The 2016 lacrosse season is officially here, and Stony Brook has three stars to congratulate on their Tewaaraton watch list nominations. Seniors Brody Eastwood and Challen Rogers, having already been named preseason All-Americans, earned their nomination after two stellar 2015 campaigns alongside sophomore Kylie Ohlmiller, who earned her first nomination for women’s lacrosse.
Ohlmiller, the reigning America East Rookie of the Year, was named to the Tewaaraton Award watch list after a 2015 season that placed her among the nation’s best, finishing fourth in assists (44) and eighth overall in points (86). Although the women’s lacrosse season is not yet underway, the Long Island native is already in the spotlight for 2016. She is only one of seven underclassmen that were named to the list, and is joined by only one other America East player.
Eastwood is already shining in his 2016 campaign, having scored a team-leading amount of seven goals and three assists in just two contests. He recorded three assists in Stony Brook’s first game of the season, a career high. Eastwood is slowly climbing towards the record books, as he is just 23 goals away from passing Jordan McBride’s 175-goal mark. The senior from British Columbia averages just over 48 goals a season as a Seawolf, scoring 62 goals in last year’s campaign. He also boasts an impressive goal percentage, scoring 153 goals on just 251 shots.
Rogers, who just recently tied his career high in points a game with seven against St. John’s, had an impressive 2015 campaign, with career highs in starts (18), points (53) and goals (30). He is trailing Eastwood’s team-leading 10 points by just a point. Both British Columbia natives are predicted to be team-leaders in points and pass the 200 career point mark, something that only four Seawolves have done before them.
The expectations for both lacrosse teams are higher than ever, and the pressure for the Seawolves is slowly building around these three crucial playmakers. Ohlmiller has a Seawolves team that saw its rank skyrocket into the nation’s top five rankings in 2015 by Inside Lacrosse, whereas the men’s lacrosse duo is looking to lead the team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in their careers. The Tewaaraton watch list will be narrowed down to the top 25 players on March 17.
The women’s lacrosse season kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 28 at Bryant University. The men’s lacrosse team plays its third consecutive home game against Brown this Saturday.
