The Minutemen are now ranked No. 1 in the nation, tied with Loyola (Md.) in the USILA coaches poll.
Brett Tobin of Wilbraham is a key defender for the No. 1 UMass men's lacrosse team.AMHERST – For the first time in program history, the University of Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team has achieved a No. 1 national ranking, sharing the top spot with Loyola (Md.) in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll released Monday.
The Minutemen, 11-0, made it to the top with a thrilling 8-6 win over Drexel on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 4,000 fanatics at Bethpage High School on Long Island.
It’s the first time any UMass team has achieved a No. 1 ranking since the 1995-96 men’s basketball team, which reached the NCAA Final Four. The Minutemen remain No. 2 in the Nike Media Poll.
One of the keys to the Minutemen’s win against Drexel was the late heroics of junior defender Brett Tobin of Wilbraham in the final minutes of the contest. First, the Minnechaug Regional High School graduate battled for a ground ball off a faceoff to give UMass possession.
Then, with only about 1:30 remaining in the game and Drexel down 6-5, Tobin sprinted from behind to catch up with an opponent, check him and cause him to lose the ball out of bounds. That gave the Minutemen control again, and with 56 seconds remaining, Connor Mooney of Wilbraham scored to make it 7-5.
Anthony Biscardi provided insurance with 11 seconds left. Drexel scored a meaningless goal with two seconds to play.
“He chased him down, and that’s something that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet,” UMass head coach Greg Cannella said of Tobin’s key play.
Cannella said it’s the type of performance Tobin has provided all year.
“Brett’s been great. He’s a great person, a great team player. He’s very athletic and he handles the ball. He covers big guys, he covers small guys.”
Tobin, like his coach, is ignoring the national rankings. Cannella is most appreciative if you don’t even bring it up.
“We always go into a game with the feeling of being the underdog,” said Tobin, who credits the work of assistant coach Doc Schneider for the defense’s success.
Tobin said Saturday was the first time he had ever played in Long Island, and there were a few nerves jumping around with the big crowd in lacrosse heaven.
Without the helmet, Tobin is easily identifiable by his 6-foot-4 frame and long head of hair. On that subject, Cannella kidded that there is no team policy governing such an appearance, especially when it’s on someone as good as Tobin.
Tobin’s size could be related to genes. His grandfather, Andrew Rastallis, was a walk-on basketball player at UMass who now proudly attends his grandson’s games.
This is only the third time since the USILA began its poll in 1973 that two teams have tied for the No. 1 spot. Virginia and Syracuse were deadlocked once last season. In 1985, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins were tied for the top in the final regular-season poll.
The Minutemen have two regular-season games remaining. They face Hofstra at Gillette Stadium this Saturday at 5 p.m. in the 3rd Annual New England Lacrosse Classic.
With a win, they will clinch the Colonial Athletic Association championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. The final game is April 27 at Delaware.
The top two seeds will host the CAA semifinals May 2, with the championship game hosted by the highest remaining seed May 5.