(Ann Arbor, MI) – The #6 ranked Concordia men's lacrosse team is about to kick off their 2022 campaign this Saturday. The Cardinals qualified for the NAIA National Tournament last year although the team was unable to participate due to COVID-19. 4th-year head coach Ty McGuire returns 17 players from last year's squad while adding 18 newcomers.
2021 Season Review
Concordia finished 8-3 overall last year with a 4-2 WHAC record, setting a new program record for wins. The Cardinals went 7-0 to start the season, earning the first national ranking in school history. CUAA earned the #2 seed in the WHAC tournament and downed Aquinas before falling to Indiana Tech in the final. Concordia received an at-large bid to NAIA Nationals but had to withdraw due to COVID-19.
2022 Schedule Outlook
Concordia starts their season on February 25 traveling to #4 Cumberlands.
The Cardinals remain on the road in March with contests at #RV Tennessee Wesleyan, #10 William Penn, and #7 Saint Ambrose. The team's home opener will be on March 26 when they open WHAC conference play against #8 Lourdes. Concordia hosts Cleary on March 30 to close out the month.
WHAC play continues in April with road matchups at UM-Dearborn and #RV Aquinas. After hosting Taylor, the team heads on the road to face rival #RV Siena Heights and Lawrence Tech. The regular season concludes with home matchups against Madonna and #2 Indiana Tech.
Concordia Personnel
Senior Blake Blaisdell returns after notching 26 goals and 9 assists. Senior Ryan Iles comes back after recording 19 goals and 7 assists. Senior Austin Ventimiglio recorded 22 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers last season. Senior Jacob Greenway adds additional depth on defense.
Junior Noah Sorenson recorded 6 goals and 7 assists last season. Junior Keshawn Simmons had 12 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers last year. Junior Luke Hovarter had 12 ground balls and 6 caused turnovers. Junior goalie Joseph Loria recorded 4 saves last year.
Sophomore goalie Sam Bowling notched 8 wins while making 146 saves last season. Sophomore Evan Stuart had 12 goals and 11 assists last year. Sophomore Sam Saje had a team-leading 71 ground balls on defense. Sophomore Shane Derwa played 9 games with 2 ground balls and 3 caused turnovers.
The Cardinals have 18 newcomers this year: sophomore Matthew Mahoney and freshmen Aldo Hans, Alex Cetinel, Andrew Simmons, Bailer Milam, Brendan Murray, Calvin Wilson, Cameron Dixon, Erik Takle-Flach, Jackson Saleh, Joseph Cady, Marcus Villagomez, Nick Bradford, Patrick Broderick, Richard Johnson, and Travis Wright.
Head coach Ty McGuire is joined by graduate assistant Connor Konas and volunteer coach Carl Baker.
WHAC Preseason Poll
The WHAC released their 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll last month and the Cardinals were ranked second, with 88 points, behind Indiana Tech, with 100 points.
Rounding out the top five were Aquinas (74 points), Siena Heights (70), and Madonna (56). The final five spots respectively were Lourdes (54), Lawrence Tech (34), Taylor 32), UM-Dearborn (30), and Cleary (12).
The first league date is scheduled for March 26 with a full slate of contests. The WHAC Tournament is slated for April 26, 28, and 30.
2021 Team Stats
