Kansas City, MO – After capping off their season by reaching the national semifinals, the UC men's lacrosse team had four players honored for their performance on the field throughout the season.  Jake Morgan and Stephen Popovich were both NAIA First Team All-Americans, while Dylan Crouch and Dalton Smith were named NAIA Second Team All-Americans.

Morgan, the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, highlighted the Patriots selection as the lone two-time First Team All-American.  The Easton, MD native recorded 55 caused turnovers, 119 ground balls, and posted a .480 faceoff win percentage on the season.  Morgan led the NAIA in caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game (3.67), while finishing the year ranked second in ground balls.   He notched at least four caused turnovers in ten games this season, while he scooped double-digit ground balls five times.  This season Morgan set the program record for caused turnovers and ground balls in a season, while his 15 ground balls against Montreat and seven caused turnovers against St. Andrews is third most in a game.  Morgan capped off his Patriot career as a two-time All-American, two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, the AAC Freshman of the Year in 2018, and a 2021 NAIA All-Tournament Team selection.

In his first season with the Patriots Popovich was a standout short stick defensive midfielder.  Popovich tallied 30 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers, five goals, and seven assists for Cumberlands on the season.   Against Siena Heights, the sophomore notched a season-high four caused turnovers to go along with four ground balls.  He also scooped a season-high five ground balls twice and was instrumental in the Patriots clear game this season. The Murfreesboro, TN native also tallied three multi-point games, highlighted by his two goals, two assists performance in the 14-7 win over Tennessee Wesleyan.   

Notching his first All-American accolade of his career, Crouch had a breakout season with 35 goals, 24 assists, 59 points, and nine caused turnovers.  The senior ranked eighth in the NAIA in assists, while he finished the year ranked fourth in the AAC in points.  The Trenton, OH native tallied eight hat tricks on the season, including four goals and three assists in UC's NAIA quarterfinals win over Columbia.  Crouch made program history becoming the first Patriot to net 100 career goals, which he did against Tennessee Wesleyan, as well as tying the school record for assists in a game, when he dished out six against Montreat.  Crouch set the program record for points in a season, while ranking second in goals for a season.

Smith earned second team All-American honors after transitioning to defense at the beginning of the season.  The senior recorded 32 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers, and seven points on the year.  Smith opened the season at attack midfielder, tallying four goals and two assists over the first three games before switching to the Patriots backline.  There Smith was a lockdown defender, tallying multiple caused turnovers four times and scooped a season-high four ground balls twice. 

The Patriots closed out the season with an 8-7 record, including a 5-2 mark in AAC play.  UC advanced to their third straight NAIA National Invitational, where they knocked-off three-seed Columbia 18-12, before falling to Indiana Tech 10-9 in double overtime. 

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