Midsummer Nights Ranking: MCLA Div. II

This article is originally from Lacrosse Magazine.

By Jac Coyne

Kennesaw State

Coyne Midsummer Rank: 16

2010 Record: 14-4

Key Loss: Tim Minick. It’s never easy to lose a sniper out of the midfield, and Minick gave the Owls that with his 37-goal performance in 2011. There are some serious defensive losses, as well, but Minick’s gun is the leading departure.

Key Returnee: Scott Schulze. There’s nothing like a 96-point junior year to put you on the map. Schulze could score (61 goals) and feed (35 assists), depending the situation. With Schulze, along with sophomore Trent Dean (30g, 35a), feeding from attack, Kennesaw should be a handful this spring.

Wild Card: The defense. In the nebulous world of MCLA statistics, it’s tough to tell with any certainty who’s coming and going, but at first glance it would appear the Owls are losing at least four poles who played in every game, and three of them are likely starters. There is a quartet of goalies returning, including presumptive starter junior Noah Rosenblum (63.8 save percentage), but the questions are many.

Reality: The SELC is full of a bunch of good teams, but not legitimate title contenders. Kennesaw is certainly among that group. But to move up the ranks, it’s important for teams like the Owls to get their shot at the dance. I’m still trying to figure out how KSU did not make the tournament last year, but if they can schedule a little wiser outside of the conference and match their mark within the SELC, the Owls should get their chance.