SPARTANBURG, S.C. – High Point attackman Brayden Mayea and Air Force goalkeeper Jason Rose have been named the Southern Conference men’s lacrosse offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, for all games April 27 to May 2. The awards are selected by the league office and are the final ones of the season.
 
Mayea scored five goals in Saturday’s 16-11 win over Jacksonville, which clinched the Panthers a share of the regular-season SoCon title and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SoCon Men’s Lacrosse Championship. The sophomore from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, scored the game’s first goal just 3:27 into the contest, helping the Panthers jump out to an early 5-0 advantage. Mayea added another goal in the second quarter before again striking quickly after halftime, completing the hat trick just 2:57 into the third period. He would score once more in the third before capping his day with his fifth goal in the fourth quarter.
 
Rose made a career-high 18 saves and allowed just eight goals as Air Force knocked off No. 15 Richmond 9-8 to deny the regular-season co-champion Spiders an undefeated run through the league. The sophomore from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, faced 45 shots on the afternoon, with his 18 saves the most by a Falcon keeper this season. Rose’s .692 save percentage was a season high and pushed his season percentage to .522.
 
Both High Point and Air Force will get immediate rematches in the SoCon Men’s Lacrosse Championship at Richmond’s Robins Stadium. The Panthers (6-5, 5-1 SoCon), who are receiving votes in the USILA/Dynamic Coaches Poll, will face third-seeded Jacksonville (7-6, 4-2) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern. Fourth-seeded Air Force (4-8, 3-3), which is also receiving votes in the coaches’ poll after its win over the Spiders, will visit top-seeded and 18^th-ranked Richmond (6-5, 5-1) again on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the day’s first semifinal. The championship final is set for noon Friday.
 
Other offensive nominees: Brian Michael (Air Force), Landon Trout (Bellarmine) and Taylor Dooley (Mercer).
 
Other defensive nominees: JC Higginbotham (Bellarmine), Ashton Wood (Mercer) and Anthony Moran (VMI).
 
2021 Southern Conference Men’s Lacrosse Players of the Week
Offense
Feb. 16             Jack Dolan, R-Jr., M, Jacksonville
Feb. 23             Asher Nolting, Sr., A, High Point
March 2            Will McCarthy, Sr., M, Mercer
March 9            Ryan Lanchbury, Sr., A, Richmond
March 16          Dalton Young, So., A, Richmond
March 23          Ryan Lanchbury, Sr., A, Richmond
March 30          Dalton Young, So., A, Richmond
April 6               Asher Nolting, Sr., A, High Point
April 13             Matt Stagnitta, 5th, A, Jacksonville
April 20             Ethan Grandolfo, So., A, Air Force
April 27             Ryan Lanchbury, Sr., A, Richmond
May 3               Brayden Mayea, So., A, High Point
 
Defense
Feb. 16             Ashton Wood, Jr., FO, Mercer
Feb. 23             Braden Host, Sr., GK, Air Force
March 2            Jack Rusbuldt, Gr., GK, Richmond
March 9            Colin Kelley, So., GK, Mercer
March 16          Jacob Griffin, Jr., FO, Richmond
March 23          Jacob Griffin, Jr., FO, Richmond
March 30          Nathan Kapp, R-Fr., FO, Jacksonville
April 6               Ashton Wood, Jr., FO, Mercer
April 13             Jason Yoquinto, GK, R-Jr., Jacksonville
April 20             Jack Rusbuldt, Gr., GK, Richmond
April 27             Nathan Kapp, R-Fr., FO, Jacksonville
May 3               Jason Rose, So., GK, Air Force