GNAC Men's Lacrosse Report: Week 1

FOR THE OPENING WEEK THRU MARCH 21
Note: Students are required to wear masks during game
play; any photos without masks are from previous seasons

	PLAYER OF THE WEEK Brendan Martin, Saint Joseph's of Maine (Senior Attack, Nashua, N.H.) - Martin scored 14 goals -- including five man-up tallies -- and added three assists and 10 ground balls in the Monks' 2-1 start to the 2021 season. The senior attack netted five goals with two assists in the team's 18-7 opening win at Maine Maritime Academy on March 7 and potted a career-high eight goals in a 17-8 triumph over Southern Maine on March 17.
	GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK Trey McCann, St. Joseph (Conn.) (So., GK - Simsbury, Conn.) - McCann has played a crucial role in helping the Blue Jays get off to a 1-1 start to the 2021 season. The sophomore racked up an impressive 27 saves across the opening pair of games (1-1), while allowing just 11 goals for a 6.71 goals allowed average. In the season opener on March 5 versus Eastern Connecticut, McCann did everything he could between the pipes to give USJ a fighting chance against the Warriors, matching his career-high with 18 saves in an eventual 8-2 setback. He followed that up with nine saves in just 38 minutes of action as the Blue Jays toppled Mitchell, 22-4, in their second game of the season.
	ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Ryan Paltauf, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Fr., A - Southbury, Conn.) - Paltauf wasted little time making a huge impact in a USJ uniform and was a catalyst to help the Blue Jays get off to a 1-1 start to the 2021 campaign. Paltauf racked up 13 points across the opening two games of the season, netting a pair of goals to go with 11 assists. Paltauf, a rookie out of Southbury, Conn., factored in both of USJ's goals with a goal and an assist in an eventual 8-2 setback to Eastern Connecticut in the season opener on March 5. He followed that up with a goal and school record 10 assists in what would be a 22-4 route of Mitchell College on March 10.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Jayme Toro, Albertus Magnus (Sr., M - East Haven, Conn.) - Toro collected three points on two goals, including a man-up opportunity, and an assist, along with 16 ground balls in the Falcons 10-8 setback against Anna Maria on Saturday. Toro also made it possible for Albertus to gain possession for the vast majority of the game, winning 19 faceoffs on 21 chances for a .905 faceoff percentage. 

Ryan Castle, Emmanuel (Mass.) (So, A/M - Boxford, Mass.) - Castle netted five goals on eight shot attempts in Emmanuel's season-opener against Curry College. The five scores ties an EC record for goals scored in a season-opener and was just one shy of tying the single-game record. He added one caused turnover for the Saints. 

Chase Kapuscienski, Lasell (Gr., M - Grafton, Mass.) - Kapuscienski collected nine points in a 1-1 week on seven goals and two assists while adding three ground balls. He scored a game-high five goals in a 12-11 overtime loss Tuesday to Skidmore, and he tallied two goals and two assists in Saturday's 13-9 victory over Nichols.

Jack Anzalone, Norwich (Gr., A - Ridgedwood, N.J.) - Anzalone showed little to no rust after a lengthy layoff from competition scoring eight goals and adding four assists while scoring at a 61.1 percent clip to open the 2021 season. In the season opener, the graduate student notched a career-best nine points to lead Norwich to a 20-8 victory at home. He then added a hat trick in the Cadets' close 10-8 loss to New England College. Anzalone's line also included a pair of groundballs and two caused turnovers.

Owen LaPorte, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Sr., A - Farmington, Conn.) - LaPorte paced the USJ offense in the opening two games of the 2021 season, tallying 10 goals and an assist over the pair of contests. After scoring one of the Blue Jays' two goals in an eventual 8-2 setback in the 2021 season opener to Eastern Connecticut on March 5, the senior from Farmington, Conn. and former Mount Ida attackman erupted in his second game in a USJ uniform against Mitchell. LaPorte found the back of the net nine times and added an assist to post a 10 point game in what was a 22-4 route of the Mariners on March 10.