Men's Lacrosse | 2/8/2017 10:49:00 AM

Wingate, N.C.----The 2017 Wingate University men's lacrosse team seeks to build from one of its most successful seasons in the program's storied history during the 2016 campaign. The Bulldogs finished 10-6 overall and 7-1 in South Atlantic Conference play a season ago.
 
Wingate returns every starter from 2016 with the Bulldog senior class consisting of 11 student-athletes. The 'Dogs were picked to finish third in the pre-season SAC coaches' poll behind Queens University of Charlotte and the defending SAC regular season/tournament champion Lenoir-Rhyne University. Wingate led the league with six pre-season All-SAC selections.
 
The WU Athletic Department welcomed a brand-new coaching staff to lead the men's lacrosse program in 2017 and beyond with head coach Tim Boyle, assistant coach Joe Turner and graduate assistant coach Nik Colpitts.
 
"The energy and enthusiasm our student-athletes have displayed…has been outstanding," Boyle says. "With a new staff, the players have had to embrace a culture change. They have done a great job…we believe they are raring to go to start the season."
 
The 'Dogs open the 2017 regular season campaign with their home/season opener versus Young Harris from Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex Thursday. First face-off is slated for a 4 p.m. start (game-day rosters).
 
Boyle believes consistency is a big key for the Bulldogs. "We must play consistent, high-level lacrosse," Boyle says. "We must communicate well…both on and off the field. The coaching staff believes our team is developing a great cohesiveness."
 
One of the team's mottos this year is H.I.R.L. (Honesty. Integrity. Responsibility. Loyalty.). Boyle believes the Bulldogs have embraced this mantra…and more. "The student-athletes have all bought in to our system," Boyle says. "What we're asking them to do…is different than anything they have previously experienced. The coaching staff believes they have embraced this change."
 
Position-by-Position Breakdown
 
Attack
 
The Wingate attack position will be led by junior and pre-season second team All-SAC member Jeremy Sullivan (Crofton, Md.), who led the Bulldogs with 31 goals in 2016. Sullivan's best performance last season came in a 15-12 victory versus Brevard as he tallied six total goals.
 
He also posted a pair of five-goal performances in victories against Florida Southern and Coker. Sullivan finished second in shots (71), first in man-up goals (three) and third in shots on goal (44).
 
Senior and fellow second team All-SAC recipient Austin Murphy (Orillia, Ontario) also is a player to watch at attack in 2017. Murphy started in nine of nine games he played during his junior campaign.
 
Murphy finished fifth on the WU team list with 15 goals and second overall in assists with 17. He was awarded the SAC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance on Feb. 15, 2016 in a one-goal loss to (then) eighth-ranked Seton Hill University in a non-conference contest.
 
Sophomore Alex Llerandi (Marietta, Ga.) had a productive first season in a Bulldog uniform during the 2016 campaign with 21 total goals. Llerandi's most notable stretch from last season came in back-to-back SAC contests versus Queens and Catawba, as he posted three tallies in each.
 
His fellow classmate Ryan Ormerod (Lake Mary, Fla.) finished fourth on the WU scoring charts with 19 goals in his freshman season with 10 assists added to his resume.
 
Two other senior class members will accompany the attack position this season in Ryan Vogrig (Vancouver, Canada) and Tanner Kotch (Butler, Pa.) Kotch and Vogrig seek to make significant contributions in their final seasons in the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold.
 
The Bulldogs also welcome the freshman attack trio of Dominic Piazza (Huntingtown, Md.), Josh Ferentinos (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Gary Pierpont (Huntingtown, Md.) into the WU men's lacrosse program this season.
 
Midfield
 
The Wingate midfield position is led by sophomore and 2016 SAC Freshman of the Year Daniel Godwin (Greensboro, N.C.), who posted an impressive first-year campaign with 23 total goals and 19 assists in 16 starts.
 
Godwin finished second on the WU team total list with his season goal total. The Grimsley High School graduate was a first team all-conference selection. He led the Bulldogs in points (42), assists and shots (106). He also earned pre-season first team All-SAC honors for the 2017 campaign.
 
Sophomore Conor Gronbach (Cary, N.C.) also looks to build off a solid first season in a Bulldog uniform. Gronbach compiled nine tallies and 10 assists in 2016. The Athens Drive High School graduate is also supported by fellow second-year midfielders Robbie Williams (Pequannock, N.J.), Sean Moran (Lawrence, N.Y.), Wyatt Weiseman (Jensen Beach, Fla.) and Christian Hall (Darlington, Md.).
 
The junior duo of Zach Lord (Woodstock, Ga.) and James Thatcher (East Patchogue, N.Y.) will both see time at the midfield position this spring. Lord played in 14 total games for the Bulldogs last season, tallying two goals and two assists.
 
Seniors Seth Grimwood (Huntingtown, Md.), Brennan Asplen (St. Augustine, Fla.), and Vinny Aiello (Centereach, N.Y.) bring experience to the Bulldog fold. Grimwood posted 11 goals and 12 assists in his junior campaign, while Asplen contributed two tallies and one assist. Grimwood had the game-winning assist and tying goal in a remarkable comeback victory over Catawba on April 2, 2016.
 
A talented quartet of freshman midfielders will look to contribute to the Bulldog's success in 2017 with Joe Cooper (Raleigh, N.C.), Sean Duffy (Queensbury, N.Y.), Zach Adams (Parker, Colo.) and Ted Kress (Kernersville, N.C.).
 
Wingate senior Tyler Antram (Whitby, Ontario) and freshman Tyler Torrente (Jacksonville, Fla.) will serve as the long-stick midfielder duo for the Bulldogs.
 
Defense
 
Wingate possesses a star-studded defense led by pre-season first team All-SAC selections in junior Chris Gazzio (Hershey, Pa.) and senior Anthony Crisera (Silver Springs, Fla.). Senior Drew Thompson (Charlotte, N.C.) also adds to the experience of a strong WU defensive corps.
 
Gazzio was awarded first team all-conference honors and started in all 16 games for the Bulldogs during his 2016 sophomore campaign. He finished second on the team with eight caused turnovers, fifth with 30 ground balls and tied for first in shots on goal percentage at 1.000.
 
Crisera was named a starter in all 16 contests for the Bulldogs and was second team All-SAC last spring. He recorded 19 ground balls and forced six caused turnovers. Thanks to the efforts of Gazzio, Crisera and their defensive teammates, Wingate led the conference in goals against average (GAA) and team scoring defense for most of the season.
 
The Bulldogs also look for production from sophomores RJ Neal (Shady Side, Md.) and Greyson Smith (Raymond, Alberta). Junior Marc James (Silver Spring, Md.) is also added to the mix. Neal saw significant playing time in 2016 with 14 total starts as a freshman. He scored his first career goal in the regular season finale victory over Tusculum on Apr. 23, 2016.
 
The WU defense welcomes a pair of freshman to the program in 2017 with Evan Langley (Middleton, Md.) and David Parker (Raleigh, N.C.).
 
Goalkeeper
 
Wingate's goalie unit is led by first team All-SAC performer Jacob Ormerod (Lake Mary, Fla.) started in 14 games for the Bulldogs. Ormerod led the SAC in save percentage (.591) and goals against average (9.69) in his third-year campaign for the 'Dogs. Ormerod recorded a career-best 192 saves on the year.
 
The Seminole High School product posted double-digit save performances in 13 out of the 14 games he started in the cage. He was also a four-time SAC Defensive Player of the Week to add to his decorated junior year resume. Ormerod posted a career-high 22 save performance versus Queens on Mar. 30, 2016 and a 21 save game against Catawba in the same week.
 
The 'Dogs maintain a solid group of goalkeepers behind Ormerod including senior Michael Connor (Stockport, England), junior Will Sheridan (Woodstock, Ga.), freshman Ryan Ahrens (Austin, Texas) and freshman Austin Marino (Waxhaw, N.C.).
 
Connor appeared in five games for the Bulldogs in 2016 with one start. His best performances came in key SAC encounters versus Lincoln Memorial and Brevard when he posted four saves each. Sheridan played in two contests and started one in a non-conference battle against University of Alabama at Huntsville. He tallied five saves in the Bulldogs' victory over LMU.
 
BULLDOG NOTES
 
During the 2016 campaign, Wingate finished second overall in the SAC regular season standings behind Lenoir-Rhyne, who finished with an undefeated record in league play. The Bulldogs earned a bye in the first round of the SAC Tournament, but fell to (then) 20th-ranked Queens in the semi-final round.
 
The 'Dogs eclipsed the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2008 season despite multiple key injuries during the 2016 campaign. Wingate finished with an 11-3 overall mark in 2008. Wingate faced four consecutive top 20 opponents to open up its 2016 schedule and lost three of those contests by a one-goal margin.
 
These setbacks included a four-overtime contest versus (then) 11th-ranked Mercyhurst University, a last second goal victory by 15th-ranked Mount Olive and a hard-fought 13-12 decision against eighth-ranked Seton Hill University.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,200 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 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 10 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 88 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 88 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 97 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University athletic media relations/sports network student assistant Jackson Kaplan contributed this article. A sophomore from Raleigh, Kaplan is a Communication Studies major at Wingate.)