COLUMBUS, Ohio – On the heels of an OAC Tournament semifinal appearance a season ago, the Capital University men's lacrosse team is hoping for another shot at going a step further in 2023.
With second-year head coach AJ Smith at the helm and a renewed coaching staff at his disposal, the Comets will be led by a strong group of coaches to carry the team forward on the field this season.
A LOOK BACK ON 2022
To start the year last season, Capital was met with a challenging 1-4 start to their year. The Comets were in contention in each of those four losses however, with their largest margin of defeat to that point being just three goals.
Breaking out of that funk, the Comets rattled off back-to-back wins over North Central and Wittenberg to begin moving their season in a positive direction. After rough games with BW and John Carroll, the Comets did finish the season on a 4-2 run that saw them qualify for the OAC Tourney as the No. 5 seed.
In the first round of the postseason, Capital exacted revenge on their crosstown rivals and knocked off Otterbein 14-7 to play BW in the semifinals. There, Cap was upended 15-5 and concluded their season at an even 9-9 record.
Key departures heading into this season will be the now graduated starters and significant reserves
Jack Scharner,
Lake Harris,
Jaden Kaznowski,
Jack Conley,
Doc Crimmel,
Nathan Mork and
Chase Snyder.
FAMILIAR FACES
Returning to have a big impact on the offensive side of the field this season will be
Mason Spaulding,
Evan Frund,
Brenden Pelton,
Nathan Montgomery,
Jacob Poole and
Jake Belt among others.
Last season, both Spaulding and Pelton were named to the All-OAC second team. Spaulding led the team in goals and points, finishing with 49 goals, 16 assists and 65 points. Peloton ended the year with 29 goals and five assists.
The others finished with solid numbers as well with Frund scoring 27 goals and eight assists, Montgomery ending with 14 goals and 10 assists, Poole concluding with 14 goals and eight helpers, and Belt rounding it out with 10 goals and 12 assists.
Other returners who will remain in the mix offensively are
Aiden Manning,
Jack Kilgallon,
Ty Chase,
Ian Michaud, and
Drew Bolen.
On the defensive side of the field, seniors
Ethan Adkins,
James Howenstine and
Dom Rocco will serve as the main leaders, having played in 11 or more games each last season. Howenstine recorded eight ground balls and seven caused turnovers a year ago, Adkins ended with 10 ground balls and two caused turnovers, and Rocco finished with 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
Back between the pipes will be
Sam McInturf who last year ended the season with 206 saves, good for a 54.5 save percentage. Outside the crease, Sam picked up 40 ground balls and caused 11 turnovers.
At the faceoff X, the Comets will welcome back
Mikey Collins. In 2022, Collins was 59-for-113 in his battles, good for a 56.6% win rate.
WHAT'S NEW?
All positions on the field will feature competition for playing time as Coach Smith and his staff have recruited 12 incoming freshmen and two transfers.
In addition to a group of 14 incoming players, Coach Smith is welcoming in two new assistant coaches this season in the form of
Adam Stewart and
Kyle Peters. Stewart is serving as a full-time assistant with the Comets after having been an offensive coordinator for Denison University for several years previously. Peters is joining Capital as a part-time assistant coach after most recently coaching at Alvernia University.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
The Comets will face a tough schedule this season, with a healthy amount of variety in the non-conference portion of the year.
Things will get started this Saturday, February 25th at Kenyon College. That season-opener will then be followed by two more road trips first to Wooster on March 1st and then to Medaille University in Buffalo, New York on March 4th.
The team's home opener will take place on Wednesday, March 8th at 3 p.m. as Adrian pays a visit to Columbus.
Immediately following their home opener, Capital will get back on the road for two neutral site games in Nashville, Tennessee on March 11th and 12th. There, the Comets will play Hendrix and LaGrange.
The team's non-conference season will wrap up with games against Transylvania and Wittenberg.
OAC play will commence on March 25th as Capital hosts rivals Otterbein. This game will then be followed by home conference games with Muskingum, John Carroll, Heidelberg and Ohio Northern. The Comets will then travel to OAC opponents Mount Union, Baldwin Wallace, Marietta and Wilmington throughout the month of April.
