Five Things to Know: Men’s Lacrosse Closes Out 2022 Season at St. Bonaventure

Game No. 14
Canisius (2-11, 1-4 MAAC) at St. Bonaventure (9-3, 4-1 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, April 30
Time: noon
Location: Olean, N.Y. | Marra Athletics Field Complex
Broadcast: ESPN+
Live Stats: Via GoBonnies.com
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram
Canisius Game Notes

1) Opening Faceoff
The Canisius men's lacrosse team takes to the field for the final time this season when it travels to Olean Saturday to square off against Little Three rival St. Bonaventure. Opening faceoff between the Golden Griffins and Bonnies is set for noon at the Marra Athletics Field Complex.

2) Series Notes
Saturday's contest serves as the fourth meeting between Canisius and the new iteration of the St. Bonaventure men's lacrosse program, but the rivalry's origins date even further back. The Golden Griffins and Bonnies met a total of four times during the first four seasons of varsity intercollege lacrosse at Canisius before St. Bonaventure moved its program to the club level after the 1993 campaign. The teams split those four matchups, with the Bonnies taking the first two contests before the Griffs responded with victories in the final two matchups. Canisius has won two of three meetings during the current iteration of the rivalry, but St. Bonaventure won the most recent contest, a 12-11 victory on home turf last April.

3) Student Versus Teacher
Canisius head coach Mark Miyashita will face one of his mentors Saturday as former Golden Griffins head coach and Canisius hall-of-famer Randy Mearns is in his fourth season at the helm of the St. Bonaventure program. Miyashita played four seasons for Mearns at Canisius (2000-03), finishing his career ranked among the program's career leaders in points (145), assists (74) and goals (71). The duo also worked together in 2018, when Miyashita served as an assistant on Mearns' Team Canada coaching staff at the FIL World Championships in Israel, helping the squad claim the silver medal.

4) Vavonese Solid Between the Pipes
Graduate goalie Matt Vavonese has been solid between the pipes for the Golden Griffins over the past two games as he has recorded a combined 36 saves during matchups against Monmouth and Marist. This season, the Syracuse, N.Y., native has recorded double-digit saves in 10 of 13 games played, highlighted by five outings in which he has recorded 16 or more stops.

5) Looking to Break Through the Bonnies Defense
The Canisius offense will have a tall task on Saturday as St. Bonaventure currently ranks second in the nation in scoring defense (8.57). The Bonnies, who have allowed nine goals or fewer in seven games this season, have been anchored defensively by senior goalie Brett Dobson. Dobson leads the nation in save percentage (.671) and ranks second in saves per game (17.1).

For all the latest updates on Canisius men's lacrosse, be sure to follow @GriffsMLax on Twitter and Instagram.

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