Eric Doran '11 in last year's season-ending loss to RIT in the second round of the Division III Tournament. Photo from Web.
Last spring, the Connecticut College men’s lacrosse team was the athletic story of the year. The Camels, led by head coach Dave Cornell (2010 NESCAC coach of the year), won an impressive thirteen games straight en route to an overall record of 14-3 and a berth in the second round of the Division III NCAA championships. The team was led by attackman Steve Dachille ’10, who led the NESCAC with forty-four goals and garnered all-NESCAC and honorable mention all-American accolades.
However, the team’s success came to a halt when the Camels dropped a 6-5 decision to NESCAC rival Wesleyan in the first round of the NESCAC playoffs, followed by a heartbreaking 11-9 loss at home against RIT in the second round of the NCAA championships.
Now, with Dachille gone, as well as 3rd team all-American defensemen Pete Crisafulli ’10, starting defensman Will Schuman ’10 and hardworking captain Sean Driscoll ’10, the question is do we have what it takes to get back to the NCAA tournament? Let’s start at the defensive end.
“Crisafulli and Schuman played big roles last year, but defensively we won’t have many holes,” said Nick Sizer ’12. “Look for Brogan O’Connor ’13 to have a big impact on defense, and for Brian Barasha ’13 to step up, too.” In goal for the Camels will be returning net minders Rob Moccia ’12 and John Lenehan ’12. “While Moccia had the majority of the playing time in net, both goalies contributed to our success. Both are more than capable of getting wins,” Sizer said.
In the midfield, the Camels will return 2010 all-NESCAC and 2011 preseason all-American Mike O’Donnell ’12 at the long stick midfield position. He will have a big impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Camels. Driscoll’s presence in the midfield will be sorely missed. The captain of both the men’s hockey and lacrosse teams last year, Driscoll was a leader on and off the field. His hard work in the midfield led him to a team-high sixty-five ground balls. “Like last year, Eric Doran ’11 will work hard on both sides of the ball. Look for Kevin Dachille ’14 to help in replacing some of Driscoll’s end-to-end play in the midfield, too,” Sizer commented.
Of course, the biggest question mark lies in the offensive half of the field. Dachille’s NESCAC high forty-four goals will not be easily replaced. The 2010 senior attackman was a big x-factor in many of the Camels’ close wins. “He was a real threat on attack. He could break down zone defenses with his shot and penetrate man-to-man coverage with his size,” said Sizer.
Three players will be called on to fill Dachille’s offensive production and leadership: Eric Doran ’11, Ryan Hayes ’11 and Mark Mangano ’11. Doran, Hayes and Mangano scored twenty-six, twenty-two and fourteen goals, respectively, last season, finishing as the top scorers below Dachille. Additionally, Mangano and Hayes lead the team in assists at fifteen and twelve; this season, their roles as distributers will be shifted towards goal scoring.
Other attackmen to watch are Mike Giambanco ’13 (fifteen points), Steve Eicher ’13 (seventeen points), and John Lyons ’13 (eighteen points). All three had successful freshmen campaigns and should continue to be productive with a solid year under their belts. “Sophomore transfer Tyler Corcoran should make an immediate impact on the offense. He is a shifty attackman with great vision,” said Sizer.
It seems there are a number of players with the ability to fill roles across the board; however, hard work and leadership will ultimately be the keys to stringing together wins like last season. “Every team, in the NESCAC especially, is going to have our number this season,” Sizer said. “We are no longer the underdog Camels; we will have to work very hard to prove ourselves and back up our preseason national ranking at number 10.”
The Camels are going into this season with high hopes, but they understand that their path to success will look much different from last year’s. Sizer explained: “last season we ran out of gas. We felt too comfortable relying on Steve [Dachille] for those big goals in the playoffs. We understand that if we want the same results as last year, it’s going to be with a much different formula. Guys have to consistently step up and be leaders on the field and in the locker room.”
Tri-captains Doran, Mangano and O’Donnell have already set the tone. Each player must lead by example and work hard both on and off the field if the Camels want to get back atop the NESCAC standings and qualify for a 2nd consecutive trip to the NCAA championships. The highly anticipated season will start Saturday, March 12 at home against in-state rival Trinity. •
