By: Noah Dombroski, Contributing Writer
With 11 veteran seniors on the roster this year, the Saint Leo University Men’s Lacrosse team is looking to make a big push for their second appearance in the Division II national championship game in the last three seasons. After finishing with a record of 10 wins and seven losses last year, the team enters this season with a number 16 ranking in the nation. Having won four out of seven conference contests in 2019, the Green and Gold’s performance was respectable, but a far cry from their run in the 2018 season, where they went 16 to three and finished at an undefeated seven to zero in conference matchups.
Head coach, Brad Jorgensen, will certainly be looking to quickly bounce back to that kind of season performance as he enters his 15th year at the helm of the program.
Seniors on the team include Devin Sparks (R-JR), Philip Buque, Collin Beck, Jack Spera, CJ Stowell, Ethan Ticehurst, Mike Simmons, Matthew Laird, Ian Areford, Matt Shand, and Daniel Sparks.
Last season, Charlie Kurtenbach led the team in points with 73 and assists with 33, while Buque finished first in goals scored with 51. Thomas Tatarian spent the most time in the net in 2019, finishing with an eight to six record and a .528 save percentage.
As a team, the Lions notched 255 total goals in their 17 games, an impressive feat considering that, in their 19 games the year before, they scored almost the same amount at 258 despite playing an extra two games.
The men’s squad will play at home at the University Turf Stadium only four times this year. The home opener will be the fifth game of the season, to be played against Walsh on March 7 at 11 a.m. The first intra-conference matchup will be held two weeks later against Rollins, also a home game, scheduled for March 21 at 1 p.m. On April 11 at 1 p.m., the organization will face off against Embry-Riddle in their final home game, which will also serve as the team’s Senior Night.
The Saint Leo Lions were picked to finish second in the SSC in the preseason poll.
The anticipation is palpable as this 2020 season fast approaches, and the men’s team will soon travel to Jacksonville to play Colorado Mesa on Feb. 8 to kick off the year. Furthermore, this Saturday at the University Turf Stadium, the Green and Gold is set to face-off against this year’s Alumni team in the annual alumni scrimmage. This competitive warm-up game will begin at 2 p.m.
The Saint Leo Women’s Lacrosse program is also plenty excited for this upcoming season, and for good reason. Last year, the team started out with an undefeated 13-game run before their first loss and have finished with an incredible total record of 24-10 over the past two years combined. Furthermore, for the first time in organizational history, the Lady Lions are heading into this season already ranked in the top 20 DII teams in the nation, coming in at 17th in the Nike preseason polls.
The team enters the 2020 season with 17 returning veterans, including five seniors: Janee DeLuca, Ashley Salvett, Sydney Drummings, Delaney Chrisco, and Erin Davis. Eleven incoming freshmen and four transfers round out the rest of the roster. Last year, the Lions were led by then-senior Leslie Ferguson, who finished first in goals scored (57) as well as in total points (74).
The Walstad sisters Lexie and Kaylah placed third and fourth on the team in scoring, tallying 72 goals and 29 assists combined, so all three of those players are sure to be missed this season.
DeLuca, who finished second in scoring last year with 66 points, will surely be leading the Lions on the offensive end of the field this season. Davis spent the most time in the net last year, finishing with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses, and a save percentage of .511. She will likely be commanding her defensive line along with Salvett, the team’s star senior defender. At the head of the program is head coach Caitlin Hansen, entering her third season. Hansen is due much of the credit for the team’s record-breaking performance these past couple of years. At her side is assistant coach Allie Modica, a former all-SSC lacrosse player herself.
The Lions will play at home at the University Turf Stadium a total of eight times this 2020 season. After their annual scrimmage against the Alumni team next Saturday, the Lions will open up their regular season at home against conference rival Rollins, a matchup which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. They will close their season with seven straight intra-conference matchups, ending the year with a home contest against Florida Tech on April 18. A key matchup this season will be at home on April 1 against Tampa, a team that is coming into this season ranked as the 6th best DII team in the country.
Make sure to come out and support the Lions at their home games this semester. The dates and times of every sporting event can be found on the full athletic schedule at SaintLeoLions.com. Additionally, the teams’ social media can be found on Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Almost every game, whether home or away, can be streamed live online with video, stats, and commentary via the Saint Leo Lions website or one’s Saint Leo Student Portal.
The Saint Leo Lions were picked to finish second in the SSC in the preseason poll.
The Saint Leo Lions were picked to finish fourth in the SSC in the preseason poll.
