Uncertainty Fills the Air Early in NCAA Lacrosse Action

By Mitchell Courtney, Rochester Knighthawks Feature Writer

In perhaps the most impactful matchup of this past week, Pat Spencer, Chase Scanlan and Loyola took on in-state foe Towson University. Prior to the contest, Loyola was ranked as the No. 1 team in the country by Inside Lacrosse.

Unfortunately for the Greyhounds, Towson toppled them by a score of 12-10 on its way to becoming the new No. 1. Scanlan recorded one goal and two assists in the contest, but the Greyhounds could never take the lead after falling behind 4-2 in the first quarter. Loyola did, however, bounce back with a 19-15 win against Holy Cross on March 2, a game in which Scanlan tallied five goals and one assist. The Greyhounds will look to win their second game in a row on March 7 against Duke.

Saturday afternoon, up and coming star Wake:Riat BowHunter and Jacksonville University experienced their first win of the 2019 season with a 19-12 victory over Dan Burnam's Drexel Dragons. BowHunter impressed once again, notching a hat trick in the Dolphins' first win of the season. Burnam, however, was not able to crack the Drexel lineup for the first time in his young career.

The Dolphins will face off against Towson on March 8 and Penn State on March 10 as part of The Crown Lacrosse Classic. Burnam will look get into the lineup as Drexel takes part in the Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic on March 8.

Despite scoring five goals in the final quarter, the Albany Great Danes fell to Cornell by a score of 17-16 on Saturday. Indigenous junior Jakob Patterson nearly led his team to victory as he scored three goals and added three assists in the loss. Ron John tallied three assists as well in the losing effort, and the Great Danes fell to 1-2 on the season. Albany's early struggles do not appear as though they are affecting the way their group is approaching this season. Fellow junior Mitch Laffin noted that the Albany coaching staff instills confidence in their team even when the results are not there.

"Our coaching staff addressed us and told us not to worry about the rankings because May is a long way away," he said. "We just like to keep our focus on the next game."

The Great Danes are set to go to battle against UMass on March 5, and the Maryland Terrapins on March 9.

Much like Dan Burnam, Devon Buckshot of High Point University has been unable to get into the lineup in 2019. However, his team remains in contention as the Panthers moved to 5-1 on the season after a 16-15 double-overtime win against Robert Morris on Saturday. The Panthers will match up against UMBC on March 9.

Kyran Sunday is also still searching for his first regular season minutes at Hofstra, but the Pride fell to Georgetown on March 2 by a score of 14-6. The loss moved the Pride to 2-3 on the season as they will look to get back to .500 when they face the Ohio State Buckeyes on March 9.

Jake Fox was back in the lineup for Johns Hopkins for their matchup against Princeton on Saturday. The Blue Jays moved to 2-2 with a 14-12 win, and their two losses look a bit less daunting coming at the hands of Loyola and Towson, two of the best teams in the country. The Blue Jays are looking to go over .500 for the first time in 2019 as they take on Syracuse on March 9.

The Orange lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Virginia in their last contest, moving them to 2-2 on the season as well. The game marked the first time two indigenous players suited up for Syracuse, as Tyson Bomberry and Troy Lauder both competed hard in the loss. Bomberry scooped up three ground balls, and Lauder did not record any goals, assists or ground balls. As previously mentioned, Syracuse will battle Johns Hopkins in a game that will see only one of the two emerge over .500 on the season.

St. John's and Indigenous freshman Matt Duncan fell to 2-2 after falling to the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 16-11. Duncan recorded an assist in the contest as he continues to prove his worth as a freshman. Duncan's group, like Syracuse and Johns Hopkins, will attempt to get over .500 on March 9 as they take on Siena College.

On the junior college front, Eric Miccio's Onondaga Lazers fell in their second contest of the season, 12-8. After winning their first game of the season against Anne Arundel Community College, the Lazers were not able to keep their winning streak alive. However, Miccio's positive and infectious attitude seems to have had a significant impact on his team's performance early on. The Lazers will attempt to win their second game of the season on Saturday as they take on Nassau Community College at home.

Genesee Community College and their head coach, Dave Hoover, will begin their regular season at home on March 9 against CCBC Essex at noon.

As the 2019 NCAA Men's Lacrosse season heats up, there are still many questions that need to be answered about some of the country's most prestigious programs. Teams like Syracuse and Albany will need to push to unseat No. 1 Towson and an impressive Loyola team. One thing is certain, however, 2019 is sure to excite fans around the country.