As NESCAC lacrosse play opens up this weekend, here is a quick guide to whos gone, whos back, and who the Jumbos will have to watch in Div. III lacrosses most competitive conference.
Amherst
Amherst made waves last season by returning more than 90 percent of its scoring, but then faltered, finishing just two games above .500 overall and a mediocre 5-5 in the NESCAC.
This year, Amherst must do without graduated quad-captain midfielders Alex Fox and Will Reed, as well as attackmen Cole Cherney and Evan Redwood. Redwood and Cherney started every game for the Lord Jeffs last season, combining for 87 points. The loss of starting keeper Sam Jakimo is another hit he will be replaced between the pipes by junior Greg Majno.
On the other hand, the Lord Jeffs have former NESCAC Rookie of the Year Devin Acton back for his junior campaign. In 2012, Acton led the squad in scoring with a monstrous 44 goals and 10 assists. This year, he is rejoined by classmates and capable midfielders Aaron Mathias and Duncan Morrissey, as well as by experienced defenders Danny Gold, Carl Lampe, Matt Cahn, and Tony Argibay.
At the same time, Amherst itself is the perfect example of how returned talent and scoring ability does not directly translate into team successes. While Acton has a huge amount of talent and is poised for another dominant season, the Lord Jeffs must play a more complete game and find strong play from their defense in order to help Acton win the big games.
Bates
For the Bobcats, this season presents an opportunity to improve in the standings, where they have finished as one of the bottom two teams every spring since 2007. Bates notched just two conference victories last season, and finished with a dismal 4-9 overall record.
Though Bates leading scorer Jason Hichborn has departed, the Bobcats return their next three leading offensive producers in Kyle Starr, Rob Highland, and Jack Strain. However, this is less impressive considering that the Bobcats finished last in the NESCAC in goals and assists per game last season, and not a single Bates scorer ranks among the conference leaders. The Bobcats also posted the lowest shot percentage and highest number of turnovers per contest in 2012, demonstrating an inability to convert possessions into scores.
The departures of last years tri-captain defensemen Kevin Helm and Mark Murphy, pole Lucas Denning, and netminder Adam Scharff at the defensive end mean a significant hit to the teams roster. While Scharffs departure may open the doors for keeper Charlie Kazarian to make an impact, the junior may be faced with some tough looks as he plays behind a young and largely inexperienced defensive set.
No. 16 Bowdoin
For the first time in 23 seasons, the Polar Bears will not be led by former head coach Tom McCabe. McCabe, who retired from the position after the 2012 campaign, was replaced by Jason Archbell from the University of Pennsylvania, who has immediately imposed strict regimens for his players in order to familiarize them with his coaching style.
Bowdoin, which reached last years NESCAC championship game against the Jumbos, is never a squad to be underestimated, and it consistently turns out talented rosters with Div. I size. This season, the Polar Bears bring back leading scorer Billy Bergner, a senior who notched 42 points last season, and classmate Patrick Lawlor who finished his junior campaign with 31 points.
However, Bowdoin has suffered the losses of midfielders Mark Flibotte and Keegan Melhorn, as well as go-to face-off man Brendan Hughes from X. While Polar Bears return poles Dylan Hannes and Max Rosner, both of whom started all 20 games for Bowdoin, they lose their anchors in close defender Matt Egan and goalie Chris Williamson.
Despite heavy losses, Bowdoin is among the best in the NESCAC at restocking its roster. And while a new coaching dynamic can cause problems for teams, McCabe did well to recruit big talent before leaving the program, so expect the Polar Bears to shrug off adversity this season as they make a run for the NESCAC title that was almost theirs in 2012.
Colby
The headliner for Colby this season will likely take the form of explosive senior midfielder and co-captain Ian Deveau. The All-American returns for his fourth campaign hungry to carry the Mules deep into the conference tournament after leading the team with 25 goals and 18 assists last season.
Colby also returns senior attackman John Jennings, who was second on the team in points, and welcomes back face-off man Bjorn Knutson, a junior who replaced legend Craig Bunker at X. Historically a short stick defensive midfiler, Knutson led the Mules in groundballs and forced turnovers last season, all while winning 55 percent of face-offs.
Senior attackman Greg McKillop, Deveaus co-captain, finished third on the team in scoring last season and adds another asset to coach Justin Domingoss scoring options. Together, Deveau, Jennings, McKillop and Knutson have the speed, versatility and power to wreak havoc on unprepared NESCAC defenses.
No. 19 Conn. College
In New London, the Camels return their top six scorers, including two seniors, midfielder John Lyons and attackman Andrew Freedman. This must be taken with a grain of salt, however, considering that Conn. Colleges overall offensive production was far below the top of the NESCACs. In fact, the Conn. College attack lacked much excitement altogether, and often drifted into a complacent, stalled style of play even in games where the Camels trailed significantly.
While Conn. College has two of three defensive starters back this year in seniors Brogan OConnor and Mike Brennan, the Camels graduated keeper Rob Moccia and reliable pole Clay Hillyer, who led the close defensive trio with 30 groundballs and 17 caused turnovers last season.
In 2012, Conn. College finished below the middle of the pack in nearly every offensive statistical category, but Lyons and Freedman have what it takes to lead a charge toward the top ranks of the standings if the Camels defense can hold opponents scoring enough to keep them in contention. That, however, is a big if.
Hamilton
In 2012, the Hamilton Continentals abrupt entry into Div. IIIs toughest conference was a brutal awakening, first from Tufts in a 15-8 season opening loss.
The Continentals hope to gather themselves after last seasons disappointment, but it will be tough to do so without leading attackman Jon Leanos. Last years NESCAC Player of the Year, Leanos ranked fifth in the NESCAC with 50 points, and helped keep the Continentals heads above water by accounting for almost a quarter of the squads scoring. Nearly all will also suffer without their second and third scoring options in Luke Sadoff and Henry Burchenal.
The onus will lie on juniors Bryan Hopper and Paul Armideo, as well as senior Luke Walsh, to take the lead in offensive production. The Continentals must rebound by developing a more multi-dimensional scoring strategy if they wish to improve upon last years 5-5 NESCAC mark.
Although they graduated keeper Max Vaickus, the Continentals will have all three starting close defensemen back. Chad Berger, Ed Reed, and Mike Fiacco started all 15 games for the Continentals last season, but allowed an average of above nine goals against per game.
With a year of NESCAC play under its belt, Hamilton might well present a stronger case than it did in 2012. However, it is unlikely that the Continentals will seriously challenge for a top spot.
Middlebury
The Panthers have the foundation to build a solid 2013 season, but they must expand on their size and raw talent if they wish to return to the top of the NESCAC
Last season Middlebury finished an embarrassing 4-9 overall and notched just three in-conference victories, all while failing to win a single contest on the road. Despite having the tools to compete at the highest level, the Panthers consistently underperformed and played down to opponents.
Middlebury returns its stars senior attackmen Mike Giordano and tri-captain Strew Kerr as well as defensemen John Duvnjak, Billy Champman, and Zach Driscoll for the 2013 campaign.
However, Middleburys squad must lock down its mechanics and eliminate their struggles to win close games throughout the season. The Panthers led the NESCAC in groundballs per game last season, and they have played historically with a physical, gritty style to win the possession game but were still among the worst in the NESCAC at maintaining possession, averaging more than 20 turnovers per contest.
Middlebury needs to nip sloppy play in the bud and hold onto the ball in order to create scoring opportunities for Giordano and Kerr. There is no reason that a team with capable attackmen and the second-highest faceoff percentage in the NESCAC should have struggled so mightily to get on the board, so with senior midfielder Brian Foster returning this spring, maintaining and converting possessions should be a primary focus for the Panthers.
No. 18 Trinity
Sometimes the graduation of a single player leaves a team completely stripped of its identity, but rarely is it the goalie that has such a massive effect. So after losing All-NESCAC netminder Peter Johnson, the Bantams will have to find a way to maintain their form without the keeper who made tough saves and recorded a .578 save percentage his senior year.
The Bantams return their top scoring threats, including senior tri-captain Rob Nogueras, who led the team with 50 points, as well as senior midfielder Nick Shaheen and sophomore Matthew Hauck who combined for 59 points last spring. In 2012, the scoring unit was the most efficient man-up group in the NESCAC, averaging 1.17 man-up goals per game, but the teams .238 shot percentage certainly could be improved.
Trinity also returns junior defenseman Will Naughton and senior Chris Novick. Despite this fact, the poles and defensive midfielders must step up their game in light of the personnel change in the cage.
The Bantams led the league in caused turnovers in 2012, averaging more than 11 per game, including 47 alone caused by graduated defenseman Alex Gottsch. However, two long-stick midfielderssophomore Charles Finnegan and senior Dominic Pisellican also force takeaways.
Trinity has a lot of experience and firepower on the offensive end. For the Bantams, the main struggle will be adapting their defensive play to Johnsons absence.
No. 4 Tufts
Despite graduating immense talent at the midfield and on the crease, the Jumbos are prepared to make a strong surge for a fourth-straight NESCAC title in May. Tufts hopes to use its depth to overcome a two-game suspension for 27 members of the roster, which will be in effect for the Jumbos opening conference games against Hamilton and Connecticut College.
At X, Tufts loses dominant midfielder Nick Rhoads, who posted a monstrous .591 percentage on face-offs last season, helping to control 282 out of 477 draws. The Jumbos must also rebound from the graduation of sensational offensive midfielder Kevin McCormick and perhaps the greatest crease player in the NESCAC in Sean Kirwan, now an assistant coach for the Tufts program.
Despite heavy losses, Tufts returns a full close defensive unit, highlighted by three-year starters Matt Callahan, Sam Gardner, and John Heard. Head coach Mike Daly has a tremendous amount of options on the back-end, as sophomore Cem Kalkavan and junior Nate Marchand have played exceptionally thus far and are easy substitutes for any of Tufts starting defensemen.
On attack, sophomore Chris Schoenhut will get the nod alongside returners Beau Wood and Cole Bailey. The Jumbos strongest asset this season is truly its immense depth, which stands to serve Tufts well both for the suspension and later in the season, when fatigue and injuries often set in. Check out tomorrows Daily for a full preview of the Jumbos 2013 season.
Wesleyan
Despite topping Trinity 16-6 in an unofficial scrimmage last weekend, it is unlikely that the Cardinals will claim any wins nearly as impressive once official NESCAC play begins.
Junior midfielder quad-captain Aidan Daniell, attackman Graham Macnab and midfielder Joey Porcelli are among the Cardinals top returning scorers, but the Cardinals will suffer from the graduation of leading scorer John Froats, as well as Teddy Citrin and Max Landow.
In light of those departures, it could be a struggle for the Cardinals to develop the depth and firepower necessary to propel them beyond last years 5-5 conference mark. Wesleyan finished alongside Williams and Bates at the bottom of most NESCAC scoring categories, and also among the worst in ground balls per game.
The Cardinals showed some promise at the other end of the fieldthey boasted a decent penalty killing percentage, and caused more than nine turnovers per game, and defensemen Elliot Albert, Lex Johnson, and Mike Robinson will bring experience down low. The trio will help to protect the cage most likely occupied by junior keeper Mark Simmons, who saw limited time playing behind All-American keeper Grant Covington last season.
Williams
The Ephs spent last season at the bottom of the conference standings, recording just a single NESCAC victory over Bates and finishing 3-10 overall. Williams averaged barely seven goals per game, and capitalized on just five of 51 man-up scoring opportunities.
In 2013 the Ephs must do without leading scorer Sam Hargrove, and will instead rely on senior Evan Dedominicis and sophomore Andy Grabowski, who put up 22 and 16 points, respectively.
On the defensive side, Williams lost two starting defensemen in David Doggett and Greg White, meaning sophomore pole John Medwick will take the lead. Sophomore keeper Sean Dougherty will likely get the nod to start in cage, and must play well to give the Ephs any shot at winning games. Williams allowed more than nine goals per game last season, a mark lower only than Amhersts.
The Ephs have their work cut out for them if they want to improve upon last years dismal NESCAC performance and will struggle with several other contenders returning more threatening offensive weapons and bringing bigger, stronger defenses to the field.
The Big Picture
Several teams look poised to threaten the Jumbos as they defend their position atop the NESCAC, and will undoubtedly pose challenges to Tufts throne throughout a grueling regular season.
Bowdoin threatens the Jumbos perennially, and could create problems for Tufts when the two teams meet in their annual regular season finale showdown, while Colby should be able to match the Jumbos with their offensive firepower.
After those two come Trinity, Middlebury, and Amherst, who will try to make a run in the NESCAC and will have the talent to compete at any round of the NESCAC playoffs.
Finally, Hamilton, Williams, Wesleyan, Conn. College and Bates, lacking the depth and star-power to overcome dysfunction, will ultimately find the top half of the NESCAC too much to handle.
Of course this is all conjecture, by now we all know the old adageany given Saturday in the NESCAC.
