Men's Lacrosse | 4/20/2016 1:30:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----Coming by the way of Lake Mary, Fla, a city 30 minutes outside of Orlando, is the dynamic brotherly duo of Wingate University men's lacrosse junior goalkeeper Jacob Ormerod and freshman attack Ryan Ormerod. The Seminole High School (Sanford, Fla.) products are making big contributions to the accomplishments of the 2016 Bulldog team. With the regular season quickly reaching its conclusion and the South Atlantic Conference tournament approaching, the sibling pair seeks to continue to lead their squad to more success.
 
Jacob Ormerod has achieved a huge break-out season as the starter in the cage for the Bulldogs from the very beginning of his junior campaign. "His confidence has really developed," Wingate head men's lacrosse coach Michael Lawson says. "He put in a ton of work over the summer and has played on another level this season. Each game he has been making huge saves that he should, along with ones that he shouldn't."
 
A considerable amount of the oldest Ormerod's stellar college play was translated from his impressive high school accolades. He was a four-year letter winner for the Seminole High Seminoles, leading the team in saves and save percentage. He finished his high school career with 642 total saves. As a two-year captain his junior and season seasons, Ormerod was selected to the first team All-County and the Central Florida Senior All-Star team, along with earning the Senior Achievement award. He received the school's defensive most valuable player award in his freshman season.
 
As a highly recruited goalkeeper, Wingate University stood out among all other schools that were pursuing the standout. "The coaches here were just very confident in my abilities to come in and make an immediate impact," Jacob Ormerod says. "I knew that I did not want to live too far north from my home. I also really liked the campus, along with the guys on the team that I met when I visited here and that just sealed it for me."
 
During his third season in the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold, Ormerod currently has posted a total of 165 saves, along with achieving a double-digit save performance in every contest he has started. Most notably, he posted back-to-back 20+ save games in two key conference match-ups. In the triumph over the (then) 12th-ranked Queens University of Charlotte Royals, Ormerod made a career-high 22 saves and was a significant factor in the Bulldogs' thrilling 9-8 comeback victory.
 
Only three days later against SAC rival, the Catawba College Indians, he put together another phenomenal game in an important conference victory for Coach Lawson's squad. Ormerod posted 21 saves on the afternoon and propelled the 'Dogs to an epic comeback victory to remain in second place in the conference standings.
 
Jacob credits his standout 2016 campaign to his coaches and teammates. "Personally, I attribute most of my success to the responsibility brought upon me to be the anchor for our guys when times get tough in our games," Jacob Ormerod says. "I also credit my achievements this season to the confidence and strength that Coach Jeff White has given me to believe that I am one of the best goalies in the country."
 
His two career performances against Catawba and Queens earned him National Defensive Player of the Week honors on April 6 from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and Lids Team Sports. The award is presented to only one player in each division of the NCAA.
 
The three-time SAC Defensive Player of the Week has enjoyed the way this year's 2016 squad has come together through difficult circumstances. "I think this season has been special because of all the adversity we have had to overcome," Jacob Ormerod says. "We have sustained many injuries and young players have needed to step into increased roles and be able to excel. At every turn, it just seems like we have been able to be there for each other and pick each other up."
 
Jacob's younger brother, Ryan Ormerod, enters his first collegiate lacrosse season in a Bulldog uniform and is coming off a superb high school career as well. Much like his older sibling, Ryan was a four-year starter on the Seminole High varsity lacrosse team. He was named to the 2014 Brine high school All-American team following his junior season. Ormerod was a three-time offensive MVP in his first three high school seasons and earned first team all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons.
 
In his freshman campaign, the youngest Ormerod has played a key role in the overall success of the 2016 Wingate men's lacrosse team. He has played in a total of 13 games and has started at the attack position in each of those contests. He is currently fourth on the WU team total list with 18 goals. He has been a key contributor in important games for the Bulldogs, including three-goal performances against the (then) 11th ranked Mercyhurst University Lakers on February 21, the University of Alabama at Huntsville Chargers on March 23 and a SAC meeting with the Coker College Cobras on March 26. Coach Lawson has been very pleased with the efforts and performance of the true freshman. "Ryan has stepped up huge for us," Lawson says. "He was never expected to play a huge role as a freshman, but he has filled a big hole with all of our injuries."
 
The adjustment from high school to the collegiate level can be a difficult change for any freshman student-athlete, but Ormerod has handled it very well. "There honestly was not too big of a difference between college and high school in regards to how I handle the game," Ryan Ormerod says. "The only big adjustment for me was the amount of time I spend now doing lacrosse-related activities and trying to balance this fact with my studies."
 
Despite the constant adversity the 2016 Bulldogs have faced, it has been a memorable year for the freshman with many dramatic finishes. "I feel like the best moments I have shared with my team this year was coming back to beat Queens, as well as rallying to beat Catawba in overtime," Ryan Ormerod says. "I think what I have done well individually in my first season is staying calm under pressure and being able to score when I get the chance."
 
The strong performances of the Ormerod duo have been momentous factors in Wingate's 9-5 overall record, along with their 6-1 start in conference action. The love they share with each other has made the overall college experience enjoyable even outside of lacrosse. Jacob Ormerod spent two seasons without sharing the field with his younger brother, so having Ryan here with him makes the next two years extra special and has a very familiar feel to their younger playing days.
 
"We have always played on the same teams growing up, so this just feels normal," Jacob Ormerod says. "It is great having a little family here with me at school and our parents freed up more time to travel to games here instead of having to stay for all his games in high school. We are pretty close off the field and we always try to compete back home to make each other better."
 
The feeling is mutual for Ryan Ormerod as he has the opportunity to compete alongside his older sibling for the first two seasons of his collegiate career. "We definitely share a bond with each other on and off the field that only brothers have," Ryan Ormerod says.
 
In comparison with the other Wingate lacrosse sibling duo of senior long-stick midfielder Robert Godwin (Greensboro, N.C.) and freshman midfielder Daniel Godwin (Greensboro, N.C.), Coach Lawson notices the chemistry between the Ormerods each day. "They love to compete in every practice," Lawson says. "They always want to win against each other in one-on-one battles and their chemistry is pretty evident."
 
Jacob Ormerod even joked about the competitiveness between him and his younger brother in practice based on the two different positions they play. "On the field, considering that Ryan is an attackman and I am a goalie, we tend to not like each other too much," Jacob Ormerod says.
 
As an upperclassman, Jacob Ormerod not only works hard to succeed on the field, but more importantly in the classroom in order to prepare for a successful future after his lacrosse career comes to a conclusion. Wingate University has been a huge influence in helping Jacob achieve his academic goals and balancing the busy life of a student-athlete. "My professors have all been supportive of me playing and getting school work in when I can," Jacob Ormerod says. "If I have to miss class, they are always happy to explain something I missed during their office hours. I feel like the time management aspect of playing and studying will be a huge benefactor when I eventually do not play lacrosse competitively anymore."
 
Jacob Ormerod will be entering his final season as a Bulldog next spring and Ryan Ormerod will commence his sophomore year. The brothers seek to continue to improve upon their talents and help Coach Lawson's squad prepare for a run in the 2017 campaign. "I feel like I just need to try to stay strong and continue to be the guy the defense looks to in order to keep a game in our favor," Jacob Ormerod says. "Other than this, I just need to be there for my team who I consider my second family." Ryan Ormerod has seen a ton of minutes in his freshman season and only looks to move forward as a reliable attackman for the Bulldogs. "In the future, I would like to work on being more of a dodging threat," Ryan Ormerod says.
 
With the regular season winding down for the 2016 Wingate University men's lacrosse team, the talented Ormerod duo seeks to lead their squad through a crucial final stretch of the season. The 'Dogs currently stand alone in second place in the conference standings behind the first place Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears. Wingate will hold its final home game of the regular season on Saturday, April 23 when they take on the Tusculum College Pioneers in a vital South Atlantic Conference contest on Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex. It will be a Senior Day celebration as Wingate University recognizes three senior members of the lacrosse team for their hard work and dedication over the last four years, both on the field and in the classroom.
 
The Ormerod brothers will be back and on a mission when they return to campus in the fall as they begin the preparation for their final season together at Wingate University. The 2017 outlook for Coach Michael Lawson's squad already appears to be very promising as the 'Dogs return nearly their entire roster intact. With the leadership of the Ormerods and others, the future is bright for this program. They hope to bring excitement to the town of Wingate, N.C. when the Bulldogs take the field next February.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,100 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, master's degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 15 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past nine years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 82 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 82 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 91 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University sports information/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A Communication Studies major at Wingate, Kaplan is the son of Harrison and Dona Kaplan.)