CANTON, Ga. – After week five of action in men's lacrosse, Johnson of Oglethorpe captures his second accolade as Burns from Centre tabs his second as well.
Around the SAA:
SAA Men’s Lacrosse Schedule/Results
SAA Men’s Lacrosse Standings
SAA Men’s Lacrosse Stats
2026 SAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Athletes of the Week:
Offense:
Gannon Johnson | Oglethorpe | FR | Minneola, FL – Oglethorpe freshman Gannon Johnson had a huge scoring surge this weekend in leading the Stormy Petrels to their second win of the season. Already a team leader in scoring in several games this season, he took control of the matchup against LaGrange with seven goals, including the final two that led Oglethorpe to victory. The score was knotted at 12-12 before Johnson found the back of the net twice in the final 70 seconds.
Defense:
Hayden Burns | Centre | SR | Roanoke, VA – Hayden Burn played all 60 minutes in goal and delivered a strong performance, recording 14 saves. His effort in the net helped keep his team competitive throughout the game as he consistently stepped up to stop scoring opportunities and anchor the defense.
Notable Performances:
Offense
- Owen Morini | Berry | JR | Tarpon Springs, FL – A junior from Tarpon Springs, FL Morini led the Vikings offense with three goals and one assist against Bridgewater.
- Graysen Jolly | Centre | JR | Broomfield, CO – Graysen Jolly had a strong all-around performance, finishing the game with two goals and one assist for a total of three points. In addition to contributing offensively, Jolly also made an impact on the defensive side by picking up a ground ball and causing a turnover. His efforts helped create opportunities for his team while showing hustle and awareness across the field.
- Manoli Loupassi | Sewanee | JR | Richmond, VA – Manoli Loupassi had five goals and an assist for six points in the first half as Sewanee defeated Piedmont 20-6, tallying 12 goals in the first half. Loupassi’s efforts helped lead the offense to a season high 20 goals. Loupassi took just six shots on goal, for an 83 percent shooting percentage, while adding two ground balls.
- Keaten Cox | Southwestern | SO | Allen, TX – Cox was magnificent this weekend as a model of consistency. The sophomore had 3 goals and 2 assists in back-to-back games finishing with 6 goals and 4 assists.
Defense
- Griffin Smiles | Berry | FR | Marietta, GA – A freshman from Marietta, GA Smiles led the Vikings defense with three ground balls and three caused turnovers in their game against Bridgewater.
- Asa Nischwitz | Sewanee | JR | Memphis, TN – Asa Nischwitz was 13-of-17 on faceoffs for Sewanee on Wednesday against Piedmont, adding nine ground balls to bring his season faceoff percentage to 67% for the year.
- Trey Pena | Southwestern | JR | New Braunfels, TX – Pena is the Pirates top weapon, creating offensive opportunities all season at 90-132 on face offs this season. The junior went 16-18 on Friday against Kalamazoo and then went 18-26 on Sunday against Albion at 77% on the weekend as the Pirates split. The junior secured a clutch face off wins down the stretch as the Pirates nearly completed a four goal comeback on the effort of Pena winning possessions. Pena also had 21 ground balls in two games this weekend.
2026 Men’s Lacrosse Report Archive (AOW Offense/Defense)
Week One - Feb. 9 (Gannon Johnson/Griffin Smiles)
Week Two - Feb. 16 (Keaten Cox/Dante Avicolli)
Week Three - Feb. 23 (Ryan Black/Flynn Bowman)
Week Four - March 2 (Ben Hubbs/Hayden Burns)
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all ofyour Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.