2018 Men’s Lacrosse Year in Review: #64 Hartford Hawks

With the 2018 college lacrosse season complete, it’s time to start looking back at how all 71 teams did during the season, as well as what to expect from each squad for 2019.

We started looking ahead to 2019 with a few of our team recaps last week and continued things this past week with Marist and Siena.

So with that, let’s continue the recaps!

#64 Hartford Hawks

Conference: America East
2018 Record: 3-10 (0-6 in America East play)
Head coach: Ryan Martin (2nd Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Griffin Feiner (38)
Assists: Griffin Feiner and Rion Davison (19)
Points: Griffin Feiner (57)
Faceoffs: Dylan Protesto (173-of-275; 62.9%)
Ground balls: Dylan Protesto (94)
Caused turnovers: Brendan Gates (14)
Goals against average: Ryan Vanderford (12.24 GAA)
Save percentage: Ryan Vanderford (46.8%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: A Griffin Feiner (38 Gs, 19 As, 22 GBs), A Justin Huggins (32 Gs, 6 As), A Rion Davison (16 Gs, 19 As, 21 GBs), FOGO Dylan Protesto (62.9% faceoff draws, 94 GBs, 1 G), G Ryan Vanderford (12.24 GAA, 46.8% SV%), D Brendan Gates (30 GBs, 14 CTs), LSM Brian Dailey (7 GBs, 5 CTs), M Trevor O’Brien (7 Gs, 6 As), A Will Dulin (3 Gs, 4 As)
Senior scoring departing: 151 of 205 points (73.7%)
Senior starts lost: 77 of 130 (59.2%)

Season Summary

Hartford entered the 2018 season with a small group of talented senior leaders. It showed as they were the ones who carried the team through the year.

But two years after winning the America East conference, the Hawks have regressed since. This time, they went 3-10 and winless in the conference, something which should not please head coach Ryan Martin.

But despite the record, Hartford was a tough customer in every game. Except for the season finale blowout to Albany, the margin of victory in each of the other 12 matchups was five goals or fewer. Four of them were decided by three goals or less.

Feiner, Huggins, and Davison provided senior leadership up top, scoring a combined 130 points out of 205 total points, about 63.4% of the team’s scoring. Junior midfielder Dylan Jinks was the only other player who topped 30 points with 18 goals and 12 assists.

With Dylan Protesto dominating at the faceoff X, the defense was the weakest link for Hartford. Brendan Gates was the senior captain of the unit to go along freshman Wade Tucker and either junior Claude Bradshaw or sophomore Nicholas Vazquez as the starting close defensemen. Brian Dailey also contributed as an LSM, with Ryan Vanderford backstopping the team. But the defense allowed double-digit goals in all but two of their games.

Looking Ahead

The Hawks need help in nearly every department, so it looks like a rebuilding process in underway. The three starting attackmen are gone, as well as O’Brien and Dulin. Freshman midfielder Alex Smith (7 Gs, 5 As) has transferred to Maryland. Dylan Jinks is the team’s top returning scorer. That’s really it for offense. Players like Zach Elkinson and Alex Borja will have to step up.

Gates and Dailey depart on defense, as well as their starting goalie in Vanderford. Sophomore Nicholas Ferraro played in three games last year, starting in one, and recorded a 12.84 goals against average in about 93 and-a-half minutes.

Nolan Little could replace Protesto, a former All-American, at the faceoff X after going 11-of-21 last season. Similar to other schools replacing formidable draw takers, it’ll be tough for Hartford to replace a guy like Protesto.

Here’s who the Hawks will be adding to their roster for next year.*

*Compiled from a multitude of websites. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.