NCAA Tournament Bracket

SCHENECTADY, NY - No. 14 Union (11-4, 5-1 Liberty League) hosts Montclair State (11-5, 6-0 Skyline) in the opening round of the Division III NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field. The Dutchmen and Red Hawks have never met in men's lacrosse. Union is 1-0 against Skyline teams (Kean) this season, while Montclair State went 0-2 against the Liberty League (St. Lawrence, RPI).

» Union Earns Second NCAA Bid
One of 10 at-large selections for the Division III NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament, the Union College Dutchmen earned their second straight NCAA bid in the 32-year history of the tournament when the field of 28 was announced on Sunday night.

Union men's lacrosse has a rich history dating back to 1919, with 66 All-American honorees, two National Lacrosse Hall-of-Fame inductees, and a current Hall-of-Fame head coach in Paul Wehrum. In fact, former Union head coach Bruce Allison (1966-1976), a recent Hall-of-Fame inductuee, was instrumental in the creation of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament. Union has recorded double-digit wins for the fourth time in Coach Wehrum's six years at Union.

» Sean Aaron Among The Nation's Best in Net
Senior goalie Sean Aaron, a two-time USILA All-American, is in the midst of another stellar campaign in net for the Dutchmen. Aaron is 11-4 with a 6.72 goals-against average (17th NCAA) and .644 save percentage (8th NCAA). He has started all 15 games in net for Union.

» Aaron Named Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year
Union College senior goaltender Sean Aaron has been named the 2012 Liberty League Men's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year. Aaron, a two-time All-American in net, earned the award for the second consecutive season. He was one of eight Union student-athletes named to the Liberty League All-Star teams announced May 2. Sophomore attack Rob Santangelo (1st Team), senior defenseman Matt Livingston (1st Team), senior attack Ted McKenna (2nd Team), senior midfielder Ethan Meyer (2nd Team), senior midfielder Jon Stidd (2nd Team) senior midfielder Alex Stone (honorable mention) and senior defenseman Robert Sullivan (honorable mention) were all honored with awards.

» Scouting Montclair State
Montclair St. will be making its fourth consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance as the Red Hawks after beating Kean, 17-10 on April 28 to win its fourth straight Skyline Conference title. The Red Hawks enter the tournament having won ten straight games since a 15-7 setback against Stevens on March 21. Montclair St. is led by senior attack Tyler Meth, the program's all-time leading goal scorer. Meth leads the Red Hawks in scoring with 47 goals and 63 points. Junior midfielder Sean Gilmore (31 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers), junior defender Mike Lade (44 ground balls) and senior goalie Mark Glander (10-5, 8.25 GAA, .585 save%) are also players to watch.

» McKenna Nears 100-Goal Mark
Senior attack Ted McKenna (26 goals, seven assists) is just one goal away from the 100-goal mark. McKenna has 134 career points (99 goals, 35 assists).

» Stone is a Rock on Faceoffs
Junior midfielder Alex Stone has emerged as Union's top faceoff man this season. Stone is 79-for-124 (.637) on faceoffs this season, which puts him 23rd in the nation in faceoff winning percentage. Stone has won the faceoff battle in 11 of 13 games this season in which he has had faceoff responsibilities.

» A Second Half Team
Union has closed strong in the majority of its 15 contests this season, outscoring competition 87-50 in the second half of games this season. In five of Union's wins this season, the Dutchmen were tied or trailed at halftime.

» Union Stingy on D
Union has proven to be one of the best defensive teams in the nation so far this season, allowing just 6.20 goals/game. (16th NCAA). The Dutchmen, who led the Liberty League in scoring defense through the regular season are led by senior defenseman Matt Livingston who is second on the team with 41 ground balls and first with 31 caused turnovers and senior defenseman Robert Sullivan (19 ground balls, nine caused turnovers).