HPU MLAX: Nolting Wins Second-Straight SoCon Offensive Player of the Year; Torpey Takes Coach of the Year

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University men’s lacrosse team took home four Southern Conference (SoCon) postseason honors with sophomore Asher Nolting headlining the list as SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Jon Torpey earned SoCon Coach of the Year accolades, the conference announced today (April 30). Tim Troutner Jr. was named First Team All-SoCon, while redshirt-senior Chris Young received second-team credits and freshman Hunter Vines was on the All-Freshman Team.

This is the second-straight year Nolting has been named SoCon Offensive Player of the Year. He has rewritten the HPU and SoCon record books this season with single-season records in points at 83 and assists at 43. The Greenwood Village, Colo., native is the first player in SoCon history and first Panther in program history to register a 40 goal, 40 assist season, just one season after being the first to have a 30 goal, 30 assist season. He is second on the team with 40 goals on the season, only three off the single-season program-record of 43.

Nolting leads the SoCon and is ranked fifth in the NCAA in points per game at 5.93 and assists per game at 3.07. He is the fourth Panther to earn conference offensive player of the year honors joining Dan Lomas in 2014 and 2015 and himself in 2018. Nolting is the only the second player to earn the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year award twice in the history of the conference. Last season, Nolting was named First-Team All-SoCon and was the 2018 Freshman of the Year.

Torpey has won a program-record 12 games this season. He led the Panthers to the highest ranking in program-history at No. 8 by US Lacrosse Magazine/Nike in the second week of the season. High Point entered the Inside Lacrosse, United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and US Lacrosse Magazine/Nike polls in the first week of the season and have not fallen out all season. Torpey has led the Purple & White to the second-highest winning percentage in the NCAA at .857.

The Panthers beat the highest-ranked team in HPU history when they took a 13-9 decision at then-No. 2 Duke on Feb. 6. HPU won a second game against a ranked team when it toppled then-No. 9 Virginia on Feb. 18. Torpey and the Panthers won the program’s second Regular Season SoCon Championship in 2019, joining the 2015 crew. High Point leads the SoCon in goals (14.86), assists (7.79) and points per game (22.64). The Panthers are also tops in the conference in shot percentage (.340), man-down goals (0.14) and shots on goal per game (25.64).

Troutner Jr. is second in the conference in save percentage at .537 and third in the SoCon in goals against average at 11.33 and saves per game at 12.50. He has made 175 saves on the season, which is the second-most in a single season in HPU history. The Annapolis, Md., native has won a program-record 12 games and now owns the HPU career wins record at 30. He posted the program’s first shutout with a 13-0 win over St. Bonaventure on Feb. 2. Troutner Jr. made a season-high 19 saves in the 13-9 win at then-No. 2 Duke. He made 17 saves in the 14-13 win at then-No. 9 Virginia on Feb. 18. The senior goalie was the highest draft pick in program history when he went No. 2 overall in the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Draft. Troutner Jr. earned All-SoCon second-team honors in 2018 and all-freshman accolades in 2016.

Young led HPU with 42 goals this season. He is one off the High Point men’s lacrosse program single-season record for goals held by Dan Lomas at 43. The Oakville, Ontario native leads the NCAA in shot percent at .609. Young ranks second in the SoCon and 12th in the nation in goals per game at 3.00. The redshirt-senior attackman scored a program-record seven goals against UMBC on March 9. He has logged a career-high 51 points, nine assists and 26 ground balls in the 2019 season.

Vines has scored 13 goals and dished out three assists in his first season at High Point. He has a .556 shots on goal percentage and picked up nine ground balls this season. He is the fifth Panther to earn SoCon All-Freshman Team honors joining Nolting in 2018, Troutner Jr. in 2016 and Connor Robinson and T Moyer in 2015.

The Panthers will host Jacksonville in the semifinals of the SoCon Championship on Thursday, May 2. The opening face-off is set 5:30 p.m. at Vert Stadium.

Offensive Player of the Year: Asher Nolting, High Point, So., A
Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Jones, Air Force, Sr., D
Freshman of the Year: Riley Seay, Bellarmine, M
Coach of the Year: Jon Torpey, High Point

All-Southern Conference
First team
A – Asher Nolting, High Point, So.
A – Teddy Hatfield, Richmond, Sr.
A – Ryan Lanchbury, Richmond, So.
M – William Holcomb, Furman, Sr.
M – Jack Dolan, Jacksonville, So.
M – Mitch Savoca, Richmond, So.
D – Brandon Jones, Air Force, Sr.
D – Jordan Young, Jacksonville, Fr.
D – Jason Reynolds, Richmond, So.
D – Kyle Walsh, VMI, Sr.
GK – Tim Troutner Jr., High Point, Sr.
FO – Trent Harper, Air Force, Sr.
SSM – Roland Wheeler IV, Air Force, Sr.
LSM – Sean Menges, Richmond, Jr.

Second team
A – Trey Lervick, Air Force, Jr.
A – Chris Young, High Point, R-Sr.
A – Eric Applegate, Jacksonville, Sr.
M – Jack Flynn, Air Force, Jr.
M – Riley Seay, Bellarmine, Fr.
M – Evan Tyler, Jacksonville, Jr.
D – Quentin Carlile, Air Force, Fr.
D – Josh Wehn, Bellarmine, Sr.
D – Dixon Smith, Jacksonville, So.
GK – Alec Van de Bovenkamp, Furman, Jr.
FO – Ashton Wood, Mercer, Fr.
SSM – Zack Deaken, Jacksonville, Fr.
LSM – Michael O’Brien, Mercer, Jr.

All-freshman
Quentin Carlile, Air Force, D
Riley Seay, Bellarmine, M
Hunter Vines, High Point, M
Jordan Young, Jacksonville, D
Sean Goldsmith, Mercer, A
Ashton Wood, Mercer, FO