College Crosse Prospectus: This week’s individual honors; Towson players suspended

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING, College Crosse Nation!! Thanks for making us a part of your day! Here’s everything you need to know for April 3, 2018.

What You Missed

In the latest Arestia Development, Cornell’s offense is really good. Dan says they’re on fire, but I’ll say it’s an INFERNO.

John Michael Night’s number is always present on the Mercer Bears in every game during the season.

Lacrosse The Nation

Let’s get to some of the national and conference honors for the week:

ACC:

• Offensive Player of the Week: Justin Guterding (Duke)
• Defensive Player of the Week: Dom Madonna (Syracuse)

America East:

• Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Ian MacKay (Vermont) & Sean Tyrrell (UMass Lowell)
• Defensive Player of the Week: Hunter Braun (UMass Lowell)
• Rookie of the Week: Tehoka Nanticoke (Albany)

Big East:

• Attack Player & Rookie of the Week: Keegan Khan (Villanova)
• Midfielder of the Week: Ryan Nawrocki (Providence)
• Defensive Player of the Week: Dylan Gaines (Denver)

CAA:

• Player of the Week: Ryan Tierney (Hofstra)
• Rookie of the Week: Joe Lenskold (Delaware)

Ivy League:

• Player of the Week: Jack Tigh (Yale)
• Rookie of the Week: George Grell (Brown)

MAAC:

• Offensive Player of the Week: Foster Cuomo (Quinnipiac)
• Defensive Player of the Week: Gordon Phillips (Monmouth)
• Rookie of the Week: Noah Lode (Monmouth)

NEC:

• Player of the Week: Joe Saggese (Sacred Heart)
• Co-Defensive Players of the Week: Davis Stoner (Saint Joseph’s) & Kevin Beimfohr (Bryant)
• Rookie of the Week: Dylan Furnback (Mount St. Mary’s)

Patriot League:

• Offensive Player of the Week: Reed Malas (Bucknell)
• Defensive Player of the Week: Foster Huggins (Loyola)
• Faceoff Specialist of the Week: Collin Orr (Colgate)
• Goalkeeper of the Week: Jacob Stover (Loyola)
• Rookie of the Week: James Spence (Lehigh)

The Big Ten and SoCon release their individual accolades later today.

Elsewhere, Towson Tigers head coach Shawn Nadelen has suspended attackman Jon Mazza and defenseman Sid Ewell indefinitely in what he called a “team thing.” Attackman Dylan Kinnear was also suspended and is no longer listed on the team’s roster. Edward Lee of The Baltimore Sun has more:

Nadelen acknowledged that the loss of Mazza and Ewell stings, but said how Towson will respond during the rest of the season is up in the air.

“Obviously, I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said. “So all we’re doing as a team is understanding that when we step on the field, you can only practice and compete with the guys that you have.

“That’s something we have to continue to focus on — whether guys are with us on the field or not due to injury or, in this case, player suspensions. We’re a team for a reason.”

Asked whether the suspensions could galvanize the players, Nadelen replied: ‘I don’t know if it feels like a rallying point. I would just say that we’re in this together — through the good times and through the rough times. I think these guys understand that this is a situation where they need each other more and more, and I think they’re going to be able to support each other that way.”

Marquette’s SAAC program made this great video detailing a day in the life of FOGO Zach Melillo:

Lehigh’s John Mehok has overcome a lot to be an important player for the Mountain Hawks this season, as Justin Lafleur explains on the Mountain Hawks website:

It was hard for Mehok, but he handled his situation as well as he possibly could. It’s easy to focus internally during hardship, but he did his best to focus on helping his teammates however he could.

“Johnny is a tough kid, both physically and mentally,” said second-year captain Ian Strain. “When the injury hit, Johnny did a great job of looking outward and helping those around him. Emotionally, all I had to do was remind him how much we value his opinion as a scorer and offensive player, then point him in the direction of a player who could use advice. John worked tirelessly with the offense to be another positive voice from the sidelines.”

Ten games into his senior season, Mehok has been able to use more than his voice. He has started every game in the midfield and currently stands fourth on the team with 14 points (nine goals, five assists). If there was any doubt about Mehok’s health or abilities, it went away on Mar. 3 vs. Colgate when he posted four goals and one assist, leading the Mountain Hawks to a big 10-7 win over the Raiders.

“When Johnny finally got back on the field, I remember how frustrated he was with himself because he wasn’t immediately scoring goals as he usually did,” said Strain. “He is so competitive that he was able to grind away until he was back to his old self. He is so pumped up to be on the field again. Now, he brings that voice he developed while injured, which makes our entire team better.”

You can say the same thing about Villanova’s John Kluh, as Inside Lacrosse’s Matt Kinnear details:

He’s the one whose teammates cheer extra loud when he scores. Even if you’re not supposed to, you’re quietly pulling for him. His freshman year, the Villanova coaching staff recalls, an opposing coach came up to them after a game and said, “I had to tell our bench to stop cheering for him.”

At first, it was because he was the small guy who worked harder than everyone. But it’s what he’s battled through — two ACL tears, almost exactly a year apart in his right knee — and how he’s reacted to it, that has made his cheering section grow over the years.

“I’m a sixth year,” says Kluh. “Which is kinda funny to say. I’m just grateful to get to play. I’ve put in a lot of hard work, but I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have the support of my teammates and my coaches and everything they’ve done for me. Just to be at Villanova, from the coaching staff, that is something that’s very special to me.

“To continue to stand by my side despite all my injuries. It’s a really special support system. Just to be out there is really incredible.”

And, 2018 was almost lost too. In a midweek game against Drexel on Feb. 27, Kluh hurt his knee again. This time, it wasn’t an ACL tear, but it still had the potential to be season-ending. Sure enough, he’s back on the field. Against Marquette, he came onto the field an drew a penalty right away in the Wildcats’ 14-9 victory against the Golden Eagles.

Here’s the latest Hofstra Coaches Report with Seth Tierney!

A great piece written by Michigan Wolverines midfielder (and former St. Joseph’s Prep graduate) Chase Young in US Lacrosse Magazine on his role models and how he doesn’t see color in the sport:

I love spreading the game to inner cities and athletes. My high school coach Eric Gregg, he also was a black lacrosse player. He played for the Philadelphia Barrage. He has an organization called LEAPS. We could go into inner-city Philadelphia and teach about the game, try to explain the great benefits and outcomes if you end up playing lacrosse, getting into college and getting a college degree. I was one of maybe three black lacrosse players on the team. I could tell, the kids looked up to me and my other black teammates as role models. They would congregate toward us a little more. It showed we can have an impact on the youth.

Johnny Christmas was a huge role model of mine growing up. I couldn’t tell you how many times I looked up Johnny Christmas YouTube highlights when I was younger. Through HHH (Head-Heart-Hustle) Lacrosse, I was able to do community service with him and play for him when I was younger. That was a really cool opportunity. Being a black athlete, having those role models — the Chazz Woodsons and Myles Joneses of the world — it just gives you a sense of hope that you can be great at lacrosse and you can make a difference in the community as well. That’s how I’ve been living my life, trying to be a role model for young athletes, white or black, to give them the opportunity to see what success looks like.

My parents diversified me pretty well when I was at a young age. Like I said, my father’s Jamaican. He’s also Chinese. (Also, Team China, hit me up. I’m down to do that as well.)

I’m a whole mix of stuff. I got Chinese, Jamaican, Native American on my mom’s side — just from a family standpoint, I’m pretty diverse in that sense. My parents raised me not even to think of color. There’s been a racial divide in society. But they were able to teach me there are all types of people, and you should treat others the way you want to be treated no matter the skin tone or complexion they have.

Could Canada not participate in the upcoming FIL World Championships? It’s very possible, according to Stephen Stamp and Matt Kinnear of Inside Lacrosse.

Philly Jawns

The Villanova Wildcats are National Champions for the second time in three years.

World News

Purdue’s special teams coordinator left his job to open a Chick-fil-A. I don’t blame him one bit.

Video of the Day

One Shining Moment never disappoints.

That’s it for today!! I’ll see you out there!! Make sure you follow us on social media!

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Managing Editors: Safe Fekadu, Chris Jastrzembski, Ryan McDonnell