Navy men’s lacrosse will honor its 19 seniors with a halftime tribute during Friday night’s final regular season home game against Bucknell.
While senior night will provide a public recognition at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, coach Joe Amplo thought it was appropriate to conduct a week-long celebration behind the scenes.
Every day during practice this week, Navy coaches took turns talking about members of the senior class. They delivered highly personal tributes that highlighted what each senior has brought to the program.
For instance, defensive coordinator John Orsen praised attackman Will Schiffenhaus for the dedication he brings to the scout team. Orsen talked about how difficult it is to guard Schiffenhaus during scrimmage situations and thanked the New Jersey native for never getting frustrated by lack of playing time.
“What I’m most impressed with is that this senior class reset the standard for Navy lacrosse. This group flipped the expectations 180 degrees in terms of the way we operate,” Amplo said. “It’s not just about results on the field when you’re trying to build something sustainable. These seniors have established a high bar for what’s expected in terms of behavior, commitment and work ethic.”
Several of the seniors have instant name recognition with Navy fans. Close defenseman Jackson Bonitz along with midfielders Max Hewitt and Dane Swanson are four-year starters. Attackman Xavier Arline and close defenseman Nick Licalzi are both three-year starters.
Short stick defensive midfielder Jackson Peters has arguably been Navy’s most valuable player the past two seasons. Attackman Jon Jarosz has appeared in 45 games with 27 starts over the course of his career.
By contrast, Schiffenhaus is among nine seniors who have seen scant action the past four years yet remain completely invested in the program. Other career reserves in the Class of 2024 are goalies Andrew Calabrese and Gabe Craven, faceoff specialist Michael Lobosco, long stick midfielder Kai Sasaki, short stick defensive midfielder Scott Stensrud, close defenseman Cam Marion and attackman Bryson Rhee.
“Those are the guys good teams are built on. Those guys work their tails off every day during practice and without them we’re not the team we are today,” Hewitt said.
Bonitz, a team co-captain along with Peters, said the seniors that stuck with the program despite being buried on the depth chart set an example for the underclassmen.
“It’s hard to come to practice every day knowing you’re not going to get into games. That’s one of the special things about our senior class — everyone comes out and plays super-hard every day regardless of their individual situation,” Bonitz said. “It’s huge for the younger guys to see that there’s always a chance to get on the field and you have to constantly fight for playing time.”
Unsung heroes
Stensrud was selected by preseason vote of teammates to wear the No. 40 in honor of Brendan Looney, the former Navy lacrosse player turned Navy SEAL who was killed in a helicopter crash during a secret mission in Afghanistan.
Stensrud, a product of the Trinity-Pawling School in New York, was named weight room captain at the beginning of the school year and possesses natural leadership qualities that shine through in everything he does. Amplo said Stensrud is “always doing the right thing” and boasts “an incredible presence” that permeates the room.
“Scott is a key player in the sense of what he means to our culture and our team as a leader. He’s always fired up and ready to go and truly represents totally what 40 is all about,” Hewitt said. “Scott is the heart and soul of our team in terms of emotion and energy.”
Calabrese has battled for the starting goalie spot for the past three seasons and been beaten out — first by Pat Ryan then by Dan Daly. Amplo said there are days in practice when the Wilton, Connecticut native is the best goaltender on the field.
Amplo described Sasaki, a Hunt Valley resident and Calvert Hall graduate, as the “moral compass” of Navy lacrosse, a “faith-based person with a strong sense of right and wrong.” Sasaki is one of three seniors, along with Houser and Rhee, who have suffered season-ending injuries.
Houser was performing at a high level as a member of the second midfield when he went down in practice prior to last Friday’s Loyola game. The Broadneck High graduate scored five goals and dished off two assists this season.
Three other seniors — Jarosz, Hovivian and Lobosco — have missed considerable time this season due to injury. Jarosz returned against Lafayette and has exploded for nine goals in the last three games.
“Jon is certainly playing his best lacrosse at the end of his career and is at the forefront of what we’re doing offensively down the stretch,” Amplo said.
Sixteen of the 19 seniors were recruited by the previous coaching staff with half arriving from the Naval Academy Prep School. Arline and Hewitt were among three players that committed to Navy after Amplo was hired.
Hewitt, a Denver native, was reluctantly headed to archrival Army since the Navy staff wasn’t recruiting him. Orsen, who previously had been an assistant at Denver, had a relationship with Hewitt and knew he really wanted to come to Annapolis, which led to the change in allegiance.
Hewitt has played in 53 games with 47 starts and amassed 99 points on 64 goals and 35 assists. He was named an honorable mention All-American after leading Navy with 36 points last season.
“Max has been a consistent mainstay and a very impactful player on the offensive end. You always know what you’re going to get from Max,” Amplo said.
Arline reneged on his commitment to North Carolina after being told he would not be able to play football there. Amplo teamed with former Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo to land the highly-rated recruit with the promise he could play both sports.
Arline did not play lacrosse as a freshman while focusing on football then played in just six games as a sophomore due to injury. The slick attackman was Navy’s second-leading scorer last season with 33 points despite missing four games injured.
“I have a lot of respect for what Xavier has accomplished during his four years at the Naval Academy. He has competed at a high level in two high-profile sports at a very demanding institution,” Amplo said. “X truly cares about Navy lacrosse and winning is all that matters to him.”
Bonitz will likely complete his career as a three-time All-American and four-time All-Patriot League pick. The Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, native has gobbled up 150 ground balls and amassed 76 caused turnovers while starting all 52 games over the past four seasons.
Bonitz, who represented the United States at the Under-21 world championships in 2022, was voted the captain of captains at the Naval Academy for the 2023-24 school year. He is a leading candidate for the Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword for Men — one of the highest honors for a varsity athlete.
“Jackson has been a model midshipman who operates at an elite level in every aspect of his life. Everyone looks at Jackson as an example for how a Navy lacrosse player acts,” Amplo said. “Jackson has been a major impact player and disruptive force on the defensive end. Opponents game plan to stay away from him.”
Navy lacrosse has posted a 30-23 record over the past four seasons, including an 18-11 mark in the Patriot League. This senior class has a 2-2 record in the Star game against Army. However, the postseason has been a source of frustration for the seniors, who are winless in three Patriot League Tournament games.
The Midshipmen have already qualified for the Patriot League Tournament with their seeding being determined by the results of Friday night’s games. Peters and the rest of the seniors are hoping to capture a conference championship to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s been a real blessing and nothing but the best experience to play for Coach Amplo and the rest of the staff. We’ve bought into all the things they’re preaching and have worked hard to establish a culture for Navy lacrosse that will live on long after we leave this place,” Peters said. “This senior class has developed such a strong bond and we want to maximize our time together. It would be nice if we could close out our careers by making a nice run in the playoffs.”
Bucknell at Navy
Friday, 7 p.m.
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: 1430AM