👀 THE TEWAARATON GOES TO...

Last weekend was HUGE when it comes to the race for this year’s Tewaaraton Award. Three of the five finalists are still alive in the NCAA Tournament, and it’s anybody’s guess who eventually comes out on top.

This newsletter will highlight all five finalists and serve as a bit of a preview for the three who will take the field for Championship Weekend in Philadelphia. For a full preview on the semifinal matchups, make sure you open and read the newsletter coming this Friday.

Also, we want to know what YOU think. So, please vote in this poll…

1️⃣ Connor Shellenberger, UVA

Goals: 27
Assists: 51
Total Points: 78

As the reigning TLN Player of the Week, Shellenberger may have the inside track in the Tewaaraton race heading into Championship Weekend. He has been the pulse of Virginia’s No. 1 scoring offense (17.56 goals/game) all season. Although he can sometimes be a passive point producer, the Charlottesville native has flashed more of a killer mentality this May. After putting six points (2G, 4A) on Richmond in a rainy first-round matchup, he dropped 10 more points (6G, 4A) on Georgetown in the quarterfinals. You won’t find a more methodical “quarterback” in college lacrosse than Shellenberger.

2️⃣ Brennan O’Neill, Duke

Goals: 51
Assists: 40
Total Points: 91

O’Neill is the only player of his type. He’s physically imposing at 6-2 and 225 lbs., but he also has a wildly deceptive (and powerful) left hand. He drew a difficult matchup against Delaware’s Owen Grant in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but O’Neill did pretty much whatever he wanted in a six-goal performance against Michigan in the quarterfinals. O’Neill has been an elite goal-scorer since he stepped foot on campus at Duke, but this season he took a significant step forward as a passer. It’s crazy to see his skillset continue to expand, considering he has been in the national spotlight since 8th grade.

3️⃣ Pat Kavanagh, Notre Dame

Goals: 23
Assists: 50
Total Points: 73

If the Tewaaraton went to the grittiest player in college lacrosse, Kavanagh would win in a landslide. In addition to his duties as the orchestrator of Notre Dame’s offense, he is also one of the most tenacious riding attackmen in the country. Pat has done a lot of facilitating this season, while his younger brother Chris has stepped up as the team’s primary goal-scorer. He had seven points (3G, 4A) against Utah in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament, but Hopkins had a good game plan for him in the quarterfinals and limited him to just one assist. Kavanagh is a total team player whose main focus is to bring home the program’s first National Championship, so his Tewaaraton hopes may ultimately rest on whether he accomplishes that goal.

4️⃣ Tucker Dordevic, Georgetown

Goals: 65
Assists: 13
Total Points: 78

After Georgetown’s exit in the NCAA Quarterfinals against Virginia, Dordevic is now a long shot to win this year’s Tewaaraton Award. That said, the graduate transfer from Syracuse made a very strong push in the final month of the season. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament and stacked six goals against Yale in a thrilling NCAA first-round shootout. Now headed to the Whipsnakes as the 6th overall pick in the PLL Draft, Dordevic’s next accolade will likely come at the professional level. At the college level, he will be remembered as a dynamic scorer who helped establish a surging talent pipeline from Portland, Oregon.

5️⃣ CJ Kirst, Cornell

Goals: 65
Assists: 19
Total Points: 84

Kirst was arguably the best all-around goal-scorer in college lacrosse this season, but his Tewaaraton chances were all but squashed by Cornell’s first-round exit versus Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. After carrying the team all season, Kirst was limited to just three points (2G, 1A) in that loss. Expect the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year to come back with a vengeance in 2024, though. He comes from a highly competitive lacrosse family and won’t like sitting home for Championship Weekend after leading the Big Red all the way to the title game last year. Considering the way he built his right hand to be a more dominant two-handed player this year, Kirst could be downright scary next season.