in the NCAA Tournament.
Hometown Heroes: Six Leopards call the state of New Jersey home:
Nick Caiella Piscataway, N.J./Pingry School Andrew Cottrell Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial Marko Lukin Boonton, N.J./Morris Catholic Ryan McCaughey Medford, N.J./Shawnee Ralph Rapuano Westfield, N.J./Westfield Joe Staropoli Raritan, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan
Until We Meet Again: Today's match is the 52nd all-time between Lafayette and Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights lead the series 30-17-4. The teams last met in 1997, with Rutgers taking a 4-1 win in Easton. Rutgers is unbeaten in the past seven meetings (5-0-2); Lafayette's last win in the series was in 1984, 2-0, as the Leopards captured the championship at the Rutgers adidas World Cup Tournament.
Looking Ahead: The winner of today's match will travel to the University of Akron to face the 15th-seeded Zips next Wednesday.
