After not playing in Saturday's 18-7 rout of Albright, senior attackman Paul Danko, a Towson resident and Gilman graduate, is slated to start in Stevenson's home game against Lynchburg on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills.
But coach Paul Cantabene emphasized that sophomore Tyler Fuhrman, who started in Danko's place on Saturday and scored one goal on two shots, will continue to get some minutes.
"He's getting a little more time with Paul, but they'll both play," Cantabene said Thursday. "Fuhrman's playing pretty well. Tyler's a good player. He's starting to get more confidence back and is starting to play better."
The No. 6 Mustangs (6-3) will tangle with the No. 5 Hornets (7-2), who have won five consecutive games since a 1-2 start. Both teams are vying for the top seed in the South region of the NCAA Division III tournament, and a win on Saturday could go a long way toward cementing one team's pursuit of that honor and home-field advantage in the postseason.
"I think it's pretty important for both teams," Cantabene said. "If we get that victory, I think it puts us in a really good spot for the NCAA tournament. If we lose, then we're probably going to have to win our conference to get in. We've really got to understand that this is an important game. I think it's an important game for Lynchburg as well. They have two losses, and they understand that it's an important game for them as well. So I think both understand the importance of this game toward the NCAA tournament."
Lynchburg did play on Wednesday night, dusting Washington & Lee, 15-6. That contest may work to Stevenson's advantage as the team has had the full week to prepare. Cantabene said the Mustangs have welcomed the time to rest after playing five games in a 12-day stretch.
"We've played so many games that it definitely gives us a chance to rest a little bit and get our guys healthy, and that's important," he said. "We have some guys that have been really nicked up that we just need to get a little rest for."