NEW YORK – Three Southern Conference men’s lacrosse student-athletes have been named to the 2019 Tewaaraton Award watch list, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced Thursday. High Point’s Asher Nolting and Tim Troutner Jr. and Richmond’s Teddy Hatfield were among the 50 players on the men’s list.
The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are comprised of premier college coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Players not named to the initial lists have several opportunities to play their way into a spot as the season progresses. Watch list additions, if applicable, will be announced on March 21 and April 4. On April 25, the field will be narrowed to 25 men's and 25 women's nominees. Nominees can be players on the watch lists or players not on the watch lists, effectively allowing for a third round of additions.
Five men's and five women's finalists will be announced on May 9 and invited to the 19th annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 30.
Nolting was an addition to the list last year, while this is Troutner's first time on the list. They join Dan Lomas – who made it three times – as the only Panthers to be named to the watch list for lacrosse's most distinguished award. HPU assistant coach Justin Tuma made the list in his senior season at Roanoke College in 2011. On the women's side, High Point had its only Tewaaraton Watch List member with Erica Perrotta in the 2018 season.
Troutner ranks third in the SoCon and 17th in the NCAA in goals against average at 9.32. He is currently third in the SoCon and 15th in the nation in saves per game at 13.20. The Annapolis, Maryland, product has logged a 0.589 save percentage, which is second in the SoCon and 10th in the NCAA. He posted the first shutout in HPU history with the 13-0 win over St. Bonaventure on Feb. 2. Troutner is first in HPU history in wins with 22. He made 19 saves vs. then-No. 2 Duke on Feb. 6 and 17 saves in the Panthers' win over then-No. 9 Virginia on Feb. 18. Troutner has logged double-digit saves in four of the five games this season.
Nolting is second in the SoCon and 12th in the NCAA in assists per game this season at 2.60. His 5.0 points per game average puts him second in the SoCon and 20th in the nation. The Greenwood Village, Colorado, native tied a career high with seven points (three goals, four assists) in the 2019 season opener against St. Bonaventure. He tied a career high in goals with four in the 14-13 win at then-No. 9 Virginia. Nolting has scored at least four points in every game this season. He has posted two or more points in all 19 games of his career at HPU. He was the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year last season.
Hatfield, a preseason All-Southern Conference selection, became Richmond and the SoCon's all-time scorer last year in just three years. Hatfield enters Friday's game against No. 6 Duke with 171 career points, while also holding the Spider record with 75 assists. He is tied for second all-time in Richmond history with 96 goals scored, just three behind current record-holder and assistant coach Mitch Goldberg (99 goals). He earned first-team All-SoCon honors last when he led the team in scoring with 59 points, recording a team-high 34 goals and dishing out 25 assists.
Hatfield has been strong to start the 2019 season, leading the Spiders to a national ranking just four games into the season. Richmond, ranked as high as No. 11 in one poll this year, boasts a 3-1 overall record including a win over then No. 6 Notre Dame last weekend. Hatfield leads the Spiders with 20 points in the first four games, scoring 10 goals and handing out 10 assists.
For the Tewaaraton Foundation's full release, click here.