Limestone reigned supreme in Division II last season, edging past Merrimack 11-9 in the championshhip game last May. It did so with help from leading scorer Charlie Sheehan, who will return for another season with the Saints.
Sheehan joins a group of 2017 standouts in the Warrior Division II Men's Preseason Player of the Year vote. He'll join fellow offensive power Andrew Kew from Tampa, who finished last season as Division II's all-time single-season scorer with 86 goals. But it's not all defense in Division II, with two defensive players rounding out the candidates.
Narrowing it down to four, US Lacrosse Magazine has named Andrew Kew (Tampa), Ian Prate (NYIT), Charlie Sheehan (Limestone) and Brendan Entenmann (Le Moyne) as finalists for Warrior Division II Men’s Preseason Player of the Year.
We've named the four finalists for @warriorlax Division II Men's Preseason Player of the Year. Vote and read more https://t.co/75WQ9okG0P
— US Lacrosse Magazine (@USLacrosseMag) January 5, 2018
CC: @UTampaLacrosse, @NYITMLAX, @LimestoneLax, @LeMoyneMLax
The magazine’s staff will select a winner to be published in its February NCAA preview edition. Fans are encouraged to vote on Twitter, but the results will not determine the preseason player of the year.
More on the finalists for Warrior Division II Men’s Preseason Player of the Year:
Andrew Kew
Tampa
Kew is back after setting the Division II single-season scoring record with 86 goals in 2017. Add in the fact that fellow star Conor Whipple is graduated, and Kew could be poised to break that record again this season. He’ll lead the Tampa offense throughout the season.
Ian Prate
NYIT
Prate was a force for the NYIT defense last year, helping the Bears hold opponents to 8.14 goals per game. He’s a turnover-causing machine (14th in Division II with 1.88 caused turnovers per game) and picked up 69 ground balls in 2017.
Charlie Sheehan
Limestone
Sheehan helped lead the eventual national champions to the Promised Land, topping the scoring charts with 63 goals and 21 assists. The unquestioned leader of the Limestone offense will have to shoulder the load more than ever before, with Colton Watkinson and others gone from last season.
Brendan Entenmann
Le Moyne
The reigning USILA First Team All-American is a major reason why Le Moyne has finished among the best defenses over the past three seasons — winning a national championship in 2016. Entenmann is the leader of the Dolphins defense and had 44 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers last year.