2010 men's lacrosse season preview

NORTON, MA- Brian Endicott might only be entering his second spring as Wheaton College's head men's lacrosse coach, but in his fourth year with the team, he has seen significant development within a program that has advanced to the last two Pilgrim League Tournament championship games before falling to Springfield College.

"We are talented at every position on the field, which we haven't had in the past," said Endicott, whose team went 8-8 in 2009. "We are a solid three across defense, we have three lines of midfielders we could run, and we can consistently mix and match nine or 10 guys and run them all day. We have seven attackmen who could all play right now and a fourth-year starter at goalie. Our biggest strength is we are talented right across the board."

The Lyons got off to a slow start last spring, losing their first six games, including a pair by a lone goal. Wheaton's ensuing turnaround - an 8-1 mark that including a seven-contest winning streak, which matched a 13-year-old program record - was keyed by special teams, as the Blue and White scored on 61.4 percent of its man-up opportunities during the nine-game rebound while killing off 89.6 percent of their penalties. For the season, Wheaton placed sixth in Division III in man-up percentage (.453) and 10th in man-down defense (.829).

Endicott is encouraged by the fact that his team returns all but one player to each special-teams unit while continuing to bolster its roster. "We had 26 guys when I started as an assistant, and now we're at 37," said the coach, who assisted in 2007, served as the interim coach the following fall and returned to the Wheaton sidelines for the 2008-09 school year. "That's a big help to close the gap and catch up to a team like Springfield, because they run 45 guys and have depth on the team.  When your guys start getting tired, they start putting fresh legs in."

Thanks to their turnaround last spring, the Lyons placed second in the conference at 6-1 before advancing to their second straight Pilgrim League Tournament finale. After suffering a 9-5 setback to Springfield in 2008, Wheaton bowed out in 2009 with a 12-7 loss to the eight-time-champion Pride. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament followed, as the Lyons fell in the semifinals to New England College, 10-7.

The Lyons have set goals for 2010 whose fulfillment would be historic. "Since Western New England College left the league after 2007, teams have fought to be second to Springfield," said Endicott. "We expect to win the Pilgrim League this year. Springfield is always going to be talented, but we bring back a lot of experience and played a close game with them in last year's finals." Entering their 19th varsity season, the Lyons have neither won a conference tournament nor earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament, which accompanies winning the Pilgrim.

Endicott also discussed the importance of goals for each the offense and defense, as scoring at least 10 times and yielding no more than seven markers are keys to the team's success. Offense should not be lacking for Wheaton in 2010: After five Lyons reached the 100-point plateau between 2000 and 2009, three more could reach that level alone come this spring, with two of the potential century club members guiding the attack.

The only player in program history to twice earn all-conference laurels as an underclassman, junior Ben Cederberg (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) tallied 28 goals and 26 assists last year, finishing third in the league in both helpers and points (54) while tying for fourth in man-up tallies (8). Cederberg, who could also see some time in the midfield, has 49 goals, 37 assists and 86 points for his career, similar to the numbers posted by classmate Chris Landers (Manchester, MA/Proctor Academy), the 2008 Pilgrim League Rookie of the Year. With 26 goals as a sophomore, Landers bumped his career figures to 55 markers and 73 points.

Joining Cederberg and Landers on the starting attack will likely be sophomore Billy McNamara (Mansfield, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School), who was voted to be a team captain after having only transferred to the school for spring 2009. McNamara proved to be the most prolifically-offensive freshman in the league last spring, finishing fourth in the Pilgrim in goals (31) and man-up tallies (8) while collecting 45 points.

Sophomore Mike Harrington (Sturbridge, MA/Bancroft School) scored 13 goals during a six-game stretch last year and will join freshman Sean Doherty (East Lyme, CT/East Lyme) in the mix to provide critical minutes in the offensive third. Junior Corey Best (Brentwood, TN/Ravenwood), also a member of the swimming & diving team, and freshman Hudson Hackett (Wickford, RI/Rocky Hill School) complete the attack.

Eight players will be integral in the midfield, including senior Drew Schaffer (New Haven, CT/Loomis Chaffee School), the third Lyon closing in on 100 points. In tying for fourth in the league in assists (17) as a junior, Schaffer improved his career totals to 46 helpers and 84 points. A 2008 all-league selection and the player Endicott considers the team's offensive quarterback, Schaffer is one of three senior captains who hail from the midfield, joining Warren Garceau (Guilford, CT/Canterbury School) and Tim Horan (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire). A handful of teammates can chip in as needed to take face-offs, but Garceau will be the primary draw man after winning 58.3 percent of his face-offs last year. Horan has contributed 58 career points in 44 contests.

Junior Bobby Barry (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) has appeared in 30 of a possible 33 games during his career, while classmate Duncan Smith (Centerport, NY/Harborfields) has 24 goals. Sophomores Conor Finn (Kennebunk, ME/Kennebunk), David Schroeder (Nashua, NH/Nashua North) and Charlie Willauer (Duxbury, MA/Proctor Academy) complete the Lyons' midfield core, as each appeared in at least 13 games as freshmen while scooping up a minimum of 16 ground balls. Finn is also a member of the soccer team.

Senior Andrew Brunhofer (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), also a cross country runner, joins juniors Peter Buongiorno (Pittsburgh, PA/Winchester Thurston School) and Conor Whitney (West Hartford, CT/Kingswood-Oxford School) as veterans who look to crack the midfield rotation. Whitney last played in 2008.

New to the team at midfield are sophomore Jeff Kaplan (Hamden, CT/Cheshire Academy) and freshmen Will Compton (Deering, NH/Proctor Academy), Keegan Dombrosky (Simsbury, CT/Wilbraham & Monson Academy), James Gotoff (Lewisburg, PA/Mercersburg Academy), Matt Hart (Wayland, MA/Wayland), Will Nesbitt (Holliston, MA/Holliston), Greg Smith (Centerport, NY/Chaminade) and Chad Wrisley (South Deerfield, MA/Deerfield Academy). Nesbitt played 15 games last fall for the soccer team, while Smith is Duncan Smith's younger brother.

Junior Cody Powers (Scarborough, ME/Scarborough) anchors a three-man long-stick midfielder unit, as the 2009 all-conference selection scooped up 54 ground balls as a sophomore. Endicott said senior Connor Compton (Deering, NH/Saint Mark's School), Will Compton's older brother, requested a move from his short-stick midfield spot to aid the team this year, while freshman Ian Casey (Medway, MA/Buckingham Browne & Nichols) transferred in this semester after playing club lacrosse during the fall at Lake Forest College in Illinois.

Junior defenders Phil Chapman (Shaker Heights, OH/Western Reserve Academy) and Garrett McLean (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) both draw starting assignments for a second straight year, as Chapman started every contest in 2009 while McLean was among the starters 13 times. Senior Jeff Pereira (Miami, FL/Ransom Everglades School) and freshman Jack Croasdale (Manchester, NH/Kents Hill School) will both see action in the backfield and are in competition for the final starting spot, as Pereira appeared in all 16 contests last spring. Junior Drew Kirstein (Scarborough, ME/Scarborough), sophomore James Casaletto (Peabody, MA/Peabody) and freshman Nik Hodosy-Brander (Santa Barbara, CA/Laguna Blanca School) provide defensive depth in front of senior keeper Schuyler Horn (New Hartford, CT/Kingswood-Oxford School), one of Wheaton's five captains.

"Schuyler is a phenomenal goalie, and he's only improved while he's been here," said Endicott. "He's taken it upon himself to draw up new defensive language and try to put together a playbook in addition to what we have because of what he sees on the field. He makes adjustments and is the captain of the defense." Horn finished third in the Pilgrim with a 9.41 goals against average last season and stands fourth in program history in wins and saves.

The Lyons kick off their season on Saturday at the University of New England, the first of seven non-conference games, including four against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) schools. Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament runner-up Keene State College appears on the slate on March 11 before Wheaton begins its seven-game Pilgrim League schedule by hosting Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on April 3. A rematch with the Pride is set for April 17 in Springfield. Only the Pilgrim's top four teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which kicks off on May 5.

"We have enough weapons this year where if one thing's not working we have someone else we can try," said Endicott. "We're trying to impart to all of the guys that we're not a one-trick pony. We will use everybody, and everyone's going to be a role player; whatever you can do to help the team win is going to be your role."