2 Days until Jacket's 2023 Season starts: Roster Preview
The 2023 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets started preparations for the season with their annual mini-camp which ran from January 5-8. The Jackets added a large rookie class leading to the largest roster in several years. The Jackets hope that the infusion of young talent can help them build on the 2022 season that ended with a close loss in the MCLA National Tournament Finals.
At attack the Jackets are led by the duo of senior Devin Raun and junior Pierce Quarles who are both All America caliber players. Junior Max Lucas returns and is looking to build off a 21-point season. Freshman Joseph Rose joins the group and is looking to make an impact. Sharp shooting PhD candidate Matt Krecicki makes a return for his final year of eligibility after missing the 2021 and 2022 seasons Junior Josh Moon and freshman Michael Rice round out the group. This group provides a solid foundation for the Yellow Jacket offense and has plenty of experience.
The Jackets boast a strong group of midfielders. Returning All-America honorees Sam Eck and Brooks Baro lead the group. Sophomores Nick Eliacin and Asher Wagnon both are looking to build on 40+ point freshman seasons. Senior Nick Witten brings a versatile game and will contribute all over the field. Transfer Michael Grosso provides an athletic presence in the middle of the field. Rookies Matthew Mathias and Matt Seifert are expected to play big minutes for the Jackets as they adjust to the college game. This group is dynamic enough to get even the best MCLA defenses rotating and set the table for the rest of the offense.
The Jackets have a young but talented group at the face-off dot. Sophomore Aaron Piszczek returns after earning All-Conference honors as a freshman. Three freshmen fill out the cadre of face-off men. Ben Skopicki is quick of the whistle and a threat to score with the ball. Luke Smith brings a combination of strength and skill to the unit. Maddox Davis is a tenacious competitor.
At the defensive midfield the Jackets have blend of young and old that form a formidable unit. Senior captain Will Cero is a steady and experienced short stick. Sophomores Carrington Kelsey and Ian Bugbee are looking to expand their roles. Jake Kotzian brings craftiness and ground ball prowess to the group. Freshman Thomas Freer brings speed and ground ball ability and will compete for time. Freshman Devin Fromond brings size to the unit. This rugged group will look to turn away opposing dodgers all season.
The Jackets have a strong long stick midfielders that will patrol the field. Junior Cole Christensen leads the group. Transfer Ian Balser is long and athletic and brings a tenacious attitude to the field. Freshman Caleb Harris is eager to make his mark. Freshman Alex Le adds even more athleticism to the group. This group should be able to hunt ball carriers in the middle of field wreaking havoc for opponents.
Defensively the Jackets are led by a trio of seniors who have played a lot of lacrosse or the Jackets over the years, captain Kevin Lewis, Taylor Teasley, and Connor Koelsch. Sophomore Hudson Harris has built on a freshman year where he came on strong late in the season and provides elite athleticism. Freshman George Corbin is smart and tenacious. Freshman Evan Goldstein brings unique combination of size and athleticism to the group allowing him to match up with nearly any attackman. Freshmen Zach Harrison and Patrick Astorga are strong fundamental defenders who are always in good position. Owen Seibold and Bobby Blum are stout defenders who bring strength to the unit. Wilson Halloran has strong footwork and a great attitude. Aidan Bedwell is a young player adding further depth. This group has a good blend of experience and youthful energy which will lead to an organized, but aggressive unit.
The Jackets once again have a pack of goalies. Senior Seb Cook is the elder statesman of the group and brings steadiness to the unit. Junior Jojo Banks is an explosive athlete in and out of the cage and brings tremendous passion. Fellow Junior Quinn McGorry bring strong positioning. Sophomore Jimmy Theriault provides toughness and grit. Freshman Peter Zagrobelny is a high-quality stopper. Freshman Owen Armentrout is an effective goalie whose leadership is growing as gets more comfortable in the college game. All six are vying to take over for the departed Gino Pagliaro.
All in all the Jackets have a blend of experience and young talent at each position. The team will need to gel quickly as they play eight teams ranked in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Jackets open the season at Auburn on February 3. Auburn is coached by JJ Arminio, who coached at GT from 2015 to 2017 before returning to his alma-matter. Auburn is a member of the SELC South division reaching the SELC playoffs last year before falling to South Carolina.