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The Albright College men's lacrosse team (10-5, 6-2) goes on the road for the first time ever in the postseason but will face a familiar opponent, as the Lions square off with the Widener Pride (9-5, 7-1) in the Commonwealth playoffs for a third straight year.

The two sides have had a fierce rivalry since Albright's inaugural varsity season in 2012. The Lions grabbed overtime victories in each of the last two regular seasons, but Widener got revenge with a five-goal comeback in the 2012 Commonwealth championship and an overtime win in Shirk Stadium in last year's semifinals.

Widener earned the first lopsided victory of the series on April 2, taking a 10-4 decision in Chester, Pa. Marc Feldman and Marc La Vine each had hat tricks for the Pride, while goalie Mac Nestler made 16 saves.

Albright will be playing its sixth postseason game in three seasons, but its first outside the confines of Shirk Stadium. The Lions beat Lebanon Valley in the 2012 first round before being eliminated by Widener in consecutive years. They also hosted the 2013 ECAC Mid-Atlantic championships, beating LVC and Frostburg State at home to claim the title.

Nestler, a senior, is a returning All-American in the cage and has earned All-Conference honors every season. He is 9-5 with a GAA of 6.19 and a save percentage of .627 in 2013.

The Red and White have a senior goalie of their own who has played well in Jordan DiZenzo. He is 10-5 on the year with a GAA of 7.93, a save percentage of .551, and has twice been named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week.

Albright's attack is once again led by junior Philip Potter, who has 16 goals and 18 assists. Three freshman are among the team's top-five in scoring- Cam Cetrone (20G, 5A), Andrew Potter (15G, 9A) and Derek Stump (2G, 22A).

The Lions have shown the ability to recover from injuries. Albright won the 2013 ECAC championship with three starters on the sidelines (Cody Sandy, Bryan Smith, Dan Foote). When starting LSM Joe Devinney went down this season, sophomore Matt Wighard stepped in admirably and totaled 24 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers in the last 10 contests. With several key attackers questionable this week, Albright will again need to rely on its depth to carry the team.

Junior faceoff specialist Darian Meador (.607, 148 ground balls) and senior Sean Cunningham (29 CTs, 36 GBs) are returning All-Commonwealth selections who will play a major role for Albright on the defensive end.

Sophomore Tim Taylor leads Widener in scoring (22G, 16A) ahead of La Vine (24G, 9A). Senior Robert Clemens has dished out 25 assists this year.

Thursday night's game will be played at 8 p.m., with Widener's stadium hosting the MAC track & field championships until that time. The winner will face the victor of Lycoming and defending national champion Stevenson in Saturday's final.

2013 Commonwealth Semifinal Highlights:



2012 Commonwealth Championship Highlights: