Junior goaltender Tripp Way
The Wittenberg men's lacrosse team has a lot of holes to fill in
2002, but second-year Head Coach Vinnie Lang feels the Tigers have
a great deal of potential. Coming off a 5-7 2001 campaign in which
the Tigers finished fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference
with a 1-4 record, Lang says his players are now understanding his
system and are beginning to respond positively.
"I've got high hopes," said Lang, who arrived at Wittenberg in
2001 after three years at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. "The guys
are used to the system now, and they now know what to expect.
"We learn from each other each day. I think they're beginning to
believe in themselves and what they're capable of."
The latest edition of the team is a fairly even mix of veterans
and newcomers. The Tigers have a lot of offensive production that
must be replaced after losing leading scorers Mario Cassani and
Shawn Egan to graduation last spring. A variety of players,
including incumbent starters and double-digit scorers Alex
Nichols (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney), Dan Patterson (St. Louis,
Mo./Desmet Jesuit), Zach Kulow (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) and
Hans Rydquist (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), a senior, two
juniors and a sophomore respectively, will be called upon to lead
the offense in 2002. In addition, junior Spencer Dunning
(Terrace Park, Ohio/Mariemont), junior Tom McHugh
(St.Louis, Mo./Desmet Jesuit) and freshman Cory
Essig (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) are all players Lang expects
to contribute significantly to the offensive attack.
Junior long stick midfielders Wes Enicks (Wellesley,
Mass./Wellesley) and Ross Mellgren (Sylvania,
Ohio/Southview) are playing well, combining with a thin
but solid defensive group that is led by senior Jon Simon
(Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller), senior Andy Oliver
(Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) and sophomore Jim Kelley
(Hudson, Ohio/Hudson). In the net will be either 2001
starter, junior Tripp Way (Wayne, Pa./Radnor), or
sophomore Kyle Prussing (Concord,
N.H./Carlisle).