Navy All-American defenseman Jackson Bonitz has been named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division I National Team of the Week. The USILA recognizes the 10 best individual performances from the previous week by players from around the country. Bonitz is the first Navy player to receive this honor this season.
Bonitz’s exceptional defensive performance was a key factor in Navy’s win against 17th-ranked Boston University last week. The Mids held the Terriers, the nation’s 8th-ranked scoring offense, to single digits for the first time since last year’s NCAA Tournament game against Princeton. Bonitz held Vince D’Alto, the Terriers’ leading scorer and the nation’s sixth-ranked point producer, without a goal for just the third time in his career. He also prevented D’Alto from scoring a point for 58 minutes before he assisted on the Terriers’ final goal of the game.
The USILA Division I National Team of the Week also includes Stony Brook midfielder Matt Anderson, Villanova midfielder Matt Campbell, Duke attackman Brennan O’Neill, Albany defenseman Jake Piseno, Georgetown faceoff specialist James Reilly, Utah attackman Ryan Stines, Queens goalkeeper Wesley Wheat, Michigan faceoff specialist Justin Wietfeldt, and Siena goalkeeper Chris Yanchoris.
Navy’s upcoming match is against 13th-ranked Loyola on Friday evening, which will be televised nationally. The game will take place at Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore and will be broadcasted by CBS Sports Network, with Brent Stover and Evan Washburn calling the game. Radio coverage will also be available on 1430 AM / 99.9 FM WNAV, with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller calling the action during the Navy Lacrosse Pregame Show, starting at 6:45 pm.
Bonitz and the Midshipmen, with a current record of 5-6 and a Patriot League record of 2-2, will need to continue their outstanding performance in the upcoming game against Loyola, which has a record of 6-3 and a Patriot League record of 3-1. The game is expected to be a tough match, but with players like Bonitz leading the way, the Navy team is ready to face the challenge.