Skip To Main Content

Scoreboard

Clarkson University Athletics

2022 CU Men's Lacrosse Preview

ConnorBorchardt
Gary Mikel

Men's Lacrosse | 2/21/2022 4:30:00 PM

Returning four conference all-stars from a year ago, the Clarkson University Men's Lacrosse team will be looking for a return to the Liberty League Tournament in 2022.

The Golden Knights went 4-8 and with a 2-4 mark in conference games in the somewhat abbreviated 2021 season as a handful of teams played shortened schedules or failed to field a team at all last spring. Clarkson lost its two top scorers from last year as graduate students Conor Bartlett and Pierce Currie, who combined for 50 goals and 76 points overall, moved on, as did senior Jay Considine, who also contributed 25 points on 13 goals and 12 assists in 2021. That doesn't mean the cupboard is bare, however, as Clarkson has plenty of veterans returning, including a significant portion of its defensive corps.

2022 Liberty League Preseason Poll/Outlook

Long-time head coach Bill Bergan and assistants CJ Alesandrini and Conor White have spent the fall and the past few weeks molding their team into what they hope will be a top competitor in the Liberty League, and the team will begin its 2022 season on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts SUNY Canton in a non-league contest.

Senior captain Connor Borchardt and sophomore all-league selection Matt Szwagulinski were steady starters on the defensive end for the Golden Knights and will be looking to help lock opposing offenses down. Borchardt recorded 19 groundballs and ranked third on the team with 12 caused turnovers while Szwagulinski was the team-leader in caused turnovers (17) and placed fourth in groundballs (28). Junior Shane Boehmcke also was a steady player off the bench for the Knights, appearing in all 12 games and notching 24 groundballs on the defensive end.

Clarkson lost its starting goalkeeper in Kevin Dyckman, but senior Matt Yonko saw time in seven contests, with most of his minutes coming against conference foes where he had a .558 save percentage. Henry O'Brien and Brett Bohlmann combined to play a little under 16 minutes as underclassmen a year ago and will also be called upon to compete in the crease.

Getting things going in the midfield will be junior Matthew Hansen, who earned Liberty League First-Team All-Star honors thanks to his proficiency on face-offs. Hansen won 64.3% of his tries at the 'X' and was the top man in percentage among those with at least 60 tries. He also placed second in the conference in groundballs per game, picking up 66 overall.

With luck, Hansen's ability to get the ball early can jumpstart the Golden Knights' offense and, despite the graduation of three of the team's top four scorers, there are plenty of options. Senior captain Bryan Penney, a Liberty League Honorable Mention All-Star last season, scored 26 points and ranked third on the team in goals with 17. Classmate Billy Bergan also gained all-star honors, and chipped in 20 points on 17 goals and three assists. Junior Sebastian Geiger, who missed a third of the season in 2021, might have challenged for second-place on the team in scoring had he not lost four contests, scoring 21 points with 16 goals and five games in just eight games. Sophomore Matt Reilly also showed promise in his first year with 12 points, including seven goals and an assist in league games. Max Hoffer, another senior captain, contributes a little to the team's offense as well, but is counted upon more for his defensive prowess in the midfield, as he ranked third on the team in groundballs with 29.


 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Conor Bartlett

#2 Conor Bartlett

A
5' 7"
Graduate Student
Jay Considine

#23 Jay Considine

A
5' 10"
Senior
Pierce Currie

#45 Pierce Currie

A
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Kevin Dyckman

#43 Kevin Dyckman

GK
6' 2"
Senior
Billy Bergan

#9 Billy Bergan

M
5' 7"
Senior
Shane Boehmcke

#47 Shane Boehmcke

D
6' 0"
Junior
Brett Bohlmann

#49 Brett Bohlmann

GK
6' 6"
Sophomore
Connor Borchardt

#39 Connor Borchardt

D
6' 4"
Senior
Sebastian Geiger

#14 Sebastian Geiger

A
6' 1"
Junior
Matthew Hansen

#30 Matthew Hansen

M
5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Conor Bartlett

#2 Conor Bartlett

5' 7"
Graduate Student
A
Jay Considine

#23 Jay Considine

5' 10"
Senior
A
Pierce Currie

#45 Pierce Currie

6' 0"
Graduate Student
A
Kevin Dyckman

#43 Kevin Dyckman

6' 2"
Senior
GK
Billy Bergan

#9 Billy Bergan

5' 7"
Senior
M
Shane Boehmcke

#47 Shane Boehmcke

6' 0"
Junior
D
Brett Bohlmann

#49 Brett Bohlmann

6' 6"
Sophomore
GK
Connor Borchardt

#39 Connor Borchardt

6' 4"
Senior
D
Sebastian Geiger

#14 Sebastian Geiger

6' 1"
Junior
A
Matthew Hansen

#30 Matthew Hansen

5' 8"
Junior
M