When Stevenson was upset, 13-9, on Feb. 16 by Ursinus, senior attackmen JT Thelen knew what people in the college lacrosse world were thinking.

Would it be the start of another 0-5 run like the one that began the 2018 campaign? At least for now, following last weekend’s 13-6 win over Denison, those probing questions were answered.

“We really buckled down and knew it was the game we had to win in order to really prove it to ourselves and the rest of the country that we're still Stevenson lacrosse, we're still tough guys and we're still here to win it,” Thelen said.

In other words, Thelen said the Denison game was one that’d prove if the Mustangs, six-time defending Commonwealth Conference champions, could “make it or break it.” The senior’s play was a big part of that, too.

Thelen, coming off a USILA Honorable Mention All-American season, had five goals and an assist to reach the 200-point mark for his career. The seventh player in Stevenson history to reach that mark was quick to credit his teammates, though.

Thelen called fellow attackman Will Smith, a transfer from Howard Community College, “probably one of the best attackmen” he’s ever played with. Another attackman, Jacob Tatum, also garnered praise. In midfield, Thelen said Gray McKee has a “cannon of a shot” and Ethan Christiansen is “probably the best middie” he’s ever played with.

Head coach Paul Cantabene, who brought Stevenson the 2013 national title, knows that Thelen is special, too.

“He can score in a lot of different ways and has a very talented stick that lets him score goals that other kids can't,” Cantabene said. “He's worked really hard to get to this point and he's developed a lot during his four years here. He's been better each year and understands what it takes to be successful. He understands how to play in big games and doesn't get uncomfortable in those situations.”

Now, the Mustangs will need more big-time performances from Thelen to further make 2018’s wretched start a distant memory. Upcoming tilts are against powerhouse programs like Gettysburg, Salisbury and Tufts, which sandwich hosting the annual Mustang Classic, where they’ll face Lynchburg and York.

It’s a murderer’s row of opponents, but Cantabene feels they’ll be up to the challenge.

“We have to be pretty good, even better this weekend against a very good Gettysburg team,” Cantabene said. “I think we're playing hard and the guys know how to win. We just have to start making the plays to help us win instead of making the plays to help us lose.”

Roanoke could go far with Davies in goal

When it comes to goalkeeping, Roanoke head coach Bill Pilat knows a thing or two.

During his playing days between the pipes, Pilat was named a three-time All-American and two-time ODAC Player of the Year. Now, he runs an acclaimed goalie camp and is in his 31st season of coaching the Maroons with nearly 350 career wins in tow.

The praise, then, for senior Ian Davies, a reigning National Goalie of the Year and First Team All-American, carries some extra weight.

“He could play [Division I], for sure. I think he's the best goalie in the country regardless of the division,” Pilat said. “I said that to a couple of these pro guys when talking about the draft and such. He's so fast and so quick. He sometimes does things wrong technically, but he's so fast it doesn't matter. That's rare. You think a shot is going low but it's really going high, and he still saves it. Most people can't do that.”

So far, Davies is already proving his worth.

The Germantown Academy alumnus had 10 saves in last weekend’s 17-7 win over Sewanee. He has a .563 save percentage for his career and 9.13 goals against average, even playing so well that classmate Burke McManus moved to defense after splitting time with Davies at goalie during their freshman year.

For a program that hasn’t recorded a losing season since 1999 and won 18 ODAC championships, there’s also a new-look defense in front of Davies. Gone are defensemen Conn Curry and Robby Moore, as well as well as First Team All-American midfielder IV Stucker.

In their stead, it’s a defense where junior Josh Vetter, who blew his knee out against Dickinson last year, is the sole returner. Sam Balch, a sophomore, is starting, while Cole Marini and Patrick Cline are vying for the third spot. The safety net, however, remains.

“We have some good pieces in place and then others have to materialize,” Pilat said. “If that happens, then we'll see how far we can go. But with a goalie like Ian, any game is winnable. It's like having a 70 percent faceoff guy and knowing you're going to get the ball. We know we're going to get some amazing saves that bail us out of our mistakes.”

Off the field, Pilat has also been wowed by Davies, especially in light of a freshman year where he played just over 340 minutes. Davies’ mom was fighting cancer, and the off-field issues became weighty.

But after making 12 saves in relief during an ODAC semifinal loss to Lynchburg on May 7, 2016, Pilat said it was like a switch went off.

“That was the turning point,” Pilat said. “That’s when Ian took over.”

Christopher Newport powered by young core

Through three games, key contributors for Christopher Newport are, in one word, young.

The Captains’ top three scorers – Brady Altobello, Dylan Rice and Will Stockhausen – are all underclassmen. Starting midfielders Jordan Lee and Jackson Deal are both sophomores, as is defenseman Max Wayne. Soon-to-return faceoff specialist Tyler Iriondo is also a sophomore.

At 2-1, that trend has paid off for head coach Mikey Thompson’s team. He knows however, that it also provides some challenges.

“It impacts having a sense of urgency with everything you do,” Thompson said. “Seniors naturally have that because they realize they only have one more shot to accomplish their goals. With freshman, you have to keep harping on that on a daily basis.

“It’s other little things like understanding game flow, communicating on the field, just knowing the standard of effort that's required in practice,” Thompson continued. “Stuff like that is something you have to keep working on with younger guys.”

The top-15 program, vying for Capital Athletic Conference bragging rights alongside York and Salisbury, isn’t entirely green, though.

Christopher Newport’s starting goalie, Scott McAneney, is a junior. Its leading ground-ball winner and defenseman, Drew Cornell, is a senior. Fourth-leading scorer and attackmen Lucas Barry is also a senior.

Their collective experiences should prove vital as the Captains look to make it back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in program history.

“Whether those guys are starters or not, they know what that standard is,” Thompson said. “They've been around for some really successful teams and they can sense when that standard isn't being met. They're able to raise the level of the group altogether.”

As a young core blends with veterans, Thompson anticipates some ups and downs. To keep steady, he harkens back on some words of advice from former Virginia head coach Dom Starsia.

“I think overall it'll take some time for the pieces to come together, but Coach Starsia always said when I was there at Virginia that he'll take talent over experience,” Thompson, a captain during the Cavaliers’ 2010 ACC title run, said. “As long as we're working on continuing to maintain our standards that we expect from upperclassmen ... then we should see the pieces come together.”