Chairs, Woods Tabbed to Preseason All-SoCon
1/20/2022 10:02:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Mercer picked to finish fourth in league
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer's Wesley Chairs and Ashton Wood were named to the Southern Conference's preseason all-league team and the Bears were selected to finish fourth among the conference's six teams.
Chairs - a junior defender - forced 12 turnovers in the 2021 and recorded a season-high of three versus Jacksonville in March. The Ellicott City, Md. product was one of four defensemen to make the list, joining Colin Hinton and Dixon Smith of Jacksonville and Richmond's Ray Baran. Chairs scooped 23 ground balls, including grabbing five of them in a game on three separate occasions. The defender started all 12 games for the Orange & Black in 2021.
The lone faceoff specialist on the SoCon's preseason squad – Wood – the senior from St. Augustine, Fla. had the NCAA's 11th highest percentage at 62.9% (193-for-307) in 2021. Creating chances for the Orange & Black, he won at 10 faceoffs on 11 occasions and notched 15 in nine games. In the season finale, he grabbed 16 groundballs, which was a season best. His 10.00 groundballs per game placed him third in Division I a season ago, behind just Lehigh's Mike Sisselberger and Saint Joseph's' Zach Cole. He led the league in both ground balls per game and faceoff win percentage.
The league's six coaches voted High Point – the defending champion -  to the number one spot, garnering four of the six first-place votes. Richmond placed second and collected the remaining two first place tallies. Jacksonville, Mercer, VMI and Hampton rounded out the poll.
2022 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Total
1. High Point (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24
2. Richmond (2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22
3. Jacksonville                17
4. Mercer                        12
5. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
6. Hampton                      5
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference team
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Asher Nolting, 5th, High Point
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ryan Lanchbury, Gr., Richmond
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dalton Young, Jr., Richmond
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hunter Vines, Sr., High Point
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jack Dolan, Gr., Jacksonville
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Luke Frankeny, Gr., Richmond
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colin Hinton, Gr., Jacksonville
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dixon Smith, Gr., Jacksonville
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wesley Chairs, Jr., Mercer
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ray Baran, R-Sr., Richmond
GKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jason Yoquinto, Gr., Jacksonville
FOÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ashton Wood, Sr., Mercer
SSMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Trejan Cannon, Sr., VMI
LSMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Jordan Young, R-Jr., Jacksonville
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Mercer will open its 2022 campaign next Saturday (Jan. 29) against Bellarmine from Five Star Stadium, followed by a visit from Bucknell a week later Feb. 5.
Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter) and @Mercermenslacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Chairs - a junior defender - forced 12 turnovers in the 2021 and recorded a season-high of three versus Jacksonville in March. The Ellicott City, Md. product was one of four defensemen to make the list, joining Colin Hinton and Dixon Smith of Jacksonville and Richmond's Ray Baran. Chairs scooped 23 ground balls, including grabbing five of them in a game on three separate occasions. The defender started all 12 games for the Orange & Black in 2021.
The lone faceoff specialist on the SoCon's preseason squad – Wood – the senior from St. Augustine, Fla. had the NCAA's 11th highest percentage at 62.9% (193-for-307) in 2021. Creating chances for the Orange & Black, he won at 10 faceoffs on 11 occasions and notched 15 in nine games. In the season finale, he grabbed 16 groundballs, which was a season best. His 10.00 groundballs per game placed him third in Division I a season ago, behind just Lehigh's Mike Sisselberger and Saint Joseph's' Zach Cole. He led the league in both ground balls per game and faceoff win percentage.
The league's six coaches voted High Point – the defending champion -  to the number one spot, garnering four of the six first-place votes. Richmond placed second and collected the remaining two first place tallies. Jacksonville, Mercer, VMI and Hampton rounded out the poll.
2022 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)Â Total
1. High Point (4)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24
2. Richmond (2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22
3. Jacksonville                17
4. Mercer                        12
5. VMIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
6. Hampton                      5
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference team
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Asher Nolting, 5th, High Point
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ryan Lanchbury, Gr., Richmond
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dalton Young, Jr., Richmond
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hunter Vines, Sr., High Point
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jack Dolan, Gr., Jacksonville
MÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Luke Frankeny, Gr., Richmond
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Colin Hinton, Gr., Jacksonville
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dixon Smith, Gr., Jacksonville
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wesley Chairs, Jr., Mercer
DÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ray Baran, R-Sr., Richmond
GKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jason Yoquinto, Gr., Jacksonville
FOÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ashton Wood, Sr., Mercer
SSMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Trejan Cannon, Sr., VMI
LSMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Jordan Young, R-Jr., Jacksonville
Â
Mercer will open its 2022 campaign next Saturday (Jan. 29) against Bellarmine from Five Star Stadium, followed by a visit from Bucknell a week later Feb. 5.
Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter) and @Mercermenslacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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