The NJCAA season is upon us, and the 2015 season has more teams in it than it ever has before with the growth of Juco teams and players keep growing. The Powerhouses are of course located in the biggest hot beds in upstate New York, Long Island and Maryland. The league has produced many great players such as Nicky Polanco, Cody Jamieson and coaches like Rich Meade. The top five programs for 2015 are as followed.
- Onondaga – Onondaga has won eight out of the last nine National Championships they have not lost a game since a regular season loss to Nassau in 2010. They also have won every region championship since 2005. This spring they will be without goalie Warren Hill and Attack/Midfielder Tim Barber both on Syracuse. This would be a huge loss to most teams but OCC just replaces faces in the line up with future stars year in and out. This 2015 team returns its whole defense besides its goalie of course. Tyson Bell and Oakley Thomas will lead the group down close Tyson is from St. Catherines in Canada and was a first team All American in 2014 he is lock down and do not be surprised to see him wear Cuse orange in 2016. Oakley was also a All American last year but this Native American from Akwesasne made a name for himself out in the world games this summer for the Iroquois Nationals holding his own vs. some of the top talent in the game. Hartford commit Logan Ball will start at LSM and SSDM will be Adam Bomberry who returns for his second season and was also on the Nationals team at the World Games and won the Minto cup with the Six Nation Arrows. On Attack Nicholas Garbarino will lead the way the Salisbury commit had fifty-eight points and forty-five goals as a freshman. Seth Leonard made twenty-four assists on attack also look for freshman Onondaga Native American Matt Bennett and Kahnawake Brine Rice push for time with the first unit. Paris Young will lead the first line midfield after a twenty-six-point freshman campaign. The Junior A goalie of the year Doug Jamieson joins the Lazar gang but will not be playing in net but at the face off is where he looks to help his newest team out by taking draws.
- Nassau should not be overlooked they are the last team besides OCC to win it all and have been in the championship the past three seasons. This year they bring back two All Americans on offence plus get an All American transfer. Brandon Watson is back on attack after a (36G,36A) freshman year Watson can do it all for the Sau and I am sure Coach Powers is happy to have him back. Joining him on attack will be Hofstra commit and ASA transfer Josh Byrnes who was a first team All American for ASA and put up major points up for Junior A New Westminster Salmonbellies in box lacrosse this summer. Shane DeBoer is the third All American back and this midfielder is a do it all threat who had thirty-five points dropping twenty-two goals on opponents. The biggest question for this team will be who is replacing John English at the face off x and Jake Siciliano in net. Also three of the team’s top defenders transferred to Towson, Jacksonville and Adelphi. Cory Gamblin should be promising at close though he went to Sachem North High school before making pit stops at both NYIT and Limestone.
3.Essex- Is the power coming out of Baltimore and has been the championship three times since 2008 but has not been able to win it since 2004. Right now their offence will go through its west coast star and Mount St. Mary’s commit Cameron Stone who had fifty points last year (38G,12A). At midfield Jake Brown in back to lead the way after putting up twenty-two points and will be top first line player. The Essex coaches went far up north and got a freshman in Blake McDonald from Six Nations. Blake plays for both the Junior A Arrows and the Junior B Hamilton Bengals he can be a huge player for this team on offense. In net redshirt freshman Max Edelman is back and looking to make a name for himself this spring. Essex already has a few Salisbury commits and it looks to get back in the national championship and take down whoever is in their way.
- Genesee- After not making the final four in 2014 they are reloaded and back to show Genesee is a top name in the Juco ranks. Its offense has back Cam Seneca who had twenty points in 2013 it will also be led by Founders cup champion Six Nation Rebels Jake Bomberry and Alex Henery. Jake was on the Iroquois Nations u19 team he has four founders rings and comes from a family of great players including his dad Cam and uncle Cory. He was suppose to be on Limestone last year but did not attend he is too good not to play college lacrosse and will be a top Juco player. Redshirt freshman Brody Jorgensen is back off his 2014 injury and looking to be a big help to the cougars. In net the team will look to replace Cams brother Craig with either freshman Brian Thielman or Corey Luty.
5.Anne Arundel – Anne Arundel made the final four last year but also saw the loss of some key players as well as its head coach. Jason Grace will be at the helm for them this year and has a very nice resume of coaching at all levels of the game. On offense, they will have Hunter Cetrone at the midfield with his sixty-eight points and on attack Edward Hartle forty-five and Reece Sullivan thirty-three points. On defense Kenneth Robertson is back to lead the way.
