By Mitchell Courtney
Lacrosse has been intertwined with Native American culture since its inception, and most would not hesitate to emphasize the role that the Native American people have played in growing the sport. A good number of North America’s premier lacrosse talent, and perhaps future NLL stars, are proud to call themselves Native American. Below is an update on the Native American players who are currently competing at the college level.

Wake:Riat BowHunter was one of the first to see action and excelled in his NCAA debut. A 2018 graduate of The Hill Academy, where he played under Brodie Merrill, BowHunter tallied three goals in preseason action against the perennially tough North Carolina Tar Heels for his Jacksonville University squad. BowHunter and his Jacksonville teammates also squared off against Florida Tech in a second preseason matchup on Saturday.

The Syracuse Orange will kick off their season on Feb. 8 against Colgate, and many are expecting them to remain in contention for the top spot in the ACC this season. The Orange have been pinned as the No. 10 team in the country on the Nike/US Lacrosse Top-20. Syracuse head coach John Desko is set to begin the team’s season with four Native players on the final roster: senior Tyson Bomberry, junior Jerry Staats, sophomore Troy Lauder and freshman Kevin Owen Hill. Staats transferred to Syracuse this season after playing two years at Onondaga Community College (OCC).

Much like the Orange, the Albany Great Danes will have some time to prepare for their first action which is not until the 16th of February, when they will face off against Syracuse. Albany alumni seem to be scattered throughout the National Lacrosse League, and that trend does not appear to be fading away anytime soon. The Great Danes were ranked 17th in the Nike/US Lacrosse Top-20, and they are hoping to climb up that list once their season begins. Native players suiting up in 2019 for Albany include Jakob Patterson, Colin Lyons, Mitch Laffin, Chaunce Hill, Teio McComber, Ron John and preseason All-American Tehoka Nanticoke. Nanticoke was named to the Preseason All-America Third Team on Dec. 17, 2018.

Hofstra was placed third in the CAA preseason rankings, behind only UMass and Towson University. Akwesasne product Kyran Sunday earned a Hofstra Presidential Scholarship to attend the university and will play his first collegiate lacrosse this season. Sunday and the Pride will begin their season with scrimmages against the Syracuse Orange on Jan. 26 and against Hobart on Feb. 2.

The Hill Academy alumnus Jake Fox is the only Native American player suiting up for Johns Hopkins University in 2019, and he is poised for a strong senior season. After winning a bronze medal at the 2018 FIL World Championships with the Iroquois, Fox could earn an even larger role with the Blue Jays. Fox and his teammates will open their season with a scrimmage against High Point, where fellow Native American Devon Buckshot will begin his collegiate career on Jan. 26.

Freshmen Matt Duncan, Chase Scanlan and Dan Burnam will all play their first collegiate lacrosse in 2019. The three young men will play for St. John’s, Loyola and Drexel, respectively.

Senior Kason Tarbell will look to have continued success at Cornell in his final year of athletic eligibility. Tarbell’s Mohawk name, Karonhioron, means “he covers the sky,” which is precisely what the defensive-minded midfielder will look to do in his senior season. He has played in all but two games for Cornell since joining the program, and his durability and consistency will likely be on display in 2019.

At the Division III level, freshman Kainen Francis-Thompson will join a rejuvenated Hartwick College squad as they aim to improve upon their 2018 success. Last season, the Hawks went a perfect 7-0 at home but struggled in road contests, winning just two of their seven away games. Hartwick opens its 2019 campaign at home against Oswego State on March 2.

On the junior college front, Genesee Community College (GCC) Dante David, Anson Gardner, Kyle Isaacs, Darcy Redeye, Konner Sunday and Evan and Matt Printup hope to send the Cougars to new heights in 2019. The young group of Native American men will be strong candidates to transfer to larger four-year programs following their time at the GCC. GCC will play four scrimmages in February before opening their regular season on March 5 at Finger Lakes Community College.

Owen Hill and Myles Jacobs will join Onondaga Community College in 2019 in its quest to prove that Eric Miccio was the right man for the recently filled head coaching vacancy. Previous head coach Chuck Wilbur stepped down after 17 years at the helm, and Hill and Jacobs are expected to play a large role in the team’s reload.

As the regular season quickly approaches, it is readily apparent that there will be a heavy Native American influence on college lacrosse in 2019. This, of course, is no different than the influence Native players have on the National Lacrosse League.

Native American Players and their College Schedules:

DIVISION I

Cornell University
Kason Tarbell
Schedule

Drexel University
Dan Burnam
Schedule

High Point University
Devon Buckshot
Schedule

Hofstra University
Kyran Sunday
Schedule

Jacksonville University
Wake:Riat BowHunter
Schedule

Johns Hopkins University
Jake Fox
Schedule

Loyola University
Chase Scanlan
Schedule

St. John’s University
Matt Duncan
Schedule

Syracuse University
Jerry Staats
Tyson Bomberry
Kevin Owen Hill
Troy Lauder
Schedule

University at Albany
Tehoka Nanticoke
Ron John
Teio McComber
Chaunce Hill
Mitch Laffin
Colyn Lyons
Jakob Patterson
Schedule

DIVISION III

Hartwick College
Kainen Francis-Thompson
Schedule

JUNIOR COLLEGE

Genesee Community College
Dante David
Anson Gardner
Kyle Isaacs
Evan Printup
Matt Printup
Darcy Redeye
Konner Sunday
Schedule

Onondaga Community College
Owen Hill
Myles Jacobs
Schedule