Capital Athletic Conference Unveils Preview
from press releases
Salisbury University won the 2009 Capital Athletic Conference men's
lacrosse title, extending a streak of conference championships to
15, dating back to when the Gulls joined the CAC in
1995. But along the way, Coach Jim Berkman's club
suffered not one, but two, regular-season losses - the first ever
against CAC foes.
Consecutive losses to Stevenson and St. Mary's within a week forced
Salisbury to hit the road to win the title. Stevenson ended
up defeating the Gulls twice in 1999, including an NCAA Division
III Quarterfinal Round matchup in Owings Mills, allowing Paul
Cantabene's Mustangs to advance to the national semifinals.
Stevenson enters the 2010 season ranked #2 in Faceoff Yearbook's
preseason poll while Salisbury is ranked #4. But as St.
Mary's coach Chris Hasbrouck's Seahawks proved last year, after
several other CAC teams came close, teams should not underestimate
an opponent when two CAC rivals face off.
The season is scheduled to start Saturday, when Mary Washington and
York hit the road for non-conference games. Salisbury is also
slated to visit Greensboro a day later. Most other teams open
the following weekend as teams gear up to qualify for the 2010 CAC
Championship Tournament, which begins April 17.
Here is a look at each team heading into the 2010 season.
HOOD begins its sixth season of intercollegiate competition with
its largest and most talent-rich squad yet. The Blazers return
their top four scorers from 2009, including junior captain Kris
Miner (19g, 8a) and senior captain Sofi Lazar (13g, 1a). Hood also
welcomes 15 newcomers who should see significant action.
MARYMOUNT, 5-8 in 2009, return the great majority of their offense
from a season ago. More than 86 percent of the goals scored
and 78 percent of the assists dished out are back on the field this
season led by graduate student captain Alex Curley (13 goals/six
assists), junior Chris Wascak (26 goals/14 assists) and sophomore
Drew Phillips with 20 goals/seven assists in his rookie
season. On defense, MU will be led by senior Eric Fernandez
and a trio of goalies still contending for the starting position in
senior Joe Gagliardi, junior Marc Scanlon and sophomore Ross
Fernandez. Returning at close defense is senior Nick Shay and
junior Robby Woycik. They will be joined by juniors Christian
Carpenter, Tim Lynch and Jake Farrow.
The 2010 MARY WASHINGTON men's lacrosse team enters the spring
season with a sense of optimism following a respectable yet
disappointing 8-7 campaign in 2009. The Eagles have to replace two
of three first line midfielders, the starting defense and one
attackman, who were all lost to graduation. A large freshman and
transfer class seem capable of filling in the holes and maybe more.
The depth at midfield and attack are dramatically improved and the
young defense has looked very solid in pre-season. Key returnees
for the Eagles include senior s Brian Deal (21 g, 2 a) and Dan
Coats (10 g, 15 a), and sophomore Harry Snyder (9 g, 5 a). Senior
captains Deal, Ryan Motyka, and Dave Watts will provide leadership
for the Eagle lineup.
SALISBURY will seek to claim its ninth national championship in as
it features eight of 10 starters back from last year's team that
advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. The No. 4 Sea Gulls are
highlighted by senior midfielder Mike Von Kamecke who is a
preseason first-team All-American. SU's 17-game regular season
schedule features four teams ranked in the preseason top 20 poll,
including the top three teams in the nation. SU is set to kick-off
its campaign on the road at Greensboro College on Feb. 14.
The future looks bright for ST. MARY'S in 2010 as coach Chris
Hasbrouck welcomes back the top 10 scorers as well as eight of 10
starters from last season's squad. Two-time all-conference
selection Dennis Rosson and Chris Becraft, the hero from the last
year's win over Salisbury, will control the offensive tempo for the
Seahawks. Ryan Alexander, a three-time All-CAC First Team
pick, will again lead the midfield with juniors Chris Morihlatko,
Bobby Cooke, and Chris Lacy and sophomore John Dehm--all expected
to be a force between the lines.
STEVENSON is looking to capture the team's first-ever conference
championship and national championship in 2010 after a
record-setting season a year ago in which the Mustangs won a school
record 17 games, advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division
III Men's Lacrosse Championship and finished the year as the
top-ranked team in the nation. Leading the way are three returning
All-Americans in senior Steve Kazimer and juniors Jimmy Dailey and
Richie Ford who combined for 104 goals, 86 assists and 190 points a
year ago. Kazimer was named Attackman of the Year last season and
has been tabbed preseason Player of the Year this season by Inside
Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine. Not to be overlooked is a defense
that returns three starters from a team that ranked 10th in the
nation in scoring defense in 2009.
WESLEY returns seven of its top eight scorers from a squad that
advanced to the ECAC Metro/South Championship game last year in
Bill Gorrow's first year as head coach. Brad Smith was named
to the first team after tallying 70 points in 2009, the most in
season for a Wolverine in 12 years. Nick Pisacano was tabbed
to the second team after a 54-point campaign. Justin D'Alonzo
emerged as one of the top man up players in the conference, with 16
of his 27 goals coming with a man advantage. Joe Trezza and
Dan Skeels each matched D'Alonzo's 27 total goals.
YORK enters the 2010 season with high expectations. The Spartans
posted a quality 2009 campaign and look for an even better year
this spring. York's starting attack returns intact as Ryan
McNicholas, Josh Gamble, and B.J. Blaker form a talented trio up
front. Defensively, senior James Greenwood will team with newcomer
Travis Atwell, a NJCAA All-American last season, and goalie Chris
Collins to form a tremendous defensive unit.
