When it comes to collegiate sports, having an athlete place in the national top-10 in a statistical category is a pretty special thing.
Getting two in the top-10 is even more rare.
But if you have two players who are both at the top of the nation in a significant category, you must be out of your mind.
Well, you better pop open the bottle of crazy pills, because that’s exactly what Biola men’s lacrosse is doing.
Sophomore David Shaum and freshman Jon Prichard currently sit at the top of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s division-two scoring list.
Shaum has 26 goals on the year and is tied with Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Nick Scalzo for the scoring title. Prichard, in his first year with the team, is behind by just one goal at 25.
Over 105 players have scored in MCLA DII games this season, with both Shaum and Prichard sitting at the pinnacle of that list. What has made them each successful is when the other one excels.
“When the defense zeros in on one of us, the other one can step up and take advantage of a defensive breakdown,” Shaum said.
Even more impressive in regard to Shaum is his ability to distribute as well as score. Shaum is in the top five in assists with 14, and the only top-10 scorer to be in double digits for assists.
“I think that my mentality going in is, if they give me an opportunity to score, I’m going to take that every time,” Shaum said. “If they key in on that and they play me well and I don’t have an opening, I’m going to dump it off and get the assist.”
Shaum and Prichard are also first and third, respectively, in the points category, which is a combination of goals and assists. Shaum is eight points above the second place leader, with Prichard being just one point back.
TOP TWO TOO MUCH
Having two dangerous, high-scoring attackers on the field has really given Biola lacrosse the push they need.
“We definitely have very similar playing styles and very similar skills. It’s sort of a one, two punch,” Prichard said. “Defenses don’t really know what to do with two attackmen.”
What makes the underclassman pairing even more lethal is the bond they have both on and off the field. As roommates in Hope Hall, the two are able to continue their training, even after leaving the field.
“After coming in from practices where maybe something didn’t work on offense or did work, we talk about it in our room,” Prichard said. “We talk about our game both when we’re on the practice field and in our room hanging out."
With a 4-3 overall record, lacrosse is the only men’s spring sport that has a winning record for Biola.
The men got off to a rough start in the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference, dropping their conference opener on Feb. 22 against Northern Arizona University, 17-11.
But they do have some big wins to their name so far this season. A Feb. 8 overtime victory over The Claremont Colleges and a 27-2 thrashing of Cal State Long Beach have established the team as a force to be reckoned with.
“We open every season with [Claremont]. They’re division one,” Shaum said. “Its the first time in school history that we’ve beat them, which is really exciting.”
Up next for Biola is a home matchup against conference foe Pepperdine University at 7 p.m. this Friday. The Waves won last year’s match, 15-8, in Malibu, but not having won a game so far this season, Biola hopes they can get back on track in conference with a home victory.
Be on the lookout for the attacking pair up front. Odds are Shaum and Prichard have quite a few more goals up their sleeves.
