Two WestConn men’s lacrosse players died in a car accident in Colchester, Connecticut, on Friday. Jacob Chapman and Tyler Graham were both 18 years old.
A third passenger, Trey Massaro, 19, who is also a freshman on the WestConn men’s lacrosse team, was airlifted to Hartford Hospital with suspected serious injuries from the accident. He is expected to recover, Western Connecticut State University President John Clark told NewsTimes.com on Saturday.
Chapman was taken to Marlborough Medical Clinic before passing away not long after. Graham was pronounced dead at the scene.
An incident report from the state police department reported the boys’ Nissan Altima was quickly trying to pass another car in the lead up to the accident, then went off the road for an unknown reason and hit a metal guardrail and trees before ending in an embankment. Chapman has been identified as the car’s driver, and Graham was in the front passenger seat.
“We will continue to mourn the loss of two of our promising young students and hope for a strong recovery for Trey,” Clark said in a statement.
Both Chapman and Graham previously attended Bacon Academy in Colchester and were pursuing their degrees in Business Administration. Massaro attended Wahconah Regional School in Dalton and is pursing his Bachelor of Science in Justice and Law Administration-Law Enforcement.
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday for candlelight vigil for Chapman and Graham.
“Tyler and Jake were two peas in a pod. They were the best of friends,” Marissa Mazzola, the organizer of the vigil, told WTNH News 8. “The last couple of days have been a hurricane of emotions. I don’t think a lot of us knew how to handle it. It’s been very hard to figure out what we’re feeling. In no way, shape, or form is it okay that two 18-year-olds passed away in a car accident.”
The university will soon hold a memorial on the WestConn campus to honor the lacrosse players in the accident.
Lax All Stars extends its condolences to the families and friends of Chapman and Graham and wishes for a full recovery for Massaro.
Now for the other lacrosse news from the week of Oct. 19-25, 2021.
Last Week in Lacrosse
Johns Hopkins legend Jerry Schnydman passed away over the weekend. Schnydman spent five decades at Johns Hopkins as a student-athlete, employee, and a member of the board of trustees.
Former Tewaaraton winner Pat Spencer was invited to workout with the Washington Wizards G League team, the Capital City Go-Go. Spencer decided to pursue his love of basketball overseas following his lacrosse career at Loyola and basketball stint at Northwestern.
The National Lacrosse League has signed a multi-year media rights deal with ESPN. Every NLL game will now be available on either an ESPN channel or ESPN+.
Austin Staats will undergo knee surgery with an unknown return date, the San Diego Seals announced, with the 2021-22 season just a handful of weeks away.
Following up on last week’s story regarding the death of Tufts women’s lacrosse player Made Nicpon, her cause of death has been released: she choked at a charity fundraising hot dog eating contest.
Get Caught Up on LAS Content
Miss out on what we did last week? Here’s a recap of some of our top content from the last seven days.
PARENTS IN RECRUITING: HOW SHOULD A PARENT BEHAVE?
Mike Schanhals goes over the important factors parents need to remember when their child is being recruited to play at the next level.
HOW BEN WINEBURG REVIVED BROCKPORT’S DORMANT LACROSSE PROGRAM
Ben Wineburg was able to bring Brockport lacrosse back to life, but how exactly did he do it?
BILL TIERNEY IN COACH COTTLE’S CORNER, PART 2
Coach Cottle continues his conversation with legendary coach Bill Tierney on this week’s episode of Coach Cottle’s Corner.
THE 5 BEST LACROSSE DRILLS TO MAKE YOU BETTER
Professional lacrosse player Kylie Ohlmiller gives five of her favorite lacrosse drills to help develop young stars.
THE ULTIMATE LACROSSE HELMET BUYERS GUIDE 2021-22
Tucker La Belle takes a look at the current options of lacrosse helmets on the market.
MIDFIELD U: WHO HAS PRODUCED THE BEST MIDFIELDERS?
Last week’s Position U article focused on the guys who play both sides of the ball: the midfielders.
