The High Point University men's lacrosse team opens Atlantic 10 conference play at UMass this weekend. Saturday marks the first league contests since the A10 announced it would sponsor men's lacrosse last spring.  
 

First ever @atlantic10 season coming ?? ????#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/P7TvIlwkBK

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 30, 2023

 
GAME INFORMATION
High Point at UMass | Saturday, April 1^st | 12:00 PM
Garber Field | Amherst, Mass.
Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
Last Time Out
Jack VanOverbeke scored three goals while Brayden Mayea tallied four points as High Point fell to No. 14 North Carolina, 16-9, last Wednesday in Chapel Hill. Parker Green made 17 saves in goal, a season-high, while posting a .515 save percentage. Grant Ammann picked up three ground balls and recorded three caused turnovers in the effort.
 

DON'T MESS WITH MAYO ?? #GoHPU pic.twitter.com/cBXQfmjfpr

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 22, 2023

 
ACROSS THE BENCH
High Point vs. UMass

• The Panthers and the Gorillas have never faced off in HPU's decade of matchups.

 
About the Gorillas

• Massachusetts is 5-3 overall this season, having won three of its last four contests with an 11-5 loss against No. 6 Rutgers.
• Gabriel Procyk leads UMass with 22 points on 16 goals and six assists while Carter Castillo and Mike Tobin have each chipped in 18 and 15 points this season, respectively.
• Matt Knote has started each game in goal, making 112 saves with a .619 save percentage so far.
• Head coach Greg Cannella is in his 29^th season at the helm for UMass.  

 
High Point Among Top-25 in NCAA Statistical Categories
As a team, HPU is among NCAA Division I top-25 programs in nine statistical categories through nine games and is leading Atlantic 10 programs in six categories. HPU leads the nation in opponent clearing percentage at 0.744. The Panthers have also posted top-5 marks in four other categories including points per game (3^rd, 24.70), assists per game (4^th, 9.20), scoring offense (4^th, 15.50), and ground balls per game (5^th, 38.00).

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BENCH ENERGY ?? https://t.co/WMF84Og606

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 22, 2023

 
Four Panthers in NCAA DI Top-25 Statistical Categories
High Point has four individuals who rank in the top-25 across five different statistical categories, as well as an Atlantic 10 statistical leader through nine games played. Junior Jack VanOverbeke leads the conference and ranks 17^th nationally in points per game (4.70) and is 13^th in NCAA DI for assists per game (2.30). Graduate defender Grant Ammann is ninth across NCAA DI for caused turnovers per game (2.00) while junior attackman Brayden Mayea ranks 18^th in NCAA DI for shot percentage (0.458). Collin Hoben is 17^th in ground balls per game (7.80).
 

Take it to 'em 1??3?? Panthers trail 10-5, 4:51 left in the half#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/12irn38A1y

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 22, 2023

 
Mayea Becomes Fifth Panther to Reach 100 Career Points
Junior attackman Brayden Mayea is hit 100 career points with five goals and an assist on February 17^th at VMI. In his first three seasons at HPU, Mayea tallied 94 career points with 42 points as a freshman and 49 points in his sophomore season. Mayea is the fifth Panther to reach 100 career points. Senior midfielder Hunter Vines is also nearing 100 points. Vines has tallied 97 points in his five-year career at HPU. Last season he posted 22 points, and he added 26 points as a junior. After a career day with 10 points on four goals and six assists, junior Jack VanOverbeke also cracked the top-10. VanOverbeke sits at the ninth slot among HPU players with 85 career points, recording 44 points through eight games this season.
High Point Men's Lacrosse Career Leaders (Points)
1.Asher Nolting (2018-22) – 344
2.Matt Thistle (2013-16) – 201
3.Dan Lomas (2013-16) – 183
4.Michael LeClair (2014-17) – 162
5.Brayden Mayea (2021-pres.) – 129
6.Hunter Vines (2019-pres.) – 98
7.Chris Young (2017-19) – 94
8.Conor Robinson (2015-18) – 93
9.Jack VanOverbeke – 88
10.Dalton Sulver (2017-2021) – 82
 

OH MY MAYO ?? BTB for 5??5??@ESPNAssignDesk | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/9RZQhhqEhN

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 18, 2023

 
Career Weeks Earns VanOverbeke A10 Recognition
Junior attackman Jack VanOverbeke had a record week, posting single-game career highs in points, goals, assists, shots, and shots on goal. His team-high 10 points against Robert Morris propelled the Panthers to a 16-14 win tied the program best for a single game, matching Asher Nolting's total at VMI on March 19, 2021. He also tallied six assists, again tying Nolting for second-best in program history which he recorded against Air Force on April 6, 2019. VanOverbeke finished the week with a .588 shot on goal percentage through two games, tallying 18 points on 12 assists and six goals.
 
Vines Added to Tewaaraton Watch List, Named A10 Player of the Week
Graduate midfielder Hunter Vines was added to the Tewaaraton watch list on Thursday afternoon (March 9^th) and named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the week on Tuesday morning (March 7^th). The Elizabethton, Tennessee, native has recorded at least one point in each of the last five games, highlighted by a three-goal, two-assist performance against No. 14 Jacksonville on Saturday, March 4^th. Vines becomes the fifth Panther to be named to the watch list and the ninth time overall a player from HPU has been featured on the list.
 

Even in pregame it's fun to watch 55!!!!#GoHPU x #A10MLAX pic.twitter.com/67sbNaXL24

— High Point Lacrosse (@HPUMensLax) March 14, 2023

 
HPU Notches Second Program Win Against Navy
Playing Navy for just the second time in program history, HPU tallied its second 14-13 win over the Midshipmen on Saturday (February 25). Last season, High Point was victorious, also a 14-13 contest, in Annapolis.
 
Armitage's First Goal Sparks HPU to Win Over Navy
While sophomore Max Armitage had yet to score his first collegiate goal heading into HPU's contest against Navy, the midfielder tied up the game to get the Panthers on the board early in the first quarter. The goal sparked a 3-0 HPU run as Brayden Mayea and Hunter Vines also added goals.
 
Panthers Trending Up in Home Openers
Over the past five years, High Point has claimed victory in four of its first home games of the season. HPU is 7-4 all-time in home openers through its first 11 seasons as an NCAA Division I program. The Panthers have faced two ranked opponents to open the season at home in the last five years and have only hosted the same opponent for a home opener once (Delaware; 2013, 2015).
HPU All-Time Home Openers
W, 17-2 vs. Detroit Mercy – Saturday, February 11, 2023
W, 11-10 vs. Colgate – Friday, February 11, 2022
W, 21-15 vs. Robert Morris – Saturday, February 13, 2021
L, 8-17 vs. #7 Duke – Saturday, February 8, 2020
W, 13-0 vs. St. Bonaventure – Saturday, February 2, 2019
L, 14-16 vs. #2 Maryland – Saturday, February 17, 2018
W, 9-3 vs. Georgetown – Tuesday, February 14, 2017
L, 10-13 vs. Boston – Tuesday, February 16, 2016
W, 15-10 vs. Delaware – Sunday, February 1, 2015
W, 9-7 vs. St. Joseph's – Sunday, February 16, 2014
L, 10-12 vs. Delaware – Saturday, February 2, 2013
 
Green Making Mark with Career Numbers
Senior Parker Green has played 42 career games in four years between the pipes for HPU, the third most among Panther goalies behind Austin Geisler (2013-15) and Tim Troutner Jr. (2016-2019). His 440 career saves are 14th among NCAA Division I goalies and his 42 games are tied for the eight-fewest among goalies in the top-15 for career saves. Green's 440 saves also rank 35^th across all divisions of NCAA men's lacrosse. In NCAA DI, he is 12^th for minutes played in-goal (132,750) and 26^th across all divisions. Green also ranks 25^th in NCAA DI for saves per game, averaging 10.48 over his career.
 
Ammann Garners HPU's First A10 Weekly Award
Graduate student Grant Ammann earned Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Atlantic 10 as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon (February 20). Ammann picked up four ground balls and tallied three caused turnovers to help HPU to its first road win of the season, a 17-11 victory at VMI. He also helped anchor a Panther defense that held VMI scoreless for the final 17 minutes of play. Ammann leads the A10 and is 13^th in NCAA Division I leaders for caused turnovers per game (1.89).
 
Hoben, Lazasz, Accardo Score First Career Goals in Home Opener
Senior Collin Hoben, sophomore Mason Lazasz, and freshman Luca Accardo scored their first career goals on Saturday in Vert Stadium against Detroit Mercy. Accardo scored in the second quarter for the Panthers' first face-off goal of the season. Hoben opened the second half with a win at the face-off X and ran the ball down the field for his first score. In the fourth quarter, Lazasz saw action and picked up a loose ball just outside the crease for a quick score.
 
Cooke Posts Career-Highs in Season Opener
Prior to Tuesday night's game at Duke, junior Colin Cooke had recorded two goals total, both in the 2022 season. Cooke scored against North Carolina before he tallied his second goal against Richmond in the SoCon semifinal. He also posted a career-high in points (3) as he tallied an assist on Tuesday as well.
 
Every Panther Who Scored the First Goal of the Season
Jack VanOverbeke at #7 Duke – Feb. 7, 2023
Nick Rizzo at #2 Maryland – Feb. 5, 2022
Kevin Rogers vs. Robert Morris – Feb. 13, 2021
Hunter Vines at #4 Maryland – Feb. 1, 2020
Chris Young vs. St. Bonaventure – Feb. 2, 2019
Chris Young at #1 Duke – Feb. 8, 2018
Jason Ashwood at #7 Duke – Feb. 10, 2017
Dan Lomas at #3 Duke – Feb. 12, 2016
Cole Carns vs. Delaware – Feb. 1, 2015
Brad James at Delaware – Feb. 1, 2014
Brendan Montrello vs. Delaware – Feb. 2, 2013
 
High Point Joins Atlantic 10 in 2023
After spending eight seasons as a SoCon affiliate member, High Point University joined the Atlantic 10, announced at the end of last May as the conference added men's lacrosse to its list of sponsored sports. High Point and Hobart joined A-10 institutions UMass, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, and Saint Joseph's to make up the six-team league and fulfill the NCAA requirement for an automatic bid for postseason eligibility. The Atlantic 10 will be the third conference (Atlantic Sun, Southern Conference) HPU has played in for men's lacrosse as the program continues to reach new heights.
 
Mayea Named Preseason All-Conference Member
Junior attackman Brayden Mayea finished the 2022 season as a First Team All-SoCon honoree while claiming a pair of Player of the Week awards from the conference throughout the season. Mayea led HPU with 40 goals to go along with nine assists while tallying 35 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers. Ahead of the inaugural season of A-10 men's lacrosse, Mayea was listed as a Preseason All-Conference attackman.
 
High Point Picked Fourth in Inaugural A-10 Preseason Poll
In the Preseason Atlantic 10 Coaches Poll, High Point was slated to finish fourth among the six conference members as announced by the conference office on February 1^st. Richmond got the nod as the preseason favorite after winning the SoCon Tournament a season ago over Jacksonville.
 
1.Richmond – 33 (4)
2.Saint Joseph's – 29 (2)
3.Massachusetts – 20
4.High Point – 19
5.Hobart – 18
6.St. Bonaventure – 7
 
Pair of Panthers Selected in 2022 NLL Draft
Two current members of the High Point University men's lacrosse team were selected in the 2022 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft on Saturday, September 10^th. Hunter Vines was selected by the Vancouver Warriors while Michael Ippolito was selected by the Panther City Lacrosse Club, both selected in the sixth round. In four years for HPU, Vines started 31 games for the Purple & White while making 53 appearances. In 2022, he scored 16 goals and dished out six assists while starting all 15 games. Ippolito enters as a fifth-year senior and started 14 games in 2022, scoring 17 goals and tallying two assists. In High Point's 11 seasons of NCAA Division I lacrosse, 17 Panthers have been drafted in either the MLL, NLL, or PLL.
 
Torpey Leads Panthers into Second Decade of Lacrosse
As the first head coach in High Point University men's lacrosse history, Jon Torpey has seen the program through its first decade of NCAA Division I lacrosse while compiling a 71-73 record with two NCAA Tournament appearances (2015, 2021).