ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University men's lacrosse team has been picked to finish sixth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches poll, the SAC office announced Tuesday. Three Pioneers were selected second-team preseason All-Conference -- senior attack Liam Macdonald, senior defender Quinn McKitrick and senior long-stick midfielder Joel Edgar.
The Pioneers finished 7-7 overall last season and sixth in the SAC with a 3-5 league record. Tusculum qualified for the conference tournament by beating nationally-ranked Catawba in double overtime in the regular-season finale, before being eliminated by Queens in the first round of the league tournament.
Macdonald led the SAC in assists last season with 37, and finished fourth in Division II with 2.64 assists per game. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native had 21 goals and 37 assists for 58 points, which ranked seventh in the conference and 31st in Division II in points per game (4.14). Macdonald had seven games with five points or more, and begins his senior season as the program career leader with 60 assists, sixth in goals with 61 and fifth in points with 121.
McKitrick was named honorable mention All-SAC last season after starting all 14 games and ranking third on the team with nine caused turnovers. McKitrick had 21 ground balls for the Pioneers last season, and also scored his first career goal against Lees-McRae. The native of Aldergrove, British Columbia enters his senior season with 57 ground balls and 39 caused turnovers in 38 career matches for the Pioneers.
Edgar also started all 14 matches and led the Pioneers with 55 ground balls to rank ninth in the conference. Edgar had a goal and five assists on offense, with his goal coming against Shorter in non-conference play. Edgar had a season-high seven rebounds balls against Lincoln Memorial, and the Coquitlam, British Columbia product had three other games with at least five ground balls.
Wingate collected six of the nine first-place votes in the poll for 70 points, followed by Queens with two first-place votes and 64 points in second. Lenoir-Rhyne had the other first-place vote and was third with 60 points, followed by Catawba (49 points) and Lincoln Memorial (38). Trailing Tusculum (36 points) were Coker in seventh with 32 points, Newberry (28 points) and Mars Hill (19) in ninth place.
Tusculum opens the season on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Barton and plays its home opener on Monday, Feb. 17 against Maryville (Mo.). The Pioneers play their conference opener at Newberry on Saturday, March 7 and close the regular season on Saturday, Apr. 18 at Pioneer Field against Wingate.
South Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll Rk Team (1st) Pts. 1. Wingate (6) 70 2. Queens (2) 64 3. Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 60 4. Catawba 49 5. Lincoln Memorial 38 6. TUSCULUM 36 7. Coker 32 8. Newberry 28 9. Mars Hill 19
2020 Men's Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference
All-SAC First Team
A – Bobby Padden, Wingate
A – Kealan Pilon, Queens
A – Ian Cook, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Eric Dickinson, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Ethan Irizarry, Coker
MF – Robert Tucker, Lincoln Memorial
D – Payton Leonard, Catawba
D – Tyler Bane, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – James Houston, Wingate
LP – Reese Orman, Wingate
Spec. – Drew Flack, Queens
GK – Kevin Geiger, Catawba
All-SAC Second Team
A – Quinn Tallant, Queens
A – Joe Venazio, Coker
A – Liam Mcdonald, Tusculum
MF – Kevin Barry, Queens
MF – Zac Carrigan, Mars Hill
MF – David Byrne, Queens
D – Quinn McKitrick, Tusculum
D – Connor Stanley, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Jordan Sullivan, Lincoln Memorial
LP – Joel Edgar, Tusculum
Spec. – Justin Messersmith, Newberry
GK – Noah Johnson, Lenoir-Rhyne
