Taking a Look: GRLC East 2015 season preview

(Photo: Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference)

The Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference should be on the rise after last season’s transitional year for many of the conference’s teams. The conference-favorite Indiana Hoosiers could reign supreme, but don’t overlook Missouri and Illinois as potential GRLC champs. Here’s a look at how the chips might fall in 2015, with an extensive look at the conference as part of our Taking a Look series focusing on each conference in the MCLA.

~WCSN lacrosse editor Trey Lanthier

Indiana, the GRLC’s 2014 conference champion, is retooled and looking to make a more national impact than just winning their conference, while contender Illinois is hoping to give the Hoosiers a run for their money in the GRLC East. The conference’s lone representative in the MCLA National Tournament last year received the No. 16 seed out of a possible 16. If teams can improve upon their non-conference record, the recognition from tournament committee members will certainly follow.

Looking back at 2014

After defeating the University of Illinois 7-6 in the conference championship game, the Hoosiers cemented themselves as the top team in the GRLC. Midfielder Alexander Eaton won his second straight GRLC Offensive Player of the Year award while helping lead Indiana to a 10-4 record. GRLC Defensive Player of the Year, Conner Murphy-Long, anchored an Illinois defense that only let up double-digit goals twice all season. Beyond that, the GRLC East was competitive throughout, with Illinois State coming up with two wins in the division to take up the third-place spot while both Purdue and Miami (OH) held close in all divisional games, with neither team taking a loss worse than a four-goal differential.

Looking ahead to 2015 (2014 results in parentheses)

Indiana University Hoosiers (10-4, 4-0 GRLC East)

The Hoosiers are now a more experienced team than the one that beat Illinois in the conference championship game last year with the return of their top four points leaders, including superstar midfielder Alexander Eaton. All-GRLC Defensemen Jack Delaney and Joe Memmolo will look to replace the impact that two-time First Team All-GRLC defenseman Kevin Moriarity, now graduated, brought to the Hoosiers’ defense. Senior goalie Ward Weber is back and looking to improve upon a year in which he only allowed double-digit goals just three times. Indiana has a chance to not only repeat as conference champions but to also make a run in the national tournament.

University of Illinois (9-5, 3-1 GRLC East)

Illinois had arguably the toughest non-conference schedule of all the teams in the GRLC, facing off against three top-10 teams – Simon Fraser, Arizona State and Grand Canyon – in consecutive games. The result on paper was three straight losses, but what Illinois did after that point drove them to nearly win the conference title. Illinois went on a 7-2 run to finish the season, advancing all the way to the conference championship game, which was lost by only one goal. The Fighting Illini will bring back an entire starting defensive unit that includes GRLC Defensive Player of the Year Connor Murphy and All-Conference goalie Nick Reinberg. The loss of attackman Sam Weinstein will be tough to overcome (35 points in 2014) but look for attackman Colin Chatten and midfielder Jack Wright, both seniors, to step up and fill the void on offense. Illinois will look to improve upon their success in 2014 with a conference championship in 2015.

Miami University of Ohio (6-7, 0-4 GRLC East)

The Redhawks’ program has been consistent with stability at the head coaching position thanks to Chuck Wilson. Wilson was around the team even before the move to the GRLC in 2011. Since the transition, though, Miami (OH) has been unable to win in the conference, losing all 13 games they’ve played against teams in the GRLC. This looks like the year where Wilson breaks his losing streak and finally becomes competitive in the conference. This team is young and deep, only graduating three players. With another season of experience under their belts, look for the Redhawks to finally make the conference tournament.

Purdue (1-10, 1-3 GRLC East)

First year head coach Michael Sanderson came over from Michigan State were he was the head assistant defensive coach for a Spartans team that advanced to the second round in the National Tournament. Sanderson has a tall order to fill if he’s going to fix this Purdue offense. Last year’s offense was only able to produce one game in which they scored double-digit goals. Attackman Conor Linkfield hopes to improve upon his breakout freshman season (14 goals) while attackman Greg Behning has a chance to earn First Team All-Conference honors after landing on the second team in his first two seasons. Coach Sanderson has had high praise for freshman Luke Jager out of Carmel, Indiana, saying he has a chance to be a break-out performer on offense. Junior goalie Christian Belote has stepped up in fall ball and hopes to replace some the leadership left behind by the graduation of starting goalie and captain Hunter Ryan.

Illinois State University (7-5, 2-2 GRLC East)

Wins over Miami and Purdue were highlights during a season in which the Redbirds had their most successful campaign since 2006. Although ISU has had success over the last two seasons, they will be losing a lot of key contributors to their starting unit. Illinois State is graduating seven seniors, five of which played in over eleven games last season. Their offense will take a huge hit with the departures of two of their top three point-scorers. However, the beauty of the Redbirds’ offense is that the scoring doesn’t solely rest on one or two guys. Six players finished the season with over 20 points last season and luckily for Illinois State, four of them will be returning. Junior attackman Sean Daley (29 goals, 10 assists in 2014) will be looked upon to pick up the offensive production and become a leader with the departures of last year’s seniors.

All-Conference Watch

Attack: Brent Balek, Indiana University

Balek has been arguably the GRLC’s most dynamic scorer since the first day he dawned the Hoosiers’ crimson jersey. Over his first two seasons, the junior has tallied 80 goals. Look no further than Balek’s four goals against a stifling top-seeded Arizona State defense in the first round of the MCLA Tournament as evidence of his ability to score at will. His accolades include two First Team All-Conference honors and a conference championship. With third-year midfielder Alexander Eaton available to provide him with good chances to score, it seems clear Balek has a real shot at breaking the career conference scoring record. 

Midfield: Alexander Eaton, Indiana University

Since walking onto the team in 2013, Eaton has been the golden child of the GRLC. His first two seasons were capped off with two conference championship game appearances and two GRLC Offensive Player of the Year Awards. Eaton saw a decrease in production in his second year. Although his points total dropped from 61 in his first year at Indiana to 43 in his most recent season, his efforts were still enough to lead the conference in points. Eaton laid a dud in the first round of the MCLA National Tournament, failing to attribute any points to his team’s losing effort to Arizona State. However, the star should be eyeing even more recognition in 2015 after stellar campaigns that have earned him All-American honors in consecutive seasons. 

Defense: Conner Murphy-Long, University of Illinois

Entering his senior season, Murphy-Long is the reigning GRLC Defensive Player of the Year. He was awarded an All-American nod for his efforts in 2014, and deservedly so. In the nine wins Illinois had last year, a defense led by the Arlington Heights native only allowed double-digit goals on one occasion. The defensive star has also secured an impressive 117 ground balls over the past two seasons combined.

Goalie: Nick Reinberg, University of Illinois

In his first year as a starter, the junior goalie put up incredible numbers racking up a 69% save percentage while saving 17.1 shots per game. Even though Reinberg led the GRLC in saves, saves per game and save percentage, it wasn’t enough to earn First Team All-Conference honors. With the graduation of goalie Trey Benincosa from Miami (OH), however, the award is Reinberg’s to lose in 2015. 

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