[Men's Lacrosse] 2019 Season Preview: Men's Lacrosse
MONTREAT, N.C. – With Ethan Kamholtz in his second season as head coach, Montreat College men's lacrosse has taken strides in the offseason to vastly improve the program. After finishing the 2018 season 6-11, this year's team enters 2019 receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 10 Poll and tied for third place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference preseason standings.
"The strength of our team will always be our heart and our bond. We are a very close-knit group of guys. I've never seen a team get along as well as our guys do," said Kamholtz. "They are invested in each other on and off the field. This goes a long way when things get ugly on the scoreboard."
The team will be bringing back the entire attack unit from last season, one that scored 127 goals in 2018. Returners Chris Jackson and John Ferris are two players that Kamholtz expects to perform well and bring leadership to the field. Last season, Jackson, Ferris, and fellow attackman Cody Bischoff all finished in the top 10 in points scored in the AAC. Jackson was also named AAC Offensive Player of the Year last season as a sophomore.
Returning sophomore Josh Brown and senior Tracer Leonard will also be impact players, with Brown as a faceoff specialist and Leonard as the team's top long-stick midfielder. Defensively, Brandon Duncan was a Second Team All-ACC performer last year. He along with Jonathon Cox and Riki Rendon-Habana will be key parts of the Cavs' defensive backline.
"We have a very solid attack unit and a very solid defensive unit," said Kamholtz.
Coach Kamholtz is excited about the passion and work ethic of freshmen incomers Josten Ucros and Jacob Buchman, two midfielders from Lake Nona, Florida. The pair will add an offensive presence at the midfield that the team lacked last season. The team also added Alex Davis from Porter Ridge High School in Charlotte, whom Kamholtz believes will have an immediate impact.
Last year's starting goalie, James Verdier, will be redshirting this season. Tristin Terry will step into the starter's role to direct the defense. The team lost close defenseman Luke Makenzie along with captains Mark Switzer and Gabe Debeus, who both graduated in December.
Regarding coaches, the team added Tom Flynn as assistant coach and offensive coordinator – Flynn was previously an assistant in 2016. Coach Mike Simpson will continue to serve as a substitution coach and offensive staff.
The coaching staff is eager to see the growth and maturity of the team on and off the field. "Each one of them are on their own journey and I see our team as a tool to uniquely impact and influence them along the way," said Kamholtz. The team strives for excellence in the classroom as well as on the field, and their goal is an overall team GPA of 3.0 this semester.
The Cavs start off their season with six NCAA teams, the most that any team in the NAIA faces in 2019. They will then go on to face three of the top-ten NAIA nationally ranked teams including SCAD Savannah, Keiser, and Lawrence Tech before heading into conference play. Before the Cavs face their first conference foe, it's their goal to be nationally ranked in the top 10.
Montreat opens its 2019 stint with a four-game homestand. They faceoff in their season opener Wednesday, Feb. 6 against Brevard College before hosting three more NCAA teams and spending the last week of the month on the road. Conference play begins on Saturday, March 23 when the Cavs play host to Tennessee Wesleyan.
For the full schedule, click here.