2008 Season Preview

In 2008 look for Elmira College’s Men’s Lacrosse team to bring a new found attitude and intensity to one of the toughest schedules in Division III Men’s Lacrosse today. Amongst the teams that the Soaring Eagles will face, four are top twenty teams which include Nazareth College and Ithaca College. Head Coach Preston Chapman looks forward to this season as he continues to build a program that shows great promise every single year.

Returning to this year’s squad as the foundation to the Soaring Eagles line-up will be second year goalie Geoffrey Lane ’10 (Pennington, NJ -- Pennington School). Lane’s leadership will be a necessity for the Purple and Gold throughout the course of the year.

In his rookie season Lane managed to start all 17 games for Elmira, and showed continuous development throughout the off season and in the fall. Joining Lane in the cage will be first year goalie Matt Hale ’11 (Cato, NY -- Cato-Meridian). His continuous work ethic will be a true testament of his abilities as he continues to adjust to the new style of play.

In front of Lane will be another solid group of defensemen who will use their strong stick skills and quick reflexes to hold off the opposition. Justin Jenkins ’08 (Scituate, MA -- Scituate) enters his final season with Soaring Eagles as one of the team’s Co-captains. His work ethic and good defensive positioning will be a must for EC’s defense if they are to compete against some of the top attackmen and midfielders in Division III Lacrosse.

Also look for John Dean ’09 (North Massapequa, NY - Farmingdale) and Paul Schwartz ’11 (Allison Park, PA -- Kiski School) to make huge contributions in the back field for Elmira. Dean’s take away defense and Schwartz’s ability to win crucial groundballs will be essential this season.

EC’s midfield truly shows the most promise this year. This season will see a solid group of returnees take a more commanding role in the middle third of the field. As the team’s only fourth year midfielder Brandon Brennan ’08 (Manassas, VA -- Osbourn Park) will take advantage of his left handed shot and quick feet to gain the open shot from outside the crease.

Adding to the midfield line in 2008 are Dave Beriau ’09 (East Sandwich, MA -- Sandwich) and Phil Hill ’09 (Syracuse, NY -- Corcoran) who have proven to be all around solid midfielders over the past two seasons for EC. Hill, who found himself in the lead face-off role last season, will once again be looked to as the start up man. Hill’s ability to keep possession of the ball longer is a key factor in establishing a more consistent attack by the Soaring Eagles.

In terms of physical presence and overall energy on the field and off, second year players Dan Frost ’10 (Bow, NH -- Bow) and Kevin Morrison ’10 (Hingham, MA -- Boston College) exemplify those two characteristics to the fullest, and will be constant motivators for their teammates. For first year player Martin O’Brien ’11 (West Springfield, MA -- Winchendon School) the coaching staff expect big things. His dodging and shooting abilities truly show a lot of promise.

Midfielder Justin Rodis ’09 (Sudbury, MA -- Lincoln-Sudbury) has shown constant improvement along with Tom Hosey ’10 (Springfield, MA -- Williston Northampton), who’s work ethic is second to none.

Second year short-stick midfielder Scott Gamble ’10 (Toronto, ONT -- Leaside) returns as one of the team’s toughest and strongest players. His aggressiveness to win the groundballs and hold of the opposition’s attack makes him one of the most standout players in the midfield.

Joining the line this season will be Rob Kurtz ’10 (Hellertown, PA -- Yarmouth) and Jordan Gray ’11 (Gibsonia, PA -- Deer Lakes). Both players will add some depth to the midfield as they begin their adjustment to the Collegiate level.

Brandon Saylor ’10 (Cleveland Heights, OH -- Cleveland Heights) and Justin Dougherty ’11 (Johnson City, NY -- Maine Endwell) will also make strong contributions at the long-stick midfielder spot. Saylor’s endurance and Dougherty’s physical play should make for a solid combination on both ends of the field.

On attack, no other player will be as crucial as fourth year Captain Mike Szpiech ’08 (Hamilton, ONT -- Albany Academy). As the team’s top offensive performer in 2007, Szpiech will need to have continued success in the offensive third in hopes to improve the Soaring Eagles’ chances of making a post season run.

Sean Slater ’08 (Ashland, MA -- Ashland) joins Szpiech in his final season, and will use his ability to stretch the opposition’s defense to free up his teammates. Also contributing to the attack are second year attackmen JP Kennedy ’10 (Newport, RI -- Providence Country Day), Mike Bialick ’10 (Lebanon, NJ -- Westfield), and Ian Morgan-Janes ’10 (South Berthwick, ME -- Marshwood).

Each player has shown consistent improvement having already played one season at Elmira.  In his first season with the program Bialick proved to be one of the top offensive producers amongst his first year teammates.  First year player Adam Walker ’11 (Corning, NY -- Corning East) will also add some depth to a constantly improving attack.

Look for EC Men’s Lacrosse to continue their growth and development throughout the 2008 season. With a solid combination of veterans and rookies, the Purple and Gold will truly look to solidify their position amongst some of the top contenders in all of Division III Lacrosse.