The Tewaaraton Watch List was recently announced by the selection committee and my finger hurts from scrolling through all the names. The Tewaaraton Award is given annually to the top player in the NCAA’s ranks. Barring injuries, the casual fan can probably agree on a half dozen players who will be in the hunt. The selection committee had a much harder time narrowing down that list. 73 names appear on the men’s watch list from 64 different schools. 73 names! If we put all those players on the island of Guam, it might tip over!

I don’t consider myself an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do like to think that I’m somewhat of an informed observer of the game. That being said, I’ve never heard of a lot of these guys. That’s not to take anything away from the guys that are on the list because not being on my radar doesn’t mean a whole lot. What I do find problematic, in my own little world, are the seemingly glaring ommissions from the list.

The sheer length of the watch list combined with these ommissions makes me wonder about the process employed by the selection committee. Is this a barter system where the committee has to give a player here or there to get a player? Is there a cap on the number of players allowed on a single team? I just can’t reconcile why some players didn’t make the list while seemingly everyone else did. Let’s take a look at who is on the list. I’ve sorted it by position for your viewing pleasure.

Men’s 2012 Watch List

Goalies (10)
Sean Aaron, Goalie – Union College
Pierce Bassett, Goalie – Johns Hopkins University
Fergus Campbell, Goalie – Dartmouth College
Charlie Cipriano, Goalie – Fairfield University
Kyle Feeney, Goalie – Bucknell University
Tyler Fiorito, Goalie – Princeton University
Austin Kaut, Goalie – Penn State University
John Kemp, Goalie – University of Notre Dame
Jeffrey Lowman, Goalie – St. John’s University
Mark Manos, Goalie – Drexel University

Midfielders (25)
Brent Adams, Midfield – Fairfield University
Andrew Barton, Midfield – Providence College
Peter Baum, Midfield – Colgate University
Anthony Biscardi, Midfield – University of Massachusetts
Ian Braddish, Midfield – Hofstra University
Sam Bradman, Midfield – Salisbury University
Colin Briggs, Midfield – University of Virginia
Bobby Dattilo, Midfield/Face Off – Hobart College
Nikk Davis, Midfield – United States Naval Academy
Curtis Holmes, Midfield – University of Maryland
Roy Lang, Midfield – Cornell University
Chris LaPierre, Midfield – University of Virginia
Greg Mahony, Midfield – Yale University
Kiel Matisz, Midfield – Robert Morris University
Kevin McCormick, Midfield – Tufts University
John Ranagan, Midfield – Johns Hopkins University
Stephen Robarge, Midfield/Face Off – Virginia Military Institute
Dan Savage, Midfield – University of Pennsylvania
Rob Schlesinger, Midfield – Brown University
Tom Schreiber, Midfield – Princeton University
Steve Serling, Midfield – Hofstra University
Ryan Snyder, Face Off – Lehigh University
Justin Turri, Midfield – Duke University
Kevin Vaughan, Midfield – Harvard University
Joe Vitale, Midfield – Adelphi University

Attackmen (29)
Carter Bender, Attack – University of Hartford
Travis Comeau, Attack – Georgetown University
Kevin Cunningham, Attack – Villanova University
Tim Desko, Attack – Syracuse University
Billy Eisenreich, Attack – Bucknell University
Dante Fantoni, Attack – Lehigh University
Nick Galasso, Attack – University of North Carolina
Matt Gibson, Attack – Yale University
Rob Grimm, Attack – University of Maryland Baltimore County
Shayne Jackson, Attack – Limestone College
Sam Jones, Attack – United States Naval Academy
Grant Kaleikau, Attack – University of Delaware
Jeff Keating, Attack – Roanoke College
Micah Keller, Attack – Hampden-Sydney College
Matt Mackrides, Attack – Penn State University
JoJo Marasco, Midfield/Attack – Syracuse University
Mark Matthews, Attack – University of Denver
Joel Matthews, Attack – University of Detroit Mercy
Jack McBride, Attack/Midfield – University of North Carolina
Bryan Neufeld, Attack – Siena College
Robert Pannell, Attack – Cornell University
Joe Resetarits, Attack – University at Albany
Connor Rice, Attack – Marist College
Jack Rice, Attack – Villanova University
Michael Sawyer, Attack – Loyola University
Logan Schuss, Attack – Ohio State University
Steele Stanwick, Attack – University of Virginia
Garrett Thul, Attack – United States Military Academy
Jeff Tundo, Attack – Stony Brook University

Defensemen (9)
CJ Costabile, Long Stick Midfield – Duke University
Daniel DiMaria, Defense/LSM – Harvard University
Tim Henderson, Defense – United States Military Academy
Joe Lisicky, Defense – Lynchburg College
Brian Megill, Defense – Syracuse University
Chris Nourse, Defense – Georgetown University
Mason Poli, Defense – Bryant University
Ben Waldron, Long Stick Midfield – Binghamton University
Chad Wiedmaier, Defense – Princeton University

I hope you didn’t quit on me. If you’re still here, let’s take a look at who I feel got overlooked in the initial go-round. Keep in mind that I’m not saying that any of these guys will necessarily be in the discussion at the end of the season, but rather that they belong in the company of those who did make the watch list.

Niko Amato, G (Maryland) – With all due respect to Sean Aaron of Union College, is Niko not better? I don’t really have a whole lot more to say on the matter.

Chris Bocklet, A (Virginia) – What more can Bocklet do? With over 100 career goals (44 in ’11), Bocklet is among Virginia’s most prolific scorers ever. I guess if your line mate is Steele Stanwick, it is assumed that your production is simply a by-product of his play and not talent.

Chris Boland, A (Johns Hopkins) – Chris Boland was at Hopkins before the Tewaaraton even existed, surely he deserves some consideration. All kidding aside, as an Honorable Mention All American who put up 34 and 20, Boland belongs in the company of the attackman who made the list.

Mike Chanenchuk, M (Maryland) – I’ll grant you that he didn’t play in ’11, but as a freshman, Chanenchuk was a 2nd Team All American who scored 28 goals from the midfield. Surely a year off shouldn’t have caused Chanenchuk to fall off the map so far that 25 other middies are in front of him now.

Joe Cummings, A/M (Maryland) – Stanwick’s high school running buddy certainly doesn’t recieve the recognition that he deserves. A 3rd Team All-American last year, with 27G and 5A in an ultra-competitive conference should merit “watching” by the Tewaaraton folks.

R.G. Keenan, M (North Carolina) – Arguably, one of the top faceoff men in the game. The rub with this omission is that Curtis Holmes made the watch list and Keenan did not. Holmes has had Keenan’s number in the past, but consider that Keenan was a 3rd Team All-American last year and Holmes was Honorable Mention.

Robert Rotanz, M (Duke) – As a junior, Rotanz racked up 23 goals and 5 assists running in Duke’s midfield. That was good enough for Honorable Mention All-American stats in 2011, but not enough to make this **cough** exclusive list.

Marcus Holman, A/M (North Carolina) – Holman probably gets squeezed out with the addition of Jack McBride to UNC’s offense who did make the watch list. As a 2011 Honorable Mention All American with 23 and 5 as a sophomore, opposing coaches will be “watching” him for sure.

Davey Emala, A/M (North Carolina) – Again, with all the talent at UNC and 2 attackmen from UNC already on the watch list, Emala likely got pushed off the list despite his 35 goalls and 13 assists as a Hoya.

Jordan Wolf, A (Duke) – Mr. Wolf had a fantastic freshman season and earned himself Honorable Mention All America stats while posting 31 goals and 21 assists. Watch list worthy?

John Haus, M (Maryland) – Haus stacks up with anyone on this list and I expect that he’ll improve upon his 2011 Honorable Mention All American campaign (14g, 14a) as the Terps lean more heavily on their midfield in 2012.

Chase Carraro, M (Denver) – Carraro deserves a look simply because he’s instant offense. In this day and age of fogo men, Carraro can linger and put up points. Again, his performance last year was good enough for Honorable Mention status, so he should be included here.

Cam Flint, M (Denver) – Part of a dangerous Denver midfield that wreeked havoc on Hopkins in the playoffs last year, Flint should improve upon his 27g, 11a Honorable Mention All America performace of 2011.

Jeremy Noble, M (Denver) – See Cam Flint

I realize that this watch list is ever-evolving and that the players that I’ve mentioned above will likely play their way onto it at some point, but I just can’t help to complain. It’s in my nature. Who else was deserving and got left off?

THE TEWAARATON AWARD ANNOUNCES THE 2012 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WATCH LISTS

Washington, D.C. – As the college lacrosse season is just getting underway across the country, The Tewaaraton Award is pleased to announce the 2012 Men’s and Women’s Watch Lists. The lists include the top players across all three divisions of collegiate lacrosse and highlight the early contenders for the 2012 Tewaaraton Award.

This year’s list has 64 schools represented, which is a record high. “We are particularly excited with the number of schools represented in this year’s Watch List, which is a strong indication of the growth of the sport and the excitement that the Award creates throughout the lacrosse world” said Jeff Harvey, Chairman of the Tewaaraton Award.

The Selection Committees are made up of top collegiate coaches and are appointed each year by the Tewaaraton Award. “Our selection committees have a passion for this Award and these Watch List players should know that this is a distinction that only the best coaches could provide,” said Sarah Aschenbach, Executive Director of the Tewaaraton Award.

The Selection Committees will make additions to these lists as the season progresses and athletes earn a spot along side these elite players. In late April, both lists will be narrowed to 25 and these men and women will earn the distinction of Tewaaraton Nominees. In mid-May, the 5 Finalists in each category will be announced. These finalists will be invited to the Tewaaraton Award Ceremony, which will take place on May 31st, at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC.

For information on the Award and to purchase tickets to the event, go to www.tewaaraton.com.