NBA draft 2020: The Report Card
Who Is Liam Entenmann? Notre Dame Goalie Could Be First Men's Lacrosse Player To Win Tewaaraton Award
No. 1 Notre Dame aims to repeat as the NCAA men's lacrosse national champions this weekend, and goalie Liam Entenmann will be a huge piece of that bid for a repeat.
Entenmann also can make a strong case for the Tewaaraton Award – which is given to the best men's and women's lacrosse player every year. A goalie has never won the Tewaaraton Award.
Teammate Pat Kavanagh – also a Tewaaraton Award finalist – also made the case for Entenmann after an 18-9 victory against Virginia in the ACC tournament on March 3.
"This kid is the best goalie in the country, easily, in my opinion," Kavanagh said. "He's one of the best goalies to ever play the sport. He just keeps solidifying himself as one of the best of all time."
Notre Dame takes on No. 7 Maryland at 12 p.M. On Monday in the national championship game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Will Entenmann be the star of the weekend?
Liam Entenmann's Notre Dame statisticsEntenmann – a 6-3, 203-pound graduate student – has a career save percentage of .566 at Notre Dame. Save percentage is not an end-all stat for goalies, but it is a standard metric. A total of 46 goalies have a save percentage of better than .500 this season, and Entenmann ranks 14th at .558.
Entenmann can make the highlight-reel save, too.
Why did Kavanagh heap that praise on Entenmann? Look at the big-game reputation. In the ACC tournament this season, Liam allowed 12 goals and had 30 saves in a two-game stretch against Virginia and Duke – an absurd .714 save percentage that does not happen often at the NCAA level.
Liam Entenmann in the NCAA lacrosse tournamentEntenmann has started at goalie in eight NCAA tournament games for the Irish and is 8-1 in those starts. A look at his statistics in those eight games:
DATE OPPONENT RESULT GOALS SAVES SAVE % May 15, 2021 vs. Drexel W 10 - 8 8 17 .680 May 22, 2021 at Maryland L 13 - 14 14 16 .533 May 13, 2023 vs Utah W 20 - 7 6 14 .700 May 21, 2023 vs Johns Hopkins W 12 - 9 9 10 .526 May 27, 2023 at Virginia W 13 - 12 12 11 .478 May 29, 2023 at Duke W 13 - 9 9 18 .667 May 12, 2024 vs Albany W 14 - 9 9 8 .471 May 18, 2024 vs Georgetown W 16 - 11 10 8 .444 May 25, 2024 vs. Denver W 13-6 6 12 .667Entenmann has a .578 save percentage in the NCAA tournament. Last year, Entenmann had 18 saves and allowed just nine goals in the championship game against Duke, which earned NCAA championship Most Outstanding Player honors.
A repeat performance would vault Entenmann into that Tewaaraton discussion.
Will Liam Entenmann win the Tewaaraton Award?The Tewaaraton Award has been given to the nation's top lacrosse player since 2001. Entenmann is one of five finalists along with four players who play attack for their respective teams. That list includes Entenmann's teammate Kavanagh, Yale's Matt Brandau, Duke's Brennan O'Neill and Virginia's Connor Shellenberger.
Entenmann would be the first goalkeeper and first player from Notre Dame to win the award, which will be presented as the Tewaaraton Ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on May 30 in Washington, D.C.
Is Liam Entenmann the best goalie in NCAA history?There is a legacy piece to this tournament. A second national championship would put Entenmann in the discussion with the all-time greats in the position. A victory against Denver would put Entenmann one step closer to an interesting possible matchup if Maryland can beat Virginia.
Maryland goalie Logan McNaney led the Terrapins to a national championship in 2023, and had 17 saves in the NCAA championship game against Cornell. The Terrapins are considered a goalie factory – one that produced Brian Phipps, Niko Amato, Kyle Bernlohr and Dan Morris.
Entering the weekend, Entenmann has played 3,642 minutes at goalie. That's short of the NCAA record of 4,040 set by Albany's Blaze Riorden from 2013-16. Riorden was the goalkeeper for the United States' gold-medal team in the World Lacrosse Championships in 2023.
Who drafted Liam Entenmann in the PLL?The New York Atlas selected Entenmann with the No. 5 pick in the 2024 Professional Lacrosse League Draft. He will start his professional career after the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament.
At The Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Game,…
Brian Ruppel and Cardin Stoller have watched many Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Boys Senior Games over the years, both well aware of what draws the most attention in the prestigious summer showcase: Goals.
In last year's game, the North and South teams combined to rack up a mind-boggling 50 of them.
As the goalie tandem representing the South in the 17th annual game — Ruppel earned All-Metro first-team honors by The Baltimore Sun in his final season at Catonsville and Stoller claimed second-team honors for Boys' Latin — they are excited and honored to be part of the event.
Most importantly, they feel prepared for the heavy workload ahead.
The game is set for 8 p.M. On Saturday at Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field and will be televised live on ESPNU. The South, coming off a 28-22 win last year, has a 9-6 edge in the overall series. No game was not played in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Boys' Latin's Cardin Stoller, left, and Catonsville's Brian Ruppel, who will make up the goalie tandem representing the South team in the 17th annual Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Boys Senior Game on Saturday, are excited and honored to be part of the event."It's kind of an offensive show, so it's going to be tough with a lot of great shooters. But there's a lot of great defenders, too, so it will be fun," said Ruppel, a Maryland commit. "There's definitely a lot of shots coming my way, but I'm just going to do what I can to talk to my defense and make as many saves as possible to help keep my team in it and hopefully the South squad will come out with a win."
Stoller plans to take a simple approach, sticking to what got him selected.
"Playing against the best guys in the country, that's the fun part. It's going to be challenging," he said. "I just want to play my game, try not to do anything too crazy and stick with what's been working for me ? Nothing too flashy."
Ruppel and Stoller closed out fine high school careers with sensational senior years that warranted selection for the big summer game.
For a second straight season, Ruppel led Catonsville to the Baltimore County crown and a trip to the state tournament. The Maryland commit stopped 140 shots while allowing just four goals per game in the Comets' 18-1 season. He is the fifth public school player from the area to be named an Under Armour All-American.
Boy's Latin goalie Cardin Stoller (99) celebrates after a win over St. Mary's on May 3. Stoller, a Rutgers commit, turned away 222 shots to lead the Lakers (14-3) to a first-place finish in the regular season and the semifinals of the MIAA A Conference Tournament.Picking up where he left off in his junior year, when he helped lead Boys' Latin to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title, Stoller, a Rutgers commit, turned away 222 shots to lead the Lakers (14-3) to a first-place finish in the regular season and the semifinals of the league tournament.
Inside Lacrosse's director of recruiting and high school content Ty Xanders, a St. Paul's graduate, said the goalie talent pool gave the selection committee plenty to consider.
"When it comes to the Class of 2022, I would go as far to say it's the best goalie class I evaluated in my 12 years doing this. I think that's pretty clear with the amount of depth there is," he said. "In this class, because there's a lot of kids out there that have the ability to start for three or four years in college and that's even harder to do in an era of fifth-year transfers. So it really speaks volumes about these two particularly goalies that they were just a cut above in edging out some other talented guys."
The 44 players selected to play in the game — 22 on each roster — are announced in four waves over the spring months. Stoller was named in the fourth and final wave. The phone call he received informing him he made the team proved icing on the cake for his senior season.
Catonsville goaltender Brian Ruppel makes a save against Hereford during the Baltimore County boys lacrosse championship game. The Maryland commit stopped 140 shots while allowing just four goals per game in the Comets' 18-1 season."They only take four goalies, so to be one of them is pretty special to me," he said. "I remember watching the game last year thinking to myself how awesome it would be to play in that game. So that was a goal for me this year, to try and get that recognition and get a chance to compete with the best competition in the country."
Ruppel and Stoller took familiar paths to becoming top-notch goalies. Both started out as attackmen, but during their respective middle school years playing for club teams, coaches were looking for somebody to stick in goal. It didn't take long for both to be sold on the position and the challenges it presented.
On Saturday, playing in front of a live national television audience, the duo will have an opportunity to make a difference against the country's finest in a bid to keep the South team rolling.
"I just think it's so much fun because you have such a huge impact on the outcome of the game," said Ruppel, who also played goalie for Catonsville's soccer team. "There's so many aspects to the position. I just love being the last line of defense and being able to make game-changing plays."
Under Armour All-America Boys Lacrosse Game
At Johns Hopkins' Homefield Field
Saturday, 8 p.M.
TV: ESPNU
How A St. Louis Kid Ended Up Wearing The Gloves That Saved A Lionel Messi Shot
Lionel Messi was in perfect position and received the perfect pass and unleashed the perfect shot. Soccer supporters have been spoiled by this type of highlight for two decades now, from the 17-year-old prodigy in Barcelona to the 37-year-old icon in Miami.
But last Saturday night, in the 34th minute, Messi's one-touch shot didn't score. Inexplicably — no, impossibly! — St. Louis City SC goalie Roman Burki exploded to his right and outstretched his right hand to make the save.
Charlie Silker of Ballwin wears Roman Burki's gloves from a game at Inter Miami. Photo courtesy of the Silker family.
Then, in the 90th minute, with the score 3-3, Messi set up a teammate for the sure game-winner … but Burki's right glove deflected the strike.
When the game ended as a draw, Burki shook Messi's hand while still wearing his goalie gloves. Burki exchanged jerseys with the World Cup hero. And then … Burki walked over and gave the gloves to a kid from St. Louis.
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St. Louis City SC goalie Roman Burki shakes the hand of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi after a 3-3 game in South Florida. Photo courtesy of the Silker family.
"They were very sweaty!" Charlie Silker said.
Charlie's favorite athlete is Messi. He and his younger brother, Teddy, adore the dude. At their home in Ballwin, they have Messi jerseys from Barcelona, Argentina and even Paris Saint Germain, but not Inter Miami "because," as explained by their father, Chad, "that always felt like that would be cheating on City."
The Silkers love soccer. They often sit in the upper section at City SC games. And both Charlie and his sister, 13-year-old Nora, play goalie. So, you can imagine how much they admire Burki, the reigning goalkeeper of the year in Major League Soccer.
"He's just, like, so good," Charlie said. "Just amazing."
For her 11th birthday, Nora's gift was a trip with her parents — and without her siblings — on a Harry Potter-themed adventure at Universal Studios. Thus, for Charlie's 11th birthday, Chad and Beth Silker offered him the same type of trip. Chad had mentioned a City SC road game, perhaps to Los Angeles.
"And he kind of sheepishly said, 'Do you think we could go to Miami and see them play Messi?'" Chad recalled. "And I said, 'Let me look into that,' while thinking, 'Oh my God, this is going to be so expensive!'"
But they indeed went to Florida. And went all out. Chad got front-row seats behind one of the goals. And near the St. Louis supporter section. And Charlie made a sign. It had the flag of Burki's native Switzerland. And the sign read: "TODAY IS MY 11TH BIRTHDAY. BURKI, CAN I HAVE YOUR GLOVES?"
Chad, Charlie and Beth Silker of Ballwin pose before a soccer match between St. Louis City SC and Inter Miami. Photo courtesy of Silker family.
The match was a thriller. Miami, perhaps you know, is the best team in MLS' Eastern Conference. And St. Louis led, 3-2, for much of the second half. Alas, Miami tied the game in the 85th minute.
"The last few minutes were just electric," Chad said, "with the pressure and the team holding off to get away with the draw. The adrenaline was high."
Burki was in the goal closest to Chad's family. After the game ended and the players shook hands, some of the City SC players and staff made a point to point out the St. Louis supporters. Burki, sure enough, had seen Charlie's sign during the night, perhaps at pregame warmups.
"I was just giddy as I watched Burki approach and pick Charlie out of the crowd," Chad said. "He locked eyes with Charlie probably like 10-15 yards away and walked on over. I've got a series of photos as he's handing the gloves to him."
St. Louis City SC goalie Roman Burki, while holding Lionel Messi's game-worn jersey, gives his goalie gloves to St. Louis fan Charlie Silker, celebrating his 11th birthday in June. Photo courtesy of the Silker family.
And Burki was holding Messi's game-worn jersey in the gloves.
So, yeah, the glove that saved Messi's shot and shook Messi's hand and held Messi's game-worn jersey was now being worn by one of Messi's biggest fans. And the gloves had been worn in game by St. Louis' star goalie.
"I was so happy," Charlie said.
A City SC official confirmed that Burki only wears one pair of gloves per game — so Charlie's gloves were the ones worn all evening. Minutes later, Burki got a backup pair of gloves and gave them to another young City fan. That was captured on video by the team and put on social media. But those gloves were dry.
"It was really awesome that Roman gave kids that kind of memory," Chad said. "In the midst of all that's going on down there and the rush of the game, just to make a kid's day — make my kid's day, and really probably his whole year — and the other kid, too? I mean, it's little things like that which just connect (St. Louis City SC) to the fans. We love them so much."
For the record, Charlie does not plan on wearing Roman Burki's gloves while in goal for his CYC team in St. Louis. The plan is to get a shadow box to display and preserve the gloves.
"He's really got a piece of history there," Chad said.
Charlie Silker was handed game-worn gloves by St. Louis City SC goalie Roman Burki after a game in South Florida. Photo courtesy of Silker family.
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