GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's lacrosse team appeared to be hitting its stride and gearing up for a successful 2020 season when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the second half of the year.
An abbreviated 4-3 campaign set the table for bigger things for the Pioneers in 2021, as Tusculum opens its eighth season of competition on Saturday at Alderson Broaddus.
The Pioneers, who typically play an ambitious non-conference schedule filled with ranked opponents, will see the challenge come from within in 2021. Four of its South Atlantic Conference foes appeared in the top 15 of the US Lacrosse Division II preseason top 20 poll, including perennial powerhouse Limestone which joined the SAC after a successful run in Conference Carolinas.
Head coach Richard Carrington, who has led the Pioneers in each of their eight seasons, welcomes back a whopping 30 players from last year's squad including a group of 13 fourth and fifth-year student-athletes. Among that group are 17 of the 19 players who scored at least one goal last season and seven of 10 starters.
"Our 2020 team was just settling into their identity when the season prematurely ended," said Carrington, who has led the team to .500 or better records in three of the last four seasons. "A shortened fall and preseason will require the 2021 team to learn on the fly, but that is a challenge we readily accept. Our program traditionally improves throughout the season, and our goal is to focus on incremental improvements every day."
ATTACK
Gone to graduation is Liam Macdonald, the program's all-time leader in assists (75) and points (146), but a solid group is ready to pick up the slack led by junior Kale Lawrence (Kaleden, B.C.). Lawrence led the Pioneers with 16 goals last season and was second in points with 18. He was second in the conference in man-up goals with five, and scored on 15 of his last 19 shot attempts.
Senior Braden Elam (Maineville, Ohio) had eight goals and three assists for 11 points last season, tying for fourth on the team in goals and fifth in points. Elam ranked second on the team with 21 ground balls in 2020. Fellow senior Luke Doehring (Elizabethtown, Ky.) scored a career-high eight goals last season, tying for fourth on the team, while junior Nate Raymond (Traceys Landing, Md.) had four goals and two assists a year ago after an 18-goal campaign as a freshman.
Sophomore Aiden Caskey (Orlando, Fla.) tied for third on the team in assists with four despite playing in just two games, and junior Giovanni Berardis (Cape May Court House, N.J.) scored his first career goal in the season finale against Quincy on March 10. Freshman Tate Haugen (Wausau, Wisc.) will bring depth and size to the attack position.
MIDFIELD
Junior Jordan Daniel (Langley, B.C.) was second on the team with 11 assists last season and third on the squad with 15 points. Daniel was third on the team with 18 ground balls, and had at least one assist in all seven games.
Senior Lorenz Brown (Charlottesville, Va.) had six goals and two assists for eight points last season while collecting 14 ground balls and leading the team with 43 shot attempts. Brown has 17 goals and 22 points in 29 career matches.
Junior Josh Pickford (Victoria, B.C.) had six goals and three assists for nine points last season, with three of his goals coming with the man advantage. Pickford has 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points in 21 career matches. Sophomore Tristan Kirkham (Langley, B.C.) contributed three goals and an assist in seven games in his freshman season.
Senior Nash Johnson (Kennesaw, Ga.) scored a goal in seven matches and picked up seven ground balls, giving him two goals and 20 ground balls in 21 career matches along with six caused turnovers. Junior Sean Dunn (Palm Harbor, Fla.) played in all seven matches last year and had a goal and two assists along with five ground balls and four caused turnovers. Dunn has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 20 career matches, along with 21 ground balls.
Grad student Campbell Holley (Trussville, Ala.) is back for a fifth season and has eight ground balls in 20 career games. Senior Riley Burns (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) was productive in limited time for the Pioneers last season, scoring four goals in three matches while picking up seven ground balls.
Senior Patrick Thomas (Tega Cay, S.C.) moved from goalkeeper to midfield last season and appeared in three matches, picking up two ground balls and causing one turnover. Junior Addie Wilkins (Spartanburg, S.C.) played in six matches last season and had three ground balls and a caused turnover. He has 32 career ground balls and two assists in 19 career contests.
Junior Will Cookman (Nanaimo, B.C.) appeared in three matches last season and had one ground balls, after tallying eight assists in 12 matches as a freshman. Junior Cody Webb (Naples, Fla.) played in three matches last season and had one assist and two ground balls, and fellow junior Fred Harbinson (Okanagan Falls, B.C.) appeared in two matches last year and five in his career.
Joining the program are freshmen Blake Larsen (Surrey, B.C.), TJ Caldwell (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) and Justin Webb (Naples, Fla.), who along with older brother Cody gives Tusculum its first set of brothers as teammates in program history.
FACEOFF
Junior Andy Michalski (Victoria, B.C.) ranked sixth in the SAC with 78 faceoff wins last season, and won 61.4 percent at the dot. He ranks third in program history with 125 career faceoff wins and his .556 win percentage is best for Tusculum.
Grad student Conrad Carney III (Lexington, Ky.) has 34 career faceoff wins in four seasons for the Pioneers, and junior Nathan Fraser (Kamloops, B.C.) registered six faceoff victories in three matches last year.
LONG STICKS
Senior Tanner Deck (Saskatoon, Sask.) appeared in six matches last season and collected eight ground balls, while scoring his first career goal against Quincy. Deck has played 26 games for the Pioneers over three seasons and has 28 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Junior Tyler Nunenmacher (Mandeville, La.) also scored his first career goal against Quincy last season, and has six ground balls and five caused turnovers in 10 career contests.
Freshmen Brandon Hale (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) and Bryce Grimball (Richmond Hill, Ga.) join the program this season, with Hale collecting 172 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers during his prep career at Soddy-Daisy High School. Grimball set the school record for ground balls in a game at Richmond Hill High School, and was a three-time defensive MVP.
DEFENSE
Two veterans anchor the Pioneer defense in seniors Connor Coleman (Kill Devil Hills, N.C.) and Dawson Lovejoy (Farmington, N.Y.). Both Coleman and Lovejoy started all seven games last season, with Coleman second on the team with seven caused turnovers to go along with 10 ground balls and Lovejoy adding three caused turnovers and four ground balls.
Coleman has made 29 career starts for the Pioneers and has 64 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers (sixth-most in school history). Lovejoy is a two-year starter entering this season, with 12 ground balls and five caused turnovers in 28 career matches (18 starts).
Also entering his senior season is Noah Jessey (McLean, Va.). Jessey returns after missing last season due to injury. Jessey had four ground balls and three caused turnovers in 11 matches in 2019. Junior Brent Floyd Jr. (Glen Burnie, Md.) collected three ground balls in three matches last season, and has four ground balls in nine career contests.
A quartet of freshmen join the Pioneer defense this season. Devin Bowen (Dumfries, Va) will be joined by fellow rookies Riley Vlach (Aurora, Ill.), Nicholas Drennan (Calgary, Alta.) and Nick May (Franklin, Tenn.).
GOALKEEPERS
Junior Ross Geiger (Calgary, Alta.) has started all 21 matches over his first two seasons, compiling a 12.24 goals against average and making 204 saves. Last season, Geiger ranked second in the SAC in goals against average at 8.93 and made 42 saves.
Freshmen Nick Adams (Charlotte, N.C.) and Shawn Smith (Davie, Fla.) will back up Geiger. Adams set school records for save percentage, goals against average and total saves at Hough High School, while Smith lettered in both lacrosse and hockey at Archbishop McCarthy High School.