AMHERST, Mass. - Fans have come out in droves to see the UMass men's lacrosse team this season in Amherst, and the Minutemen have finished fifth in the nation in home average attendance for the 2009 season. On average, 2,930 fans have come out to see the Minutemen at Garber Field and McGuirk Stadium. That mark was benefited by a UMass program record 13,722 fans that come out to the UMass-Syracuse game on April 25 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

Overall, in seven home dates, 20,511 fans came out to see the ECAC Champion Minutemen at home. That includes crowds of more than 1,000 on four occasions.

Syracuse, which plays at the Carrier Dome for all its home games, leads the nation with an average of 5,832 in 11 home games. Ohio State is second with 5,762, buoyed by an all-time regular-season lacrosse record of 30,192, also on April 25. Third on the list is Navy (5,263) and fourth is Johns Hopkins (3,036).

UMass ranks ahead of powers Virginia (2,712), Cornell (2,317), North Carolina (1,769), Maryland (1,653), and Duke (1,527) on the attendance list.

2009 NCAA Men's Lacrosse
Average Home Attendance Leaders

 1. Syracuse           5,832
 2. Ohio State         5,762
 3. Navy               5,263
 4. Johns Hopkins      3,036
 5. Massachusetts      2,930
 6. Virginia           2,712
 7. Hofstra            2,455
 8. Cornell            2,317
 9. Towson             2,187
10. Loyola             2,084
11. North Carolina     1,769
12. Maryland           1,653
13. Princeton          1,599
14. Stony Brook        1,554
15. Duke               1,527
16. Georgetown         1,517
17. UMBC               1,333
18. Harvard            1,271
19. Brown              1,038
20. Rutgers            1,034

2009-05-16