Unpredictable Outcomes Rule NCAA Action

By Mitchell Courtney, Knighthawks Feature Writer

(March 13, 2019) Although NCAA lacrosse has been incredibly unpredictable to this point, there has been more excitement than most would have expected. Parity and unexpected powerhouses have ruled the season thus far, and no data that suggests this year’s squads will regress to the mean.

The Albany Great Danes are one of many teams that have experienced early season troubles. The young group dropped to 1-4 on the season after their latest losses to UMass and No. 7-ranked Maryland. Their 14-8 loss to UMass was perhaps the most surprising outcome of the week. Indigenous players Tehoka Nanticoke and Jakob Patterson played well in the loss with the former netting a hat trick and a single assist, and the latter tallying a goal and an assist. Junior Ron John also notched a goal in the defeat.

In their second loss of the week, Indigenous junior Mitch Laffin scored three fourth-quarter goals in just three minutes and 45 seconds. Laffin’s first goals of the year were not enough to overcome a talented Terrapins’ squad, but Albany senior Chaunce Hill is still confident his group can turn things around.

“Early season losses do not determine how our season will go,” he said. “We will learn from the mistakes we have made.”

The Great Danes’ next test will come in the form of UMass Lowell on Saturday, March 16.

Former No. 1 Loyola and Indigenous freshman Chase Scanlan fell for the second time in three contests, this time at the hands of Duke University. Scanlan once again proved that he is up to the challenge, collecting three goals and two assists in the loss. The Greyhounds’ four fourth-quarter tallies were not enough to overcome a sizeable Duke lead, and they fell to 4-2 on the season. They will look to get back on track in a March 16 contest against Navy.

The Jacksonville University Dolphins and budding star Wake:Riat Bowhunter nearly defeated No. 1 Towson University on Friday, March 8; subsequently falling to Penn State two days later to fall to 1-6 on the season. Bowhunter tallied a single goal and scooped four ground balls in their first contest, and collected an assist in their 24-11 loss to the Nittany Lions. The 1-6 Dolphins are comprised of many young athletes, and they have shown flashes of potential in 2019. Their next test will also come on March 16 as they face off against Bellarmine at noon.

Devon Buckshot did not see his first action of the season as his High Point Panthers group moved to 6-1 on the season with a 22-13 victory over UMBC. The Panthers will attempt to move to 7-1 as they take on VMI on Friday.

Kyran Sunday also failed to crack the lineup for his team as Hofstra split last week’s action with one win and one loss. The loss came at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 14-8, and their win came against Matt Duncan and St. John’s University, 9-7. The Pride will face Providence on Saturday as Sunday attempts to get into the lineup for the first time in 2019.

St. John’s loss was preceded by a second defeat as they fell to Siena, 18-10. Indigenous freshman Matt Duncan did not get on the scoresheet in either contest. The two losses moved Duncan and his team to 2-4 on the season. They will face Dartmouth College on Tuesday, March 19 in an attempt to turn the tide in their favor.

A matchup that had been expected to be a fierce competition did not disappoint as Johns Hopkins University fell to the Syracuse Orange by a score of 14-9. Jake Fox was not in the lineup for the Blue Jays, but indigenous defenseman Tyson Bomberry collected an assist for the Orange.

The Blue Jays got right back on track with an 11-4 win over Mount St. Mary’s to pull them back to .500 on the young season. Fox tallied one ground ball pickup and one shot in the win. The Blue Jays will face Delaware on March 16 in their quest to reverse some bad early season fortune. The next matchup for the Orange is a bit tougher as they are prepared to do battle with No. 16 Rutgers on the same day.

The junior college campaigns are well underway now, and the Onondaga Lazers fell to 1-2 on the season after a 12-4 loss to the Nassau Lions. Indigenous freshman Owen Hill, who is expected to contribute heavily in 2019, notched a goal in his team’s defeat. The Lazers will attempt to battle back to .500 with a win against Howard Community College on March 17.

Genesee Community College lost its first contest of the season 14-7 at the hands of CCBC Essex. The Cougars received some strong play from Indigenous athletes Dante David and Kyle Isaacs. Isaacs scored twice, and David added a goal of his own in the contest. GCC will face off against Monroe Community College on March 13 and Nassau Community College on March 17.