Duke Heads to Long Island for Regular Season Finale

Sunday, May 7

Bethpage, ,N.Y.

1 p.m.

Duke University

Merrimack College

Tickets

Duke men's lacrosse huddles together pregame

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Heads to Long Island for Regular Season Finale

5/6/2023 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

Watch Live Stats Game Notes Tickets

Battle at Bethpage Details

Duke returns to the Battle at Bethpage for another time, taking on Merrimack at Bethpage High School May 7 at 1 p.m. Tickets for the game can be purchased through Eventbrite and must be bought online. There will be no tickets sold at the stadium.
The Lead the Way Fund will host a silent auction starting when the gates open at noon and run through the end of halftime. The auction features Duke game worn jerseys, a Coach K and Jon Scheyer signed basketballs, along with a basketball autographed by Duke women's head coach Kara Lawson. A Duke lacrosse helmet signed by the entire team as well as a Mike Elko signed football also are available for bidding. All proceeds go to benefit Lead the Way Fund in honor of former Blue Devil Jimmy Regan.
Parking is available across the street from Bethpage High School and shuttle buses will be available for those who need assistance.
The game will be streamed live on YouTube via Bethpage High School's Hudl channel. There will be no commentary. Live stats also will be available.

The Opening Faceoff

Duke, 12-2 on the year, jumped back to No. 1 after an 18-15 win against Syracuse and a Notre Dame loss at Virginia. Faceoff against Merrimack is set for 1 p.m., at Bethpage High School.
Merrimack is 7-6 overall and 3-4 in America East action. The Warriors are coming off a victory over Bryant on their Senior Day. The Warriors are in their fourth complete season as a Division I program.
The attack unit of Andrew McAdorey, Brennan O'Neill and Dyson Williams have paced the Blue Devils. The trio is averaging 8.4 goals and 12.2 points per game and has 52 percent of the team's 331 points. Duke has gotten goals from 22 different players this season.
Duke's defense has been solid overall, holding teams to just .294 shooting and to 11.3 goals per game. The Blue Devils are allowing 11.5 goals per game over the past eight outings, which included five games against teams with top-15 scoring offenses.
Graduate student transfer William Helm is solid in the cage, averaging 10.57 saves per game and sporting a .512 save percentage.
Junior faceoff specialist Jake Naso features a .633 win percentage at the dot to rank fifth nationally. He ranks fifth in faceoffs taken (384). Karl Sutter (77-of-166) and Allyn French (59-152) split duties at the dot for the Warriors.

By the Numbers
10 - ACC titles Duke has won in program history (1954, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2021, 2023)

5.00 – Points per game average for Brennan O'Neill in ACC play, second in the conference

47 - Goals for Dyson Williams this season, ranking 19th in program history

711 – Faceoff wins for Jake Naso, seventh among active players and the 32nd to reach the 700-mark in NCAA history

4 - Goals for short stick middie Aidan Maguire, all of which came against ACC foes

21 - Caused turnovers for Wilson Stephenson this season, tying for 14th in Duke history

26 – Points from the rope unit (FO, SSDM, LSM) in 2023

24 – Points from the rope unit in 17 games in 2022

.633 – Faceoff win percentage for Jake Naso in 2023, a career best and ranking fifth nationally

74 – Percent of Brennan O'Neill's 42 goals that have been unassisted

24 - NCAA Tournament appearances for the Blue Devils, one of 10 programs to have at least that many

About Merrimack

Merrimack enters its season finale with a 7-6 overall record and 3-4 mark in America East. The Warriors are coming off a 12-9 win against Bryant this past Saturday.
Merrimack is led on offense by Jack Rooney with 48 points from 24 goals and 24 assists. Brian Russell has a team-high 35 goals and 41 points overall. The Warriors average 11.2 goals per game and are shooting 31.5 percent for the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Merrimack is allowing 11 goals per game and is anchored by Sam Walsh with 18 caused turnovers. Joe Conley and Carlin Joyal have 15 and 13 as the Warriors are forcing opponents into 20 turnovers per game.
Karl Sutter (77-of-166) and Allyn French (59-of-152) handle the faceoff duties. As a team, Merrimack is winning just 41 percent of its restarts. In goal, Henry Vogt is averaging 12 saves per game and sports an 11.08 goals against average and a .532 save percentage. His percentage ranks 14th among Division I goaltenders.

Blue Devils Return To No. 1

The Blue Devils returned to the top spot of the polls this season following the win over Syracuse and Notre Dame's loss at Virginia. The Blue Devils are 12-8 under head coach John Danowski at No. 1.

Getting Off the Line Well

Duke has gotten off to fast starts in its contests this season, leading after the first quarter in 11 of the 14 games. The Blue Devils are outscoring their foes 124-59 in the first half, including an impressive 65-29 mark in the second quarter.
Duke is 10-1 when leading after the opening period and 11-1 when leading at halftime. The Blue Devils' opponents are shooting just 22 percent in the first half. In the second half this season, Duke has been outscored, 99-90.

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