SPARTANBURG, S.C. – High Point’s Asher Nolting and Tim Troutner Jr. have been named the Southern Conference men’s lacrosse offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, for all competition thus far in the season. The awards are selected by the league office.
Nolting and Troutner were also named to the USILA Team of the Week on Tuesday.
The Panthers opened the season with a pair of wins, topping St. Bonaventure 13-0 on Feb. 2 before shocking No. 2 Duke, 13-9 on Feb. 6. The Blue Devils, national runners-up last season, were the highest-ranked opponents High Point has ever beaten. The 2-0 start vaulted the Panthers into the national rankings at No. 16 in this week’s USILA poll and at No. 13 in the Inside Lacrosse poll.
A sophomore attackman from Greenwood Village, Colorado, Nolting totaled 12 points for the week, opening the season with three goals and four assists in the win over the Bonnies before adding two goals and three assists in the victory over the Blue Devils. The reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, Nolting has scored at least two points in all 16 of his career games and is already eighth in league history in career assists (43).
Troutner logged a 4.79 goals against average, 25 total saves and a .735 save percentage in his first two games of the season. The senior goalkeeper from Annapolis, Maryland, had six saves in 53 minutes of action against St. Bonaventure to lead the Panthers to the first shutout in program history. Troutner followed that up with 19 saves, including seven in the third quarter, and allowed just nine goals in the win over Duke, facing 41 shots on the day. The program record-holder with 20 career wins, Troutner is second in NCAA Division I in GAA this season.
High Point (2-0) returns to action Saturday at Drexel before heading to No. 11 Virginia on Monday in a battle of ranked squads.
Other offensive nominees: Stephen Votto (Bellarmine), Jarrett Birch (Furman), Bo BowHunter (Jacksonville), Pascal Coombs (Mercer) and Ryan Lanchbury (Richmond).
Other defensive nominees: Braden Host (Air Force), Jordan Dondoyano (Bellarmine), Alec Van de Bovenkamp (Furman), Dixon Smith (Jacksonville), Connor Purcell (Mercer) and Jack Cook (Richmond).
2019 Southern Conference Men’s Lacrosse Players of the Week
Offense
Feb. 12 Asher Nolting, High Point
Defense
Feb. 12 Tim Troutner Jr., High Point
-www.SoConSports.com-