#CUWStatsInfo: It's tournament time for Men's Lacrosse

MEQUON, Wis. – The Falcons have anxiously waited for this part of the 2015 season, because it's Midwest Lacrosse Conference Tournament time. They have put in hours and hours on the practice field and in the weight room preparing for this week. There is just one goal in mind: win and continue the season.

CUW travels to Benedictine for a 7 pm contest on Wednesday with the winner advancing to the MLC Tournament Championship game on Saturday. The Falcons have twice played in a MLC Tournament semifinal game, but are still seeking their first tournament win. CUWFalcons.com dug deep into the statistics to give you reasons why the Falcons could win.

Recent Success: Winning four of the last five
The Falcons have peaked at the right time of the season, winning four of their last five games, which includes three MLC victories. During that stretch they have outscored opponents 86-28, including a pair of wins by 20-plus goals. In addition, three of those wins have come on the road, which bodes well for the Falcons because they need to venture away from Mequon, Wis., for the MLC Tournament. Earlier in the season, CUW won five of six games during March and outscored the opposition 56-36 to improve to 5-3 to conclude the first half of the season.

CUW is Special: As in, its special teams rank top-3 nationally
Taking advantage of opponents penalties has been a specialty for CUW this season, as it ranks No. 1 in the country for man-up offense at 57.1 percent. The Falcons have scored 28 man-up goals this season and marked multiple man-up scores in seven contests (four wins). During the second half of the season, they have tallied 16 man-up goals. On the other side of the field, CUW ranks third nationally in man-down defense – holding opponents scoreless 90.2 percent of the time when playing down a player. The opposition has scored five man-up goals on 51 opportunities.

The Anchor: Mueller has proved his value
Junior Thomas Mueller (Prior Lake, Minn.) has anchored the Falcons defense this season, allowing just 6.99 goals per game which ranks 22nd nationally and first in the MLC. He has made many impressive saves and stopped double-figure shots in four games this season. In MLC games he has been even better, giving up just 6.27 goals per game. As well, Mueller has made the fifth most saves (96) in a season in program history.

Sharing the Ball: Passing keeps opponents off balance
CUW has shown the ability this season to humiliate opponents with their passing, which has led to 103 assists. Because the Falcons are so connected, the result has been an assist on 61.7 percent of the goals scored this season. Junior Matt Garvey (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and senior Shawn Teixeira (Calgary, Alberta) have combined for 45 assists. Garvey has 25 assists and is two shy of tying the program's single season record. He ranks 44th nationally averaging 1.79 helpers per game.

Offensive Juggernaut: Brueske or Raley
Every team has a player that can take over a game, but the Falcons have two. Senior Derek Brueske (Hopkins, Minn.) and sophomore Colin Raley (Inverness, Ill.) have been the go-to offensive players throughout the season, with Brueske scoring six game-winners and Raley scoring five. The duo has combined for 67 of the teams 167 goals this season.

Stop the Opposition: Will Wilson and company step up?
The Falcons defense has been suffocating at times this season, forcing 265 turnovers of which 165 were caused. Junior Mark Wilson (Calgary, Alberta) has been the leader of the defense with 24 caused turnovers, to go along with 60 ground balls. As well, senior Christopher Grenz (Centennial, Colo.) and senior Mitch Trapp (Hartland, Wis.) have combined for 22 caused turnovers and 35 ground balls. CUW has caused double-digit turnovers in six games this season (5-1 in those games) and limited opponents to single digit goals in 12 contests (9-3 in those games).

Rematch: CUW has a sour taste in its mouth
CUW controlled the April 1 MLC game against Benedictine at Fitting Field. Well, at least in the first half. The visiting Eagles showed resiliency by overcoming a 6-1 deficit early in the second quarter by scoring seven of the last eight goals during the final two-and-a-half quarters for the come-from-behind win. That disheartening loss has been in the back of the Falcons minds for nearly a month and will provide fuel for their motivation on Wednesday night.

Pressure: Things are always intensified in win or go home situations
Despite losing in last year's MLC Tournament semifinal game to Carthage, 10-5, on their home turf at Fitting Field, the Falcons gained valuable experience. They have 13 players who saw action in that game and who will lead the program on Wednesday night. CUWFalcons.com projects Wednesday's game to be an instant classic.