ANNAPOLIS, Md. —  Navy men's lacrosse coach Joe Amplo announced today that rising seniors Christian Daniel (Owings, Md.) and Nick Franchuk (Southport, Conn.) are the recipients of one of the highest honors a midshipman athlete can earn at the Academy, as their teammates have elected the tandem to serve as team captains for the 2021 season.

"For the past year, our staff and players have been working tirelessly to implement a culture that will help Navy lacrosse sustain itself amongst the nation's elite teams," said Amplo, who is in his second season with the Midshipmen. "We have seen tremendous growth over the past 12 months. The players have loved the process that we have implemented and are engaged in the tough challenges that lie ahead. In this momentum that we have established, two individuals have risen to the occasion every day.  Both Nick and Christian represent the best of what the Naval Academy has to offer. They are exceptional students, model midshipmen and exemplary teammates. Our staff is proud they have been elected by their peers to lead our team in 2021. This is a great honor that I know both young men are prepared for."

A starter in 30 of the 31 games in which he has played over his career (12 of 13 Fr // 13 So // 5 Jr), Daniel enters his senior campaign having produced a point in 29 contests and a goal in 27 of those appearances. He has amassed 91 points in his three seasons of play, needing just nine points to become only the 36th player in the program's 114-year history to reach 100 career points. While the 2020 season was cut short (5 games) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel helped lead the Mids to a 3-2 record while pacing the team with 17 points on eight goals and a team-best nine assists. As a team, Navy averaged 11.80 goals per game in 2020, its highest scoring average since 2004 (12.28), while its 20.00 points per game was the highest since averaging 23.07 points per game in 1978. Additionally, Navy's No. 3 ranking in extra-man offense was its highest since the NCAA began the rankings in 2000. The Mids scored 10 goals on 15 opportunities (66.7) this past spring.

Daniel has also been a standout in the classroom and within the Brigade. He has twice been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District II At-Large Team, including this spring. He boasts a 3.83 grade-point average in astrophysics and is ranked among the top 13 percent of his class (1,118 students) in academic order of merit. Additionally, he stands, third overall in his class in Military Order of Merit.

"As I walked up from the nightly fire my dad had in the backyard on the night Nick and I were named captains, I thought back a decade-and-a-half ago to the countless hours I spent in my backyard playing and dreaming of lacrosse," said Daniel. "It was and still is surreal seeing how God has worked in that little kid's life in a small southern Maryland town to bring him to what I consider to be one of the greatest honors in collegiate lacrosse. Nick and I now have our names listed among Navy lacrosse legends and leaders both on and off of the field. This comes with a weight and responsibility that I am more than excited to carry, as Nick and I, along with the entire senior class, will do our best to lead Navy men's lacrosse to our maximum potential."

A two-year starter at close defense, Franchuk was recently acknowledged as the 2020 recipient of the Lt. Robert T. Bianchi Award which is presented annually to Navy's Most Valuable Player. Franchuk helped spearhead a defensive effort that saw the Mids finish the 2020 season ranked No. 11 nationally in both scoring defense (9.40) and man-down defense (11-14, 78.6). It's the highest ranking by Navy's man-down squad since finishing 2012 ranked No. 8 (75.0). It's the best percentage by the unit since the 2009 team finished No. 1 in the country with its 85.0 mark (34-40). In Navy's opener this season, he not only was part of a defensive unit that held Manhattan to four goals on just 27 shots, he also scored his first collegiate goal. Additionally, Navy's defense held Furman scoreless for the first 51-plus minutes of the game, allowing the Mids to build a 19-0 lead, before allowing the fewest goals (3) an opponent has scored against the Mids in better than a decade.

Franchuk has also been lauded for his success outside of lacrosse, earning a 3.71 GPA in History as a member of the Honors Program. He is among the top 20 percent of his class in both Academic and Military Order of Merit.

"Ever since I got to Navy in 2017, I was not only in awe of the players who had come before me for what they accomplished on the field, but also what they achieved off the field beyond graduation," said Franchuk. "Just having the opportunity to be in the locker room was humbling - knowing who had come before me and the shoes we were filling. Now, having the opportunity to serve as captain alongside Christian is even more humbling. It is a blessing that comes with great responsibility. Christian and I, along with the entire senior class, are excited to lead this team in the upcoming fall and spring and bring wins to Navy lacrosse."


### Go Navy ###