GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- After absorbing their first loss of the 2021 season, the Tusculum University men's lacrosse team opens a stretch of challenging matches this week when the Pioneers visit Lenoir-Rhyne for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday.
The Pioneers (4-1, 1-1 SAC) played their home opener against Newberry on Saturday and dropped a 12-9 decision at Pioneer Field. Tusculum was held scoreless in the second and third quarters after trailing 4-3 after one period, but scored six goals in the fourth quarter to cut a six-goal lead to three.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sophomore midfielder Tristan Kirkham had two goals and an assist against Newberry, giving him a team-high 11 goals this season. Senior attack Braden Elam finished with a goal and an assist and leads the Pioneers with 16 points on eight goals and an team-best eight assists. Elam is tied for fourth in the conference in assists and has registered at least one point in all five games this season.
Junior attack Nate Raymond had two goals against Newberry to increase his season total to nine, while junior midfielder Josh Pickford, junior attack Kale Lawrence and senior midfielder Lorenz Brown have seven goals apiece. As a team, Tusculum is fifth in the conference in scoring at 12.4 goals per game, with 13 different players having at least one goal.
On defense, senior Connor Coleman has a team-high 12 caused turnovers and ranks 13th in Division II with an average of 2.4 caused turnovers per game. Coleman has collected 18 ground balls while senior long-stick midfielder Tanner Deck had 13 ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Junior Andy Michalski ranks sixth in Division II and second in the SAC in faceoff percentage, winning 73 percent (46-for-63) through five games. Lawrence is fifth in Division II with three man-up goals, and junior goalkeeper Ross Geiger ranks second in the SAC and ninth in Division II with a 7.42 goals against average.
Tusculum has dropped to fifth in Division II in faceoff winning percentage at 72.1 percent (80-for-111), but the Pioneers still lead the SAC in scoring defense at 7.20 goals per game, which is ninth in Division II. The Pioneers are 10th nationally in scoring margin (+5.2 goals per game) and 10th in ground balls per game at 38.8 per contest.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Lenoir-Rhyne is ranked seventh in this week's USILA Division II poll after beating 12th-ranked Limestone 16-7 on Saturday. The Bears also have wins over North Greenville (9-8) and 13th-ranked Belmont Abbey (14-11), and will put their 3-0 record on the line on Wednesday with a trip to first-year Anderson which is off to a 4-1 start.
Senior Eric Dickinson is the top scorer for the Bears with 11 points on six goals and five assists in two games, with junior Myles Moffat at six goals and four assists for 10 points. Sophomore Toron Eccleston is the top goal scorer for the Bears with eight goals in two matches, as the Bears are averaging 13.0 goals per game through three contests.
Senior Connor Stanley paces the Lenoir-Rhyne defense with 15 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers in three games, ranking him first in the conference and third in Division II with 3.5 caused turnovers per game and seventh in the conference at 5.0 ground balls per contest. Senior Zach Bodeau is the top faceoff man for the Bears, winning 58.8 percent to rank fifth in the conference. In goal, junior Noah Johnson ranks third in the SAC in goals against average at 10.45 and fifth in saves per game with 11.25 per contest.
Lenoir-Rhyne ranks in the lower half of the conference in most offensive categories, but is first with an average of 11.0 caused turnovers per game. The Bears are third in the SAC in goals against average at 8.67 and lead the league in man-up percentage, converting three of six chances for a 50 percent average.
SERIES HISTORY
Lenoir-Rhyne is 7-0 all-time against Tusculum, with the last meeting a 21-3 Bears victory at home on March 16, 2019. The Pioneers are 0-3 all-time in Hickory, which includes a 12-11 double-overtime loss to the 12th-ranked Bears on March 18, 2017.
