麻豆视频

Savino Named One of the Top 22 NJCAA Players to Watch in 2022

March 14, 2022

麻豆视频 men’s lacrosse sophomore Louis Savino was recently named one of the Top 22 NJCAA Players to Watch in 2022 by Inside Lacrosse, the premier publication for men’s lacrosse.

“It is an enormous deal for Louis because college coaches at the D1-D3 levels will see this and may be more inclined to follow his as the season moves along, which provides him more exposure,” Head Coach Sean Tischler said. “He also is being recognized as one of the top young men at his level which is a significant accomplishment.

In 2021, Savino received all-region recognition and was named most valuable player by the team for his outstanding winning percentage as Delaware Tech’s primary face-off player. He won 168 of 200 face-off attempts, which placed him Top 5 in the nation.

“A good face-off player has grit, fast hands, and always wants to get after the ball,” Savino said. It’s a position that requires putting your body on the line and being willing to make a play to give your team a possession.

“Last season, I definitely didn’t expect to take that many reps. But it wasn’t a bad thing and I had a great group of guys who were with me every play trying to get the balls and fighting along the wings whenever I couldn’t get the ball.”

Savino started playing lacrosse as a freshman at Middletown High School. He had a background in wrestling, so his coach thought he would be a good faceoff player. As a freshman, he floated between the junior varsity and varsity teams, before moving to varsity in a permanent role as a sophomore.

The face-off position is integral for the team to earn possessions. Since a face-off occurs at the start of the game and after every goal that is scored, a good face-off player can help a team take control of a game. That is exactly what Savino did last season and has continued to do this season.

“A lot of it is just focusing on the ball,” Savino said. “The first couple seconds I want to see what the other wings are doing and what the face-off guy in front of me is doing. I’m looking for my cleanest exit before I even see the ball.

“Personally, I love to push fast breaks. But if that’s not the cleanest option and I have an open wing where I feel like he won’t be in a contested situation, I try to get them the ball as often as I can.”

Savino credited the coaching staff for putting the right players in the right positions and helping them understand their roles to fight for possession.

Tischler said Savino’s role is changing slightly this season due to increased depth on the team. He won’t have to take quite as many face-offs because the team has added Bryce Wells to the roster, who Savino is mentoring.

“Louis is the ultimate competitor in practice as well as being a guy who has tons of positive energy,” Tischler said. “As a captain this year, Louis sets a great example for our freshman at practice, showing them how much work they need to do in order to be able to compete at a higher level.”

“Bryce is a tremendous face-off player, and I love him to death,” Savino said. “Having him out there lets me give it my all whenever I get a rep.”

Savino will graduate from Delaware Tech at the end of the year with a degree in management. He has already committed to playing at Wilmington University in the fall. He previously played for Wilmington head coach Christian Zwickert during off-season teams throughout high school, and he’s excited to play for him again, as well as playing somewhere where his family will be able to continue to watch him.

“[This honor] means a lot to me,” Savino said. “But it also shows me how much my coaches and team have helped me get to where I want to be. I wouldn’t be on this list if it wasn’t for my teammates and coaches.