Men’s lacrosse puts No. 2 ranking to first test in Saturday’s season opener at ALC North rival Temple

Senior midfielder Keaton Mohs (from left), goaiie Eric Warnstrom, defender Matt Walker, and attack Braden Landry bring talent to all four phases of the game. (Photos by Kendall Tidwell)

Men’s lacrosse puts No. 2 ranking to first test in Saturday’s season opener at ALC North rival Temple

2/7/2024 4:25:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

After winning an exhibition game at NCAA Division III Southern Virginia University on Friday, the Flames are eager to start MCLA play with a challenging early-season schedule on tap.

Mens-lacrosse-goal-cele — Sophomore attack Luke Branham (21) is the Flames' fifth-leading scorer from last season while his older brother Cooper Branham (22)
and Cameron Carter (92), who ranked first and second, respectively, have graduated (Photos by Natalie Olson)

Prior to opening its MCLA season this Saturday at noon at Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (ALC) North Division rival Temple University, Liberty University's men's lacrosse team had an opportunity to experiment with its line combinations and develop a depth chart during an exhibition contest at Southern Virginia University last Friday in Buena Vista.

The Flames, ranked No. 2 in the MCLA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, defeated the NCAA Division III Knights, 11-6, in the scrimmage while gaining valuable insight into areas where they can improve before their first official contest.

"It was great to get a chance to get out on the field and get a taste of competition again," Liberty Head Coach Kyle McQuillan said. "It was exactly what we needed to prepare and get in the right mindset for our trip to Temple in downtown Philadelphia. Both us and SVU wanted to get out and compete against somebody other than ourselves and we obviously have quite a bit we need to continue to work on."

He came away with a bright outlook on the season ahead even as he integrates 14 freshmen into the program and gears up for what could be the most challenging schedule the Flames have ever faced.

"This time of year, I'm always optimistic," McQuillan said. "We have a good team, and it will fall to the guys to see how they put things together. The biggest challenge this year is inundating and onboarding all of the new guys, from one of the largest freshmen classes we have ever had."

The rookie newcomers are complemented by transfers Conor Guiltinan, a junior long-pole defender from NCAA Division I High Point, and Luke Campbell, a sophomore attack from NCAA Division III York (Pa.) College.

"They bring a level of experience and talent (but) they are all new to Liberty," McQuillan said. "The talent is there, the mindset is there, we have all the right elements. It comes down to how quickly we'll put all those elements together and find success. We don't have the luxury of a very soft early-season schedule, so we'll see how we respond with such a young nucleus of players."

Eric-Warnstrom-Liberty-goalie-save — Senior goalie Eric Warnstrom makes a save versus Virginia Tech in last year's ALC final.

He said one position where Liberty has clearly gotten stronger is at goalkeeper, where Ian Carvajal, a freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has complemented returning senior starter Eric Warnstrom and sophomore Camden Harriman, younger brother of former starting goalie Brayden Harriman.

"The addition of Ian has been great for our goaltending play across the board," McQuillan said. "It's great that we now have some depth at that position."

Former MCLA All-America selection Matt Walker returns for his senior season at long-pole defender, with support from seniors Bryn Jungles and Evan Shock, junior Ben Chun, and freshmen Kason Brehm and Ty Broughton, among others.

"We will be relying upon them to be able to fill some pretty big shoes," McQuillan said, noting that the Flames graduated the likes of Remy Newton, Luke Rafferty, and Ryan O'Connor.

The area Liberty may be deepest is at midfield, where the Flames feature a top line of senior Keaton Mohs (third-leading scorer last year with 28 goals and 31 assists) and juniors Will Geary (who ranked fourth, 36 G, 16 A) and Peyton Doyle, backed up by a second line of sophomore Shane Supek, junior Ezra Anderson, and graduate Mark Rolewicz.

"We have a good corps of young guys, too, with (freshmen) Harris Shook and Blake Konchak, talented young players that are going to continue to get better," McQuillan said, noting that the depth makes the Flames all the more dangerous. "Midfield has always been something we have really prided ourselves on as something that sets us apart, as most teams' offense comes from their attackmen. Our midfield has been a key to our success the last few years, and I would anticipate that continuing to be the case. We will have depth both at midfield and attack, and not having one or two guys we are depending on, but six guys on the field that are all a threat to score."

On attack, Liberty graduated leading scorer Cooper Branham (55 G, 28 A in 2023), but return his younger brother, sophomore Luke Branham (34G, 14A), a left-handed shooter who ranked fifth as a freshman, and senior Braden Landry (who ranked sixth in scoring with 25G, 11A). The unit adds Campbell and freshman Easton Cahill, who have shown tremendous potential as the Flames adjust to running a new offensive system this season.

"We have been working on it since very early in the year, doing things differently from the past, and there have been moments of excitement and optimism, though we still need to continue to work on that chemistry and the timing."

"We definitely learned a lot this past weekend, and (the offense is) starting to flesh itself out," he added. "We are still a work in progress early in the season and I tell the guys all the time, nobody's locked in anywhere. As guys continue to improve, and prove themselves, they can work their way into the lineup."

He expects a strong first test from Temple, an ALC tournament qualifier last year, and realizes the Owls may have added plenty of new personnel to their team as well.

"For the first game of the season, we will be learning quite a bit about each other on the fly," McQuillan said. "We are pretty confident, and will try to roll with the punches, take what the defense gives us, and adjust and make changes as we go."

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Kylee Lilge/Club Sports Video & Media Coordinator