GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- A new era in Tusculum University men's lacrosse begins this week as the Pioneers open the 2022 season at Young Harris College on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
New head coach Rodney Tapp makes his Pioneer debut in 2022 following the departure of founding head coach Richard Carrington to the coaching staff of Division III powerhouse Amherst. Tapp, who was an assistant coach at South Atlantic Conference rival Newberry prior to accepting the Tusculum job, welcomes five starters and 25 returnees back from last year's team, which battled through COVID-19 protocols to finish with a 7-5 overall record and 3-4 in the SAC, including a 10-9 win over Coker in the opening round of the conference tournament.
"We need to get better each day so we can compete in our conference. Our league is very strong, so our non-conference games will be learning experiences for us, to see what we are doing right and wrong," said Tapp, who enjoyed a lengthy and successful amateur and professional playing career. "We may not have the depth that we want, but our top unit is solid and will be very difficult to defend."
ATTACK
Seniors Nate Raymond and Kale Lawrence provide veteran scoring power on the attack for the Pioneers. Raymond (Traceys Landing, Md.) finished second on the team in goals (19) and points (26) last season, while Lawrence (Kaleden, B.C.) had 17 goals to rank third on the team and 21 points for fifth on the squad. Lawrence is ninth in program history with 49 goals and 62 points, while Raymond ranks 10th in school history with 41 goals. Lawrence enters the season tied for fourth in school history with nine man-up goals, leading the squad with three last season.
Freshman Wesley Phillips (Coquitlam, B.C.) is expected to be a top contributor on the attack for the Pioneers, with additional support from junior Aiden Caskey (Orlando, Fla.), senior Giovanni Berardis (Cape May Courthouse, N.J.) and sophomore Tate Haugen (Wausau, Wisc.). Caskey has four assists in three career games, Berardis has scored one goal in five career contests and Haugen appeared in one match as a freshman.
MIDFIELDERS
Leading scorer Lorenz Brown (Charlottesville, Va.) is back for his fifth season with the Pioneers after leading the team in goals (21) and points (27) last season. Brown has 38 goals and 11 assists for 49 points in 41 career games and has collected 48 ground balls.
Seniors Jordan Daniel and Sean Dunn along with junior Tristan Kirkham are also back at midfield for the Pioneers. Daniel (Langley, B.C.) is the top returning assist man from last season with 10, and added nine goals for 19 points. Dunn (Palm Harbor, Fla.) had 10 goals and six assists a year ago, while Kirkham (Langley, B.C.) contributed 15 goals and seven assists for 22 points. Daniel is ninth in program history with 31 career assists, Dunn has 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points in 32 games off the bench, and Kirkham has 18 goals and eight assists for 26 points in 19 career contests.
Senior Andy Michalski (Victoria, B.C.) will see field time in addition to his faceoff duties for the Pioneers. Michalski won 56.2 percent of his faceoffs in 2021 (100-for-178) and has a career faceoff percentage of .558 which is second in program history to teammate Nathan Fraser. Michalski, whose 225 career faceoff wins are second-most in school history, posted career highs of two goals, three assists and 57 ground balls last season. His 113 ground balls are sixth-most in a career in program history.
Also providing depth at attacking midfield are sophomore TJ Caldwell and senior Cody Webb. Caldwell (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) had a goal in three games last season, while Webb played in five games last year and has one assist in 14 career contests.
The defensive midfield is anchored by Fraser (Kamloops, B.C.), who played in 12 matches last year and had 33 ground balls, due in large part to his 58 percent success (51-for-88) on faceoffs. Fraser has the best faceoff percentage for a career in program history at .567 (59-for-104).
Sophomore Bryce Grimball and Brandon Hale will be joined by sophomore transfer Austin Wallace and freshman Caleb Freeman on the defensive side of midfield. Grimball (Richmond Hill, Ga.) played in one game last season, while Hale (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) made three appearances for the Pioneers. Wallace (Epson, N.H.) comes to Tusculum from Castleton (Vt.) where he played in 11 games last season and had 10 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Freeman (Lexington, S.C.) is the tallest player in program history at 6-7 and comes to Tusculum from White Knoll High School, where he lettered twice in lacrosse.
DEFENSE
Seniors Tyler Nunenmacher and Brent Floyd Jr. are joined by sophomore Nicholas Drennan in the back for the Pioneers. Nunenmacher (Mandeville, La.) played all 12 matches last season and collected nine ground balls, while Drennan (Calgary, Alta.) played in seven games and had four ground balls. Floyd (Glen Burnie, Md.) has played in 10 career matches for the Pioneers and has four ground balls.
Senior Fred Harbinson and sophomores Riley Vlach, Devin Bowen and Nick May will bring depth to the defense for the Pioneers. Harbinson (Okanagan Falls, B.C.) played two matches last season and has appeared in seven contests across three seasons for the Pioneers. Bowen (Dumfries, Va.) appeared in three matches a year ago and had two ground balls, May (Franklin, Tenn.) played three games last season and had three caused turnovers and Vlach (Aurora, Ill.) saw action in one contest as a freshman.
GOALKEEPERS
Senior Ross Geiger (Calgary, Alta.) has started all 33 games for the Pioneers over his first three seasons, compiling an 18-15 record with a 11.77 goals against average and a .477 save percentage. Last year, Geiger had an 11.01 goals against average and a career-best .488 save percentage. Geiger ranks second in program history in saves (326), fifth in save percentage and second in wins.
Backing up Geiger will be sophomores Shawn Smith and Nick Adams, along with freshman Riley Semmes (Jemison, Ala.). Smith (Davie, Fla.) and Adams (Charlotte, N.C.) each appeared in two matches last season, with Smith making three saves and Adams four.
SCHEDULE
The Pioneers will play their first six matches against non-conference opponents, with their home opener against Shorter on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at Pioneer Field. Tusculum will open SAC play on Saturday, March 5 at home against Mars Hill and will face a conference schedule that includes four teams in the preseason USILA Division II rankings. The regular season will wrap up at home against Wingate on Saturday, April 23.
