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PHILADELPHIA – Riding the momentum of a 5-2 shortened season a spring ago, the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse squad will open the 2021 campaign this Saturday, February 13 at Towson (0-1). Opening face-off is set for 1:00 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. and will be streamed free of charge on the Towson Sports Network. The game will serve as Towson's home opener as the Tigers are coming off of a 20-11 road loss at then-#6 UVA this past Saturday.

Saint Joseph's is coming off of a 2020 campaign in which the Hawks earned a #20 ranking in the Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Media Poll in back-to-back weeks in late February and early March, marking just the second and third times in program history in which the Hawks were ranked (other was #20 by Inside Lacrosse in late May 2018). SJU received votes in all three major polls to close 2020.

Leading the way for the Crimson and Gray in 2021 will be 2020 Inside Lacrosse Media All-American Second Team face-off specialist Zach Cole, an Inside Lacrosse Preseason Media All-American Third Team and USILA/Warrior and New Balance Preseason All-American Third Team selection heading into his third season on Hawk Hill. Through six games in 2020, Cole ranked second nationally in face-off winning percentage (75.6%, 99-of-131), third nationally in ground balls per game (12.00), and fourth nationally in total ground balls (72) to go with four points (3g, 1a) on the year.

Saint Joseph's returns 100 percent of its goal-scoring production from last spring, led by attackmen Levi Anderson (15g, 9a), Matt Bohmer (14g, 6a), and Matt Tufano (7g, 10a) and midfielders Evan Campbell (7g, 6a), Austin Strazzulla (6g, 3a), Nate Patterson (2g, 5a), and Shane Fable (4g, 2a).

Returners on the defensive end include fifth-year long stick midfielder Liam Hare (4g, 8gb, 3ct) and fifth-year close defenseman Tyler Makar (11gb, 7ct), who will co-captain the Hawks this spring. Fifth-year Josh Bosher (5gb, 6ct) and Joe Burnham (11gb, 8ct) started alongside Makar on close defense last spring while then-rookie Patrick Clemens earned invaluable experience from that veteran core. Sean Voelkel enjoyed a breakthrough season as a secondary LSM to Hare while Wray also welcomes the return of Cole's transition unit of short stick defensive midfielders Jack Anderson (12gb, 2ct), Zach Mantei (3g, 10gb), and Andrew Chilson (2g).

And as for the vacated goalkeeper position?

"[Graduate student transfer from Notre Dame] Jack Zullo has played at a high level and started games in the ACC, and we expect him to compete with [returning senior] Tucker Almany for the starting job in net," said Wray.

Saturday's game will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and Towson, the latter of which has received votes in the latest USILA Coaches Poll. The Tigers hold a 2-1 series edge with Colonial Athletic Association wins in 2011 and 2013; the Hawks earned a 6-3 CAA home win on April 28, 2012 in Wray's first year on Hawk Hill.

Saint Joseph's season opener also presents multiple coaching and player connections, beginning with Wray and Towson defensive coordinator Steve Grossi. From August 2012 through July 2015, Grossi was Saint Joseph's defensive coordinator, under Wray's direction. Additional notable high school connections include Cole and Towson attackman Will Montgomery (Lenape), SJU attackman Ryan Doran and Towson midfielder Drew Martin (Half Hollow Hills East), and SJU attackman Thomas Halm and Towson defenseman Mo Sillah (Landon School).

Wray shared his thoughts on the upcoming season with SJUHawks.com.

What are your expectations for the team this season?
"I believe we have a team that can compete for a conference title. As is the case every year, there's a difference between having the ability to do something, believing you can do it, and actually getting it done. There's a lot of work that has to be done to achieve outcomes, and we will focus on doing the work and controlling what we can to have positive outcomes down the road. More than any other season, every player on our team has to be prepared; we have to be adaptable and we have to remember to just be grateful for the opportunities to practice and play."

What games are you looking forward to in the non-conference slate?
"We have five very tough non-conference competitions. We're not circling anyone on the schedule in red; they are all going to be incredible challenges and should prepare us well for the conference slate. I do think the stretch of three games in eight days against UMBC, Delaware, and Army will be a tremendous challenge the week before we start the conference stretch."

What is your outlook for Northeast Conference play?
"Over the last couple years, the Northeast Conference has been really competitive. When we last completed a full season of conference play [2019], we entered the the final weekend of the regular season looking at a very plausible five-way tie for the regular-season title. I expect 2021 to be much of the same."

What do you like from your returners?
"We return a lot from the 2020 team. I like the mix of youth and experience. Our fifth-year guys have been doing a great job leading, with support from our true seniors. We played a lot of young guys last year, particularly on offense, and I think the seven games they played in, combined with a summer and fall of training, has paid off. I'm excited to see that group take the next step this spring."

What are your early impressions of the newcomers?
"The transition from high school to Division I lacrosse is never easy. This year presented a lot of challenges for our freshmen; they missed much of their senior year, spent summer in various forms of lockdown, and, like most freshman classes, they didn't really know what to expect until they arrived. We are so thankful to have been able to get a lot of small group work done this fall. I think that helped to bring the freshman along. It's a strong class with a very bright future. We also added four transfers to our line-up, all of whom I expect to make an immediate impact. Logan Blondell is a tremendous athlete who has established himself as a potential starter on defense. Tucker Brown adds experience to our midfield and has shown that he is game-ready, and Adam Ritter is a throwback midfielder and an explosive athlete who can do a bit of everything."