Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/30/20
From Press Release
Saint Joseph’s head coach Taylor Wray is thrilled to announce the return of starting close defensemen Tyler Makar and Josh Bosher, top long stick midfielder Liam Hare (Spring-Ford), and accomplished offensive threat Nate Patterson for their fifth seasons in 2020-21. These four Hawks have decided to take advantage of the NCAA Division I Council’s ruling to grant an additional year of eligibility for all spring sports student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The extension of eligibility was granted after the NCAA canceled all spring sports in March.
“I’m thrilled to have these four seniors join us for another year on Hawk Hill,” said Wray. “This is a huge deal for our program. I’m incredibly thankful to President Mark C. Reed and Athletic Director Jill Bodensteiner for making this possible. I know how grateful these young men are to have the opportunity to represent the Crimson and Gray for another year.”
A factor all over the field, Hare will return after turning in back-to-back seasons as SJU’s top long stick midfielder in 2019 and 2020. The Phoenixville, Pa. native finished the year with four goals, including the fourth-quarter equalizer and fourth-quarter security goal in SJU’s win over Delaware, and was on pace to turn in the first double-digit goal-scoring campaign of his collegiate career.
On the other end of the field, he scrapped for five ground balls in SJU’s 10-9 win over Drexel and finished with eight ground balls and three caused turnovers in seven games.
“To have the leadership and play-making of Liam for another season will be tremendous for our program,” beamed Wray. “He has been more motivated than I have ever seen him, and I know that will continue now that he has another kick at the can.”
A three-year starting defenseman for the Crimson and Gray, Makar anchored SJU’s defensive unit this year and last and owns 65 ground balls and 34 caused turnovers in 45 career appearances with 37 starts. The Yorktown Heights, N.Y. native has started 34 consecutive games on close defense dating back to March 6, 2018 and will continue that streak into 2021.
In one of Makar’s numerous highlights of the 2020 season, the senior was tasked with defending Drexel’s Matthew Varian, who had entered the Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic game on March 6 averaging 6.33 points and 3.50 helpers per contest. Makar held Varian to just one goal and one assist for the full 60:00.
In the final game of the shortened season, Makar was put on Penn’s Sean Lulley, who had entered the Philly 4 Lacrosse Classic game on March 8 with 27 points recorded in his previous four games (6.75 ppg); Makar held Lulley to just three points, including just one goal, and forced a pair of turnovers, including one on Lulley, in an outstanding defensive effort.
“Tyler had brought his game to a new level in 2020, and to have him come back to lead our defense in 2021 is truly a blessing,” said Wray.
Coming off of a 2019 junior campaign in which he went off for career-high numbers in ground balls (22) and caused turnovers (8), Bosher worked seamlessly with Makar on the Hawks’ back line. The Kamloops, British Columbia native started all seven games on close defense in 2020 and came up with key caused turnovers in critical situations in wins over St. Bonaventure on February 9 and Providence on February 22 before going off for a career-high three caused turnovers in SJU’s 10-3 road win over Monmouth on February 29.
“Josh has been a two-year starter on close defense, and to have both him and Tyler back will leave our defense entirely intact,” added Wray as Makar, Bosher, and redshirt freshman Joe Burnham made up the Hawks’ close defense unit this spring. “I’m ecstatic that we could make this work.”
In SJU’s 11-8 home win over then-#20 Delaware on February 18 of this season, Makar and Bosh held the potent UD scoring combination of Charlie Kitchen, who had owned a 34-game point scoring streak entering the game, and left-handed scorer Mike Robinson to three goals on 20 shots. The pair combined for 13 caused turnovers through seven games in the shortened 2020 campaign.
Makar, Bosher, and Hare were the backbone of Saint Joseph’s defensive core that ranked in the nation’s top 15 in scoring defense, allowing just 9.71 goals per game.
Coming off of a 2019 season in which he finished as SJU’s Most Outstanding Offensive Performer (23g, 27a), Patterson demonstrated his versatility and flexibility by scoring four goals through the midfield this year. The Lancaster, Pa. native recorded three points on one goal and two helpers SJU’s season-opening road win over St. Bonaventure and added one goal one assist in the first quarter to spark the Hawks’ offense in SJU’s win over Drexel.
“I’m so happy to have Nate back for another year,” closed Wray. “It adds a proven scorer to our youthful offense. He can do a lot of different things well; he is confident above and below the goal, he is highly intelligent, and he has good vision and inside scoring ability. He is a very good lacrosse player, and his presence will help our 2021 team pick up where we left off in 2020.”
Saint Joseph’s finished 5-2 this season, with both losses coming to top-ten teams in the national rankings.