GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's lacrosse team opens its 2024 season on Saturday, Feb. 10 against Young Harris at Pioneer Field.
The Pioneers finished 4-11 overall last season and welcome back six starters, though Tusculum will need to replace six of its top seven goal scorers from a year ago.
Tusculum will play four of its first five matches on the road, then will play seven of its next nine at Pioneer Field before ending the season with a road trip to Colorado.
ATTACK
Junior Wesley Phillips (Coquitlam, B.C.) was fourth on the Pioneers in both goals (17) and points (36) and was second with 19 assists. Phillips, who had a point in 14 of 15 matches, also had 29 ground balls and five caused turnovers. In two seasons, Phillips has 37 goals and 53 assists for 90 points. Sophomore William Nuzzo (West End, N.C.) is a transfer from St. Andrews, where he had 12 goals in eight matches during the 2022 season.
Making their Tusculum debuts this spring will be sophomore Clay Mendez (Bartow, Fla.) along with freshmen Ben Royer (Edmonton, Alta.) and Chase Penner (Strathmore, Alta.).
MIDFIELDERS
Senior TJ Caldwell (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) appeared in 14 matches last season, picking up 17 ground balls along with two caused turnovers. Caldwell has played in 32 games in his career at Tusculum, with two goals and an assist along with 26 ground balls.
Junior Bauer Swystun (Prince Albert, Sask.) played in 15 matches in 2023, scoring one goal to go along with 26 ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Joining the team this season are junior Bryson Steele (Corryton, Tenn.), sophomore Aidan Collery (Nanaimo, B.C.) and freshmen Ben Hobday (Leduc County, Alta.), Blake Harrison (Sherwood Park, Alta.), Miles Crouse (Ross, Ohio), Ayden Lightner (St. Cloud, Fla.) and Carson Short (Tarpon Springs, Fla.).
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS
A veteran group is led by senior Bryce Grimball (Richmond Hill, Ga.), who had two goals and an assist along with 17 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Grimball has appeared in 26 matches with the Pioneers, scoring two goals and two assists to go with 33 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.
Grad student Nathan Fraser (Kamloops, B.C.) came back from a 2022 injury to appear in 14 matches, with 13 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Fraser, who will be in his sixth season, has played in 31 career contests and has 54 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
Senior Austin Wallace (Epson, N.H.) appeared in 11 games last year and has played in 20 games for the Pioneers in two years, with three ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Alex Germain (Gansevoort, N.Y.) played in five matches, earning one assist and a ground ball. Joining the team this season is freshman Keith Norton (Jackson, Miss.).
On faceoffs, junior Drake Vance (McKinney, Texas) played in 11 games last season and had 36 wins in 104 faceoffs, with 14 ground balls and two caused turnovers.
LONG POLES
All four Pioneer long poles are seniors, led by three-year starter Nicholas Drennan (Calgary, Alta.) who had 26 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers last season along with four goals and an assist. Drennan has seven goals and three assists for 10 points in 36 career games, with 57 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.
Brandon Hale (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) had three ground balls and two caused turnovers in eight games last season, and has five ground balls and five caused turnovers in 23 career games. Nick May (Franklin, Tenn.) appeared in five games last year with four ground balls and a caused turnovers, and has 16 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers in 22 career contests. Karson Gregory (Ladysmith, B.C.) was in 15 games in his first season with the Pioneers, finishing with 18 ground balls and five caused turnovers.
DEFENSE
Junior Nolan Ross (Nanaimo, B.C.) started all 15 matches and led the team with 45 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers in his first season with the Pioneers. Senior Riley Vlach (Aurora, Ill.) has played in six career games for the Pioneers and has one ground ball.
Senior Devin Bowen (Dumfries, Va.) started 13 matches last season and was second on the team in caused turnovers with 15 to go along with 26 ground balls. In 26 career games, Bowen has 32 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers.
Newcomers for the 2024 season are freshmen Aiden Paczek (Ottawa, Ont.) and Jesse Brown (Eagleville, Tenn.).
GOALKEEPERS
Junior Riley Semmes (Jemison, Ala.) started all 15 matches for the Pioneers, playing nearly 668 minutes and compiling a 15.27 goals against average with a .489 save percentage. Semmes finished the season with 163 saves, including four games with 15 or more. In 20 appearances as a Pioneer, Semmes has a 14.31 goals against average and a .503 save percentage.
Sophomore Diego Hopkins (Port Alberni, B.C.) played in nine matches as a freshman, finishing with a 2-0 record and a 13.17 goals against average, with 41 saves and a .482 save percentage.
Senior Nick Adams (Charlotte, N.C.) has played in five games across three seasons for the Pioneers, with 11 saves and a .478 save percentage along with a 12.45 goals against average. Junior Brenden Pecora (Alcoa, Tenn.) transferred to Tusculum from Reinhardt, where he played in seven matches and made 17 saves on 30 shots.
Providing depth for the Pioneers will be freshmen Sam Johnson (Temple Terrace, Fla.) and Alec Petroccelli-Henry (Wallkill, N.Y.).
