Rollins Men's Lacrosse 2010 Season Preview
from press releases
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Third Time's the Charm:
The saying "third time's the charm" holds a belief that the third
time something is attempted, it will be more likely to succeed than
the previous first two attempts; a good luck charm in the eyes of
many. There couldn't be a better motto for the 2010 Rollins
men's lacrosse team. Hindered by injuries that cut down on
depth for the first two seasons of the program, the Tars look
forward to some major changes in their third campaign, and hit the
turf on Saturday with high hopes.
Head Coach Andrew Baxter leads the charge yet again, and is
confident the team will find plenty of success in the upcoming
months.
"I think we're going to have a huge improvement from last year,"
says Baxter. "We're finally at a point in the program that
we're not teaching everybody something new. We have plenty of
talent with lots of returning experience, and have only had to
teach a handful of newcomers the Rollins system."
With less time spent on fundamental game play, and ample practice
time leading up to the season opener, Coach Baxter is confident as
the team heads into regular season action on Saturday.
"Having a large group of reliable returners has given us the luxury
of excelling greatly in these last few weeks of preseason," Baxter
adds.
The Tars' first two seasons saw plenty of ups and downs as the team
faced an abundance of adversity in 2008, and continued with a very
young, inexperienced squad in 2009. Despite the growth they
made in the first two years, Rollins found themselves struggling to
survive as injuries plagued the team, and depth became an issue
towards the conclusion of each spring.
However, with solid recruiting classes, and an experienced, veteran
squad back on the field, Baxter is confident that the team will
come out strong and finish even stronger in their 2010
campaign.
"We have lots of talent, and despite a smaller roster than last
year, we still have more depth than the previous two seasons,"
added Baxter. "Everyone can contribute positive things this
season."
The Rollins community can expect big things out of goalie Zach Cole
once again. Entering into his junior year with the Tars, Cole
has been steadfast between the pipes from day one. The
Rumford, R.I., native has racked-up 391 saves and a save percentage
of .551 in his career. Starting every game in program history, Cole
will be expected to help lead the defense and have another solid
season.
Helping Cole in the defensive end will be returning long pole Jorge
Colon and newcomer Nick Scannapieco. The duo has a great
combination of brute strength, control, stick skills, and defensive
power that will be key to the Tars' success. Defensive
middies Andrew Vossler and Andrew Cohen will be looked to for their
agility, speed, and stick work to help cause turnovers and move the
ball down field quickly.
Offensive midfielders Chuck Magid and newcomer Eric Schmit will
share the faceoff role, as well as help with transitions and
attacking unit. Matthew Lunnen will join Magid and Schmit, and will
be a key component to the attacking midfield unit. Lunnen's
amazing game sense, athleticism, and agility proved to be a big
asset in 2009, and coaches expect big things out of him in his
sophomore season.
Another sophomore returner who will be expected to take on more
responsibility is attackman Charlie Cook. The Hamden, Conn.,
native will be expected to take on more responsibility in the box,
and will be expected to be a dangerous combination when combined
with 2008 returner Charlie Shelly.
Newcomer Justin Wright will also be expected to have a big season
on attack. Wright has adjusted quickly to the Rollins system,
and with his quick feet, agile dodging, and smart game play, the
attacking unit will find success in finishing plays where they
lacked the previous two
seasons.
The hard work the players have already put in throughout the off
season and into the spring has left little doubt that the Tars are
ready to get out on the game field. "We've had a long
preseason," Baxter added. "It will be nice to apply what we've been
working on in practice, and our schedule is very favorable.
We're looking forward to some very exciting contests, and have a
lot of home games. We have some very tough match-ups, and it will
be challenging, but having eight home games is very significant to
our hopeful success."
Rollins opens their season and jumps right into Deep South
Conference action as they take on Florida Southern at the third
annual Faceoff For A Cause to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project
on Saturday, February 13. After dropping their first matchup to the
Moccasins last season on the
road, the Tars are looking to open on a high note with a victory
over FSC, and a first Deep South Conference win in program
history.
The Tars then look to take on preseason No. 9 Saint Leo in
non-conference play on February 20, before jumping right back into
DSC action with a home contest against Wingate to kick-off the
month of March.
Pfeiffer and St. Andrews Presbyterian College immediately follow,
allowing Rollins to prepare for a tough matchup against 2009 Final
Four, and preseason No. 4 Merrimack on March 10.
Rollins takes on Pace University for the first time in program
history on March 13, and then host their final home contest of the
season when they take on preseason No. 8 Mars Hill on March
17. After that, it's just three quick contests on the road,
with a long trip up to North Carolina to take on Catawba and
Belmont Abbey before returning home to the Sunshine State for a
showdown with Saint Leo in DSC play.
With a schedule that offers a wide range of competition and
opportunities for growth, Baxter is certain that the Tars will see
plenty of action this season to give them the challenges they are
looking for.
The Tars have truly set the tone for success leading up to this
point as their long hours and dedication have set the scene for an
exciting and highly anticipated third year. With the perfect
combination of returning veterans and an assortment of fresh talent
from great programs and backgrounds will explode onto the field
Saturday afternoon in what the 2010 Rollins men's lacrosse team
expects to be an optimistically triumphant season with plenty of
program firsts.
