Faceoff starter is No. 2

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Photo courtesy of Anthony Bellotte

Second-year AACC Men’s Lacrosse player Nick Karnes earns All-American honors from the National Junior College Athletic Association for his play last season.

A Men’s Lacrosse player who ranked second in the country for faceoffs last season has signed to return to AACC this spring.

Nick Karnes, a second-year faceoff player and graduate of Battlefield High School in Northern Virginia, won All American honors for his performance in the role during the 2017 lacrosse season.

“I came to AACC because it is close to home and I loved the downtown area,” Karnes said.

AACC Athletics Director Duane Herr said he is relieved Karnes will return.
“The guy before him was an All American in the same position and we were worried about filling those shoes,” Herr said.

At the end of his freshman season, Karnes ranked second in ground balls, with 140 for the season. In addition, Karnes won 193 of 249 faceoffs and scored four goals for the Riverhawks last year.

The National Junior College Athletic Association named the business student to its All-American men’s lacrosse team in May.

“I know he’ll be No.1 [in faceoffs next season],” Rahsaan Johnson, a second-year midfielder, said. “I think he got cheated out of being No.1 last season.”

Jordan Brown, a second-year midfielder, said Karnes is “a beast at the faceoff position and as a scorer.” Brown said Karnes will exceed expectations if he keeps working to better himself at his position.

AACC’s Men’s Lacrosse coach Joe Stanilaus said several Division I schools, including Towson, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Bryant University in Rhode Island and Furman University in South Carolina, are looking at Karnes this season.

“I expect Nick to pick up right where he left off,” Stanilaus said. “He is the best player at his position at our level.”

Stanilaus said he was “excited for him to join us. But we really had no idea he was that skilled. I say this with confidence that he is the best faceoff player I have ever seen in person.”

“We’re going to have a very good season this year,” Karnes said, “and expect nothing less than a national championship.”