Danes depleted for debut
Top 2 returning scorers among 11 sidelined for opener due to protocols
The University at Albany men’s lacrosse team will be grateful to be back on the field for a match on Saturday. Shorthanded, but grateful.
The Great Danes take on Colgate at John Fallon Field at noon Saturday. It’s their first game since a loss at Maryland last March 7, the week before the remainder of the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a feeling I can’t say I’ve ever really felt,” junior defenseman Tanner Hay said on Wednesday. “Not knowing if you’re going to have a season and then to be able to come back and have our first game in a couple of days, it’s surreal. It’s crazy.”
But the threat of the virus is far from forgotten. Great Danes coach Scott Marr said he expects to be without 11 players for the opener because of COVID -19 protocols. Among those out are senior attack Tehoka Nanticoke, the team’s leader with 19 goals a year ago, sophomore attack Graydon Hogg,
second with 11 goals, and starting senior midfielder Ron John.
Marr said Ualbany will not modify its fast-paced style of play against the Raiders just because there are some key offensive personnel out on Saturday.
‘We’re looking forward to running and pushing the tempo and really trying to take advantage of substitution situations where we can maybe play 4-on-4 or 5-on-5, giving our guys a little more space,” Marr said.
He added the Great Danes will still have graduate attack Jakob Patterson, the 2019 America East Offensive Player of the Year, junior attack Corey Yunker (10 goals last season) and talented freshmen Camden Hay, Joey Pezzimenti and Logan Tucker.
“They’re a capable group, so we’re not going to slow down there,” Marr said.
Colgate head coach Matt Karweck said his players know better than to think they’ll win just because Ualbany, ranked 20th in the Inside Lacrosse poll, is missing some players.
“No. Come on, man,” Karweck said. “They’re Albany. This is a strange year … Last week was our first competition against anybody in 11 months. Everybody’s new, and we haven’t seen them play this year. … At the end of the day, it’s going to be a learning experience throughout the course of the game for everybody.”
While it’s Ualbany’s opener, Colgate lost 17-14 to Robert Morris in its debut last Sunday. Senior midfielder Mike Hawkins led the Raiders with four goals and three assists.
“For not playing anybody in 11 months, and we have a relatively young defense, I thought we looked pretty good,” Karweck said.
Karweck said he won’t have everyone available on Saturday, though it’s because of injuries, not COVID -19 protocols.
Marr said Friday he’ll start Utah graduate transfer Liam Donnelly over senior Will Ramos in goal as the successor to Nate Siekierski.
“Very tough call,” Marr said via text. “Will is also playing very well.”
“Defensively, again, I just think we’re so much more athletic than we’ve ever been,” Marr said earlier in the week. “We have a really good arsenal on the defensive side. We’re just going to have to manufacture some goals and then try to get some turnovers with our ride and whatnot.”
The Great Danes and Raiders haven’t met in a regularseason game since Ualbany prevailed 13-10 at John Fallon Field on March 27, 2007. They’ve scrimmaged each other in the preseason.
Casey Stadium wasn’t even built until 2013 and became Ualbany’s home. Saturday’s match will be played at John Fallon Field, which Ualbany is using this season during the pandemic. There will be no fans allowed.
“It’s similar,” Hay said. “With how cold it’s been, the field’s been a little frozen. It’s been a little weird running around, but everything ’s been pretty normal for the most part. There’s just no huge bleachers all around you, you know?”