By: Athletic Communications Student Intern Joe Huff '21
BEREA, Ohio – After the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season, the Baldwin Wallace University men's lacrosse team is eyeing a return to be on top the Ohio Athletic Conference standings in 2021.
Head Coach Trey Keeley, who enters his fourth season, returns 13 letterwinners, two All-Ohio Athletic Conference players and seven Academic All-OAC performers from last year's squad that posted a 2-4 record before the 2020 season was cut short. The Yellow Jackets also welcome 19 new faces that hope to have an immediate impact.
The BW offense will be led by sophomore attacker Kyler Byerly (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) as he led the team in goals with eight and was tied for the team lead in points with 11 in 2020. He also finished with 10 ground balls, three assists, and one caused turnover.
The attack will be strengthened by sophomore Kaleb Delaney (Buffalo, N.Y./Akron) and freshmen Zakary Kroeger (Cincinnati/Archbishop Moeller), Rhys Leach (Canton/GlenOak), Gunner Macmillan (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush Henrietta), Jake Nanonsky (Medina) and Parker Ruggles (Westfield, Ind.).
In the middle, the Yellow Jackets will be ushered by seniors Ethan Miller (Delaware/Hayes) and All-OAC Nick Nanosky (Medina). Miller, a two-time letterwinner, comes off a 2020 season in which he scored four goals and was second on the team with six assists, for 10 points. He collected six ground balls, caused a career-best-tying two turnovers, and one man-up goal. Nanosky, a two-time Academic All-OAC selection, finished with five points and a total of eight points.
The midfield will be reinforced by seniors Jimmy Brown (Canfield/Cardinal Mooney), Carson Howatt (Dexter, Mich.) and Gage Schneider (Hamburg, N.Y.), juniors Eric Bechtel (Westlake), Nolan Connelly (Rocky River) and John Schulte (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South) and sophomores Jonas Aquilla (Westlake/St. Edward), Jake Branton (Marysville), Olin Ferguson (Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington), Zach Marinello (Wooster), Bobby Sotock (Painesville/Riverside), and Declan Tubbs (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls). Freshmen John Bartolotto (Fairport, N.Y.), Noah Bartos (Lancaster, N.Y.), Hunter Boehm (Delaware/Olentangy), Shawn Davis (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster Central), Niccolas Spotti (Mars, Pa.), Trevor Stevens (Buffalo, N.Y./Lancaster), Eric Thompson (Liberty Township/St. Xavier) and Keaton Trout (Pickerington/North) look to play a factor in the middle.
On the back end, BW will be guided by senior All-OAC defender Matthew Rodenhouse (Pittsford N.Y./Mendon) and sophomore defender Neil Randall (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Palos Verdes). Rodenhouse had a career best 22 ground balls in 2020. He was also tied for third on the team with five caused turnovers. Randall led the team and was fourth in the OAC with a career-best nine caused turnovers. He also collected 15 groundballs and scored one goal.
The defense will be bolstered by seniors Academic All-OAC David Arlington (Lockport, N.Y.) and Bryce Moran (Medina), junior Clay Kolke (Medina), sophomores Adam Blose (Butler, Pa./Butler Area), Richie Roskoph (Strongsville), Ethan Rutowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), Brian Saulsberry (Memphis, Tenn./Houston) and JT Schroeder (Arlington, Wash.). Freshmen Anthony Bailey (Milford/Archbishop Moeller), William Lasch (East Lansing, Mich./Lansing Catholic), Zak Taylor (Granville) and Jake Zanotta (Parkton, Md./Hereford) all look to crack into the defensive rotation.
On the draws, the Yellow Jackets will lean on seniors Sandy Bishop (Avon Lake) and Keller Fisher (Rocky River) to win the possessions in 2021. Bishop took the most faceoffs on the team with 87, winning .506 percent, while also collecting 10 groundballs. Fisher also got in on the action with 39 faceoffs, winning .487 percent. The two seniors will also be joined by freshmen Ryan Burgett (Mentor).
In the cage, BW will turn to sophomore Joe Storner (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) led the team and league with a .644 save percentage and was second in the OAC in saves with 87. He collected 16 ground balls and caused two turnovers. The Yellow Jackets will also look to get a jolt from senior Trent Davis (Ottawa Hills), junior Will Scurci (Mars, Pa.), sophomore Zach Noll (Miamisburg) and freshmen Samuel Lopiccolo (Mason/William Mason).
BW starts the 2021 season on the road as it travels to Alliance for an OAC game against the University Mount Union on Saturday, February 27 inside Mount Union Stadium at 4:00 p.m.
