With the departing of some long time starters and game changers, who will become the next backstop to a national champion? Jake Runkel won his title with Loyola, Niko Amato came close during his tenure at Maryland as they topped the All American Balloting.
Gunnar Waldt – Bryant
With a win in the NCAA Tournament in the vaunted Carrier Dome under his belt, Waldt is in contention to be the best in the game in ‘15. He has already logged a considerable number of minutes for Bryant during his first two years, making back to back NCAA Tournament runs. Mike Pressler’s defense first scheme will give him the potential to have the support to help garner the highest honor in Bryant’s history.
Sam Somers – Army
Army plays with a tenaciouous style and doesn’t normally allow for teams to get many chances. Somers, going into his senior season, is going to be the man leading the team against the backline. The Patriot League normally doesn’t have one team with a clear path to the conference championship, so if he can continue to play strong in final campaign in West Point, the team will be tournament bound again.
Warren Hill – Syracuse
Hill played for the Iroquois National Team in Denver this past summer and he performed amongst the world’s best. The uptempo style that the team plays allowed for a lot of shots against him and he responded. He won close games and kept the national team close to beating Canada during Pool Play. With the experience of winning National Championships at Onondaga, he is ready for the big time at Syracuse.
Eric Schneider – Johns Hopkins
The family could have two sons who have played for a national championship when Schneider graduates this spring. His brother Doc, UMass goalie, had a remarkable tournament run in 2006. With the weapons the Blue Jays acquired on campus this fall, the Jays could be an early favorite for the Final Four. In his last season at Homewood, it could be the best Schneider yet. Just look back to the first round win at Virginia.
Ryan LaPlante – Denver
The two goalie system is now over in Denver and it is going to be LaPlante all season long between the pipes. Denver is likely the early favorite to win it all this Memorial Weekend with the weapons at hand. The Pioneers have a veteran leader in the cage and the potential to ascend to the highest award that college lacrosse can offer. LaPlante needs to be able to match the offense in potential in order to get there, a task he is likely ready for.
As the Fall season approached, the buzz is starting to move around the college ranks about potential and future success. Now it isn’t everything, seeing what your team does and does not do in the fall season, but it certainly makes the anticipation of 2015 much more exciting.
