INDIANAPOLIS - Year two of the sport of men’s lacrosse in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference is ready to commence with eight programs vying for championship glory.
The maiden voyage of the inaugural season saw Seton Hill University rise to the top in the Great Midwest Championship final as the Griffins overtook Mercyhurst in a rain-soaked final to the postseason.
Several G-MAC teams were in consideration for the short list of NCAA Championship qualifiers but will need to adjust as a new affiliate of the North Region this spring. Also new to the North Region is the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, East Coast Conference and Northeast 10.
New to the G-MAC landscape is the addition of Wheeling Jesuit University, which joins as an associate member along with Mercyhurst and Seton Hill.
The USILA/NIKE Preseason Poll has two schools in the top 20, including preseason coaches poll favorite Seton Hill at No. 9 and Mercyhurst at No. 11. The DII Face-Off Yearbook rankings also has Mercyhurst slotted in 11th while Seton Hill is entrenched at No. 5.
Keep an eye on Seton Hill’s Brett Craig and Mercyhurst’s Greg Weyl, both impact players selected as preseason All-Americans and on the USILA DII Player of the Year Watch List.
Defending conference champion SHU returns three of the G-MAC’s top-10 scorers from a year ago including Bennett Johnson, Jack Moran and John Hofseth. Not to mention reigning G-MAC Freshman of the Year Jay Scerbo is back for the Griffins, who received unanimous consideration to repeat as league champs with six first-place votes.
Some of the league’s major award winners have graduated or moved on, including offensive player of the year Keyan McQueen (Mercyhurst) and goalkeeper of the year Dylan Ciolino (Walsh).
Scheduling against top-tier competition remains a priority for schools as some have at least four teams in the preseason national rankings on the docket. The Great Midwest is looking for its first bid into the NCAA Championship bracket.
The NCAA Presidents Council also approved budgets to increase the six on the NCAA DII Championship field from eight teams to 12 teams starting in 2019. Four teams from both the North and South Regions will comprise the tournament field once again this spring.
The team capsules below were compiled with help by sports information directors from each institution.
| ALDERSON BROADDUS BATTLERS (PHILIPPI, WV) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 1-11 Overall, 0-6 G-MAC (7th in G-MAC) |
Sunday, Feb. 25 vs. Newberry |
| Team Preview |
| Chris Lukas returns for his fourth season as the head coach for the Battlers…Joseph Varela returns for AB in goal…Varela was ranked 28th in the national rankings for saves per game at 10.75...Varela had a save percentage of 41.9 percent which was 56th in the national rankings as well…Sophomore midfielder Thomas Crane played in 12 games for the Battlers last season and had four goals…Midfielder Zack Hughes won 72 face-offs last season…Hughes collected 34 groundballs in total...A new class of 14 freshmen was recruited by Lukas to help shape the future of the developing program. |
| Players to Watch |
#2 Matthew Amato (A, 5-6, 165, Jr., Massapequa, NY / Plainedge HS)
#7 Thomas Crane (MF, 5-10, 165, So., Buffalo, NY / Williamsville North HS)
#9 Zack Hughes (MF, 5-9, 190, So., Glen Rock, PA / South Western HS)
#13 Joseph Varela (GK, 6-2, 180, Jr., California, MD / Great Mills HS) |
| DAVIS & ELKINS SENATORS (ELKINS, WV) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 4-10 Overall, 2-4 G-MAC (5th in G-MAC) |
Thursday, Feb. 22 vs. Roberts Wesleyan |
| Team Preview |
| Matt Justice begins his first season at the helm of the Davis & Elkins Senators in 2018 and second overall season with the program…Justice replaces Brian Anken, who coached the first two seasons and groomed Justice for the position in 2017…The Senators are coming off of a 4-10 season, which included the Senators’ first win as a program and then a 2-4 mark in Great Midwest play…D&E will return several key players from 2017, including All-Freshman award winner Matt O’Dwyer, who started all 14 games and recorded 30 goals last year…The Senators will also have their second-leading goal scorer back in Matt Dyck who chipped in with 18 goals and 13 assists…The Senators return most of the strong Canadian contingent last season that also includes Mike Tokar, Kyle Durec and Jordan Wadell…The Senators will also return key defenders Michael Holstein and Brett Metheny, as well as two goalies in Kyle Seago and Luke Norcross, both who contributed in 2017…D&E will also look to newcomers Steven Wentz, Haydn Sitler, Brayden McGregor and Trevor Nailor to log big minutes and play key roles…The Senators will open conference play against Mercyhurst on March 17 in Elkins. |
| Players to Watch |
#34 Matt O'Dwyer (M/A, 6-3, 185, So., Nanaimo, Canada / Nanaimo)
#15 Matt Dyck (M/A, 5-7, 157, So., Airdrie, Canada / Bert Church)
#1 Kyle Seago (GK, 5-10, 175, Jr., Earlysville, VA / Albemarle HS)
#18 Kyle Durec (M/A, 6-1, 225, So., Delta, Canada / Delta) |
| LAKE ERIE STORM (PAINESVILLE, OH) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 7-8 Overall, 5-1 G-MAC (2nd in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. Merrimack |
| Team Preview |
| The Lake Erie College men’s lacrosse team heads into their 2018 season with high expectations. The Storm will be led by fourth year Head Coach Steve Gartelman, who has a 31-17 record overall and is 17-4 in conference play...the Storm advanced to the Great Midwest semifinals last season, before being defeated by eventual champ Seton Hill...Lake Erie was nationally ranked for a majority of the 2017 season and was ranked as high as 11th...the Storm is primed for a big season as they return all five of their leading goal scorers from last season, led by Mitchell Stokes, who scored 22 goals for the Storm...Lake Erie will also return three key members of their defense, led by Reid Hnidy as he led the Storm with 34 caused turnovers...The Storm also returns Bret Swan, who was the Great Midwest Specialist of the Year along with seven other all-conference players...Coach Gartelman said, “We're all very excited to begin our first season in the northern region. It will make our schedule look a little different but we still have a very strong line up, both in and out of conference. The men had a very strong fall, which we are looking to build on this spring. It's a team that's hungry and motivated but most importantly we are together. Our potential is endless and we hope to show it with a strong year." |
| Players to Watch |
#12 Mitchell Stokes (M, Sr., New Westminster, BC / New Westminster Secondary)
#55 Bret Swan (M/F, Jr., Action City, Ontario / Halton Hills)
#6 Reed Hnidy (D, Sr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan / Genesee CC)
#17 Conor Sharkey (GK, Jr., Cambridge, Ontario / Jacob Hespeler / Pfeiffer) |
| MERCYHURST LAKERS (ERIE, PA) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 12-3 Overall, 6-0 G-MAC (1st in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Feb. 10 vs. NYIT |
| Team Preview |
| The graduation of Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year Keyan McQueen (34 G, 28 A), Derek Richards (26 G, 14 A), James Crowe (15 G, 9 A) and Matt Wells (11 W, 6.33 GAA) are a daunting task for head coach Chris Ryan after the Lakers secured the top seed for the conference tournament in the league's first season with the popular sport; the league leader in goals scored, Kurtis Woodland (37 G) is also a notable ommission from the new spring roster...Ryan was voted by his peers as the 2017 Great Midwest Coach of the Year...new opportunities at various positions will emerge as Ryan integrates a class of eight seniors and 15 first-year student-athletes...Mercyhurst is still viewed among the nation's elite in the North Region in a handful of preseason national rankings and No. 2 in the Great Midwest Preseason Coaches Poll...The Lakers' top returning offensive threat on paper is Oran Horn, a senior mid with 21 points last season a junior...NCAA All-American Greg Weyl anchors the defense and is a USILA National Player to Watch candidate from various publications; his contributions included 52 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers. |
| Players to Watch |
#22 Greg Weyl (D, 6-5, 200, Sr., Pittsford, NY / Pittsford HS)
#24 Oran Horn (M, 5-9, 195, Sr., Kahnawake, Quebec / Vermont Academy)
#2 Colin Greenway (M, 5-9, 170, Sr., Williamsville, NY / Williamsville East HS)
#9 Brandon May (D, 6-0, 200, Jr., Buffalo, NY / Bishop Timon-St. Jude) |
| OHIO VALLEY FIGHTING SCOTS (VIENNA, WV) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 4-10 Overall, 1-5 G-MAC (6th in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Feb. 17 vs. Roberts Wesleyan |
| Team Preview |
| Ohio Valley enters the season returning four of their top six point scorers that finished the campaign last year 4-10 overall and 1-5 in the conference...Junior Keith Parkman begins the campaign with the most experience on attack for the Scots...He was able to score 24 goals and assist on 14 more tallies...A pair of sophomores add to the attack Kyle Dunklee and Drew Braden they accounted for 33 and 34 points, respectively...Long stick midfield Colin Finn and freshman Giovanni Barahona will also be vital on the offensive side for the Scots...Between the pipes for the majority of the time last year was sophomore Caden Rites who started 11 out of the 14 games for the team...Nehemiah Hofer will also be in the battle for the starting goalie...The defense will also be helped by sophomore Quinn Gidzinski and senior Curtis Thompson...The Scots will also have new coaching staff behind the bench as Pat Root will be the interim head coach and Mike Martiello will assist as the associate head coach. |
| Players to Watch |
Drew Braden (A, 6-3, 200, So., Wooster, OH / Wooster HS)
Keith Parkman II (M, 5-8, 160, Jr., San Diego, CA / Serra HS)
Kyle Dunklee (A/M, 5-10, 175, So., Houston, TX / Pearland HS)
Colin Finn (LSM/D, 5-7, 160, Jr., Bel Air, MD / Bel Air HS)
Giovanni Barahona (D, 5-8, 175, Fr., Kensington, MD / Northwood HS) |
| SETON HILL GRIFFINS (GREENSBURG, PA) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 12-4 Overall, 4-2 G-MAC (3rd in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Feb. 10 vs. Indianapolis |
| Team Preview |
| Head coach Brian Novotny returns a strong nucleus from last season's G-MAC champion squad...The Griffins were selected as preseason favorites in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll and were ranked 5th in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll and 9th in the USILA/Nike Preseason Poll...Junior LSM Brett Craig and senior A Jack Moran were both named to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American team...Craig, also on the USILA National Player Watch List, was a first-team selection while Moran was a third-team selection...SHU returns five players who earned All G-MAC honors and three players who were on the All G-MAC Freshman Team led by face-off specialist Jay Scerbo who was named the G-MAC Freshman of the Year...The team returns all of their top three scorers from last season who all finished with over 40 points...John Hofseth led the team with 33 goals while Moran had a team high 53 points...Sophomore Max Eismann started the final six games in cage and was a perfect 6-0 to close out the season...The Griffins defeated Lake Erie in the G-MAC semifinal last season and then knocked off host and #1 seed Mercyhurst in the G-MAC title game. |
| Players to Watch |
#4 Zack Rusch (M, R-SR, 6-4, 175, Bethel Park, PA / Bethel Park HS)
#6 Jack Moran (A, SR, 5-7, 185, Plainfield, IL / Benet Academy/Furman)
#15 Brett Craig (LSM, JR, 6-6, 230, Calgary, Alberta / Cresecent Heights)
#17 Bennett Johnson (A, JR, 6-3, 205, Annapolis, MD / St. Mary's Annapolis HS)
#30 Max Eismann (GK, SO, 6-1, 190, Rochester, NY / West Irondequoit HS) |
| WALSH CAVALIERS (NORTH CANTON, OH) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 4-12 Overall, 3-3 G-MAC (4th in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Feb. 17 vs. Lincoln Memorial |
| Team Preview |
| Coming off of its best conference season ever, Walsh looks to return to the postseason in 2018 after its first playoff appearance in program history...However, Coach Alex Skvarch’s crew will have to replace a lot after losing most of the starters to graduation, including four-year starter and last season’s G-MAC Goalkeeper of the Year Dylan Ciolino and the program’s all-time leading scorer Bryan Crim...Looking to fulfill that role on the offensive end will be Benjamin Suchomma...The senior played in all 16 games with 13 starts a season ago and was third on the team in goals with 15 and points with 23...He was second on the team with eight assists...Defensively he was third with 41 ground balls...Ryan Rafac led that category with 62 as the team’s specialist...He won 53.4 percent of face-offs a season ago and looks to help the Cavs get even more possessions to start in his senior campaign. |
| Players to Watch |
#27 Benjamin Suchomma (A, 5-9, 160, Sr., Sylvania, OH / Northview HS)
#10 Ryan Rafac (M, 5-10, 190, Sr., Toledo, OH / St. Johns HS) |
| WHEELING JESUIT CARDINALS (WHEELING, WV) |
| 2017 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 6-8 Overall |
Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Rollins |
| Team Preview |
| Landon DelPrince enters his 3rd season as the Cardinals head coach…He has led WJU to a 13-13 mark in the first two campaigns…WJU’s 2018 schedule has five of the USILA’s Top 20 teams…Team went 5-2 vs. G-MAC teams in 2017…Cardinals lost four games by two goals or less last year…WJU finished 2017 by winning five of its final six games…Return its top four scorers from a year ago and starting goalie…Seniors Dereck Downs and Matt Lee led the team with a combined 65 goals and 28 assists...Goalie Jake Lilly posted a 10.80 goals against average with a .533 save percentage. |
| Players to Watch |
#7 Maclean Fitzmartin (M, 5-8, 175, Sr., Columbus, Ohio / St. Francis DeSales)
#12 Jake Lilly (G, 5-11, 215, Sr., Marcellus, NY / Marcellus)
#14 Matt Lee (A, 5-7, 170, Sr., Toronto, Ontario / Everest Academy)
#15 Travis Getz (M, 5-8, 160, Jr., Calgary, Alberta / Shorter Univ.)
#22 Jordan Getz (M, 5-9, 160, Jr., Calgary, Alberta / Shorter Univ.)
#24 Dereck Downs (A, 6-2, 215, Sr., Toronto, Ontario / Hill Academy) |