LEXINGTON, Va. - Anticipating a great season with several returning starters from a year, the VMI lacrosse team opens the 2019 campaign at home with a matchup against Manhattan College Saturday at noon at Drill Field No. 2.

The Keydets are anchored by a strong defensive back line led by senior Kyle Walsh, a 2018 First Team All-SoCon recipient who finished second in the nation in caused turnovers last season at 2.62 per game, tops in the conference. He also finished 12th in the NCAA standings in groundballs per game at 6.69, second most per game in the league. Eric Lane and John Schmank also return with significant starting experience to lead the strongest Keydet unit on the field.

Offensively, the Keydets return leading scorers Ryan Perouty and Johnny Daniel. Perouty finished with a team-high 29 goals a season ago and 33 total points, while Daniel ended the season with 26 goals and five assists for 31 points.

VMI always has a good chance of starting a possession at faceoff where junior AJ Krstulovic returns for the Keydets. A Second Team All-SoCon honoree in 2018, Krstulovic returns having won 118 of 198 faceoffs last season (.596), the second highest percentage in the conference.

Sophomore goalie Bill Osteen started every game last season and returns with strong experience to continue to keep opponent shots out of the net.

About the Jaspers (1-0)

Manhattan opened the season last week at home and earned a hard-fought 11-10 victory over future Keydet opponent Wagner College. Parker Giarratana led the Jaspers with four goals in the game while Justin Malpica put in two. Five others scored solo goals throughout the game to earn the win.

In a complete 60 minutes, goalie Brendan Krebs earned 13 saves (.565) for a 1-0 personal record on the season. Robert Carroll won over half of the faceoffs as he took 12 of 22 throughout the match.