The sting lingered for many months for the Hofstra Men's Lacrosse team. It began on an early May weekend last year. The Pride, who captured the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title, would advance in the CAA Championship semifinals and be within reach of two more of their goals with the conference title game in the friendly confines of James M. Shuart Stadium. With a win over second seed Drexel, Hofstra would take home their first CAA title since 2008 and would return to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2011.

There was also the dangling carrot of possibly advancing to one of the two NCAA Championship quarterfinal doubleheaders – at Hofstra - in case there wasn't enough incentive previously.

On the Saturday night, a classic lacrosse game between two fine teams was played with the Dragons battling back from a fourth quarter deficit to send the game into overtime, then a second overtime and finally a third. After dodging a bullet when a Hofstra goal was called back, the Dragons finally captured that elusive CAA title to get their first NCAA Championship bid. The Pride, who had three losses by one goal and two by two goals, were left with a precarious spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The bubble burst the next day when Hofstra, by all reports, was the last team left out of the tournament, leaving the Pride to think about what could have been until 2015.

"Overall, we thought it was a good year," Hofstra Head Lacrosse Coach Seth Tierney said. "We wish we could have had a couple of those games back. It was bitter-sweet, maybe sweet-bitter would be a better way to characterize the season, especially how it ended."

While an 11-5 season and a conference regular season title are achievements to be proud of, several more were left on the table and the sting of that weekend stayed with the Pride staff and 26 returnees, including five starters, until the fall practice season began. Even through the fall, while the Hofstra staff was searching for the next starting line-up for 2015 and the Pride team worked hard to erase the memory of last May, the sting remained.

Then, as the calendar year changed and the focus closed in on the preseason, the sting turned to immense sadness and pain. Sophomore Joe Ferriso, a walk-on who quickly endeared himself to the staff and his teammates with his personality, hard-work, enthusiasm and team-first attitude, passed away, less than two weeks before the start of preseason camp, from injuries sustained in a car accident.

Rarely, has a new player on the team had the impact that Ferriso did in such a short time. While his presence on the team was short, his impact will not be forgotten for many years, maybe even decades, His passing left the team and the staff reeling and cast a pall over the early days of preseason camp. As the team laid their teammate to rest, Coach Seth Tierney, who is beginning his ninth season with the Pride, stated, "Joe was THAT guy. He tried out for the team and made . He did everything that you expected and then some. He did everything that you wanted and then some. He just handled himself so well and wanted to work and get better. He had such balance in his life. He will be sorely missed. So if we can't play with Joe, we will play for Joe this season."

As the 2015 season approaches, the Pride team has not moved on but they have moved forward, as Ferriso would have wanted. The 26 returnees and the 15 newcomers are all dedicated to honoring the memory of Joe Ferriso this season by giving their best possible effort. Those 26 returnees include five starters who will be pushed by another talented class of newcomers. "The key to our success this season is that we have to stay healthy, stay focused and follow our game plan, " Tierney said.

ATTACK
Hofstra lost two of three starters on attack to graduation in Torin Varn and Lance Yapor. Varn led the team in goals with 32 and added five assists while Yapor added 18 goals and six assists. The Pride return the team's leading scorer in junior All-American honorable mention Sam Llinares. The All-CAA first team selection became the first Hofstra player to tally 50 points in a season since 2010 when he posted 21 goals and 32 assists. He finished first in the CAA and 10th in Division I in assists and was third in the conference and 29th in the country in points. Llinares, who takes over a leadership role on attack this season, was named the 2015 CAA Preseason Player of the Year by the conference coaches. "Sam is certainly a very talented player and will be the quarterback of our attack," Tierney says "We look forward to more good things from him this season."

There was a fierce battle, between five players, for the two open starting spots left vacant by the graduation of Varn and Yapor. Three sophomores, Brier Davis, Trevor Kupecky and Zachary Franco, and two freshmen, Brendan Kavanagh and Mitch Kingsley, will battle it out. Davis received the most playing time of the bunch last season, playing in 11 games and scoring six goals and adding one assist. Kupecky and Franco each played in one game last year. Kingsley was a U.S. Lacrosse All-American as a senior at Junipero Serra High School in California last year while Kavanagh was the CHSAA Attackman of the Year at Kellenberg Memorial High School on Long Island in 2014.

MIDFIELD
Both the offensive and defensive midfield units combine to give the Pride the most experience on the 2015 Hofstra team. The first midfield lost just one starter to graduation in Drew Coholan, who tallied a career-best 22 goals and 10 assists in 2014. But the Pride return senior captain Mike Malave, who is coming off a career-best 26 goals and seven assists last year and junior Korey Hendrickson, who also posted a career-best season a year ago with 17 goals and nine assists, to starting roles.

The final spot on the first midfield will be another five-way battle that will go down to game week. Senior Tyler Begley played in 15 games last year and recorded two assists. Junior Brian von Bargen has played in 30 games over the past two seasons and will be looking for a starting nod. Three newcomers could also figure into the equation here. Red-shirt freshman Alex Moeser, who was not a member of the team as a true freshman last season, was a two-time All-Connecticut selection. Freshman Dylan Alderman was a U.S. Lacrosse All-American and the league Most Valuable Player at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania after scoring 49 goals and adding 38 assists. Freshman Tim Golden, an all-county selection at Wootton High School in Maryland, tallied 28 goals and 12 assists in just 12 games as a senior. "We thought we were going to have an issue at midfield but I believe it will still work out to be alright," Tierney says. "Offensively, Coach J.P. Brazel does a great job and I think if we keep our focus, keep our poise and play with some confidence we will be successful."

The defensive midfield – the rope unit – is the most experienced and one of the best in the country, according to many. Three seniors, captains John Reicherter and pole Ryan Rielly, and Steve Romano have been together since their arrival at Hofstra and form a lethal transitional line. Reicherter, who missed nine games with an injury last season, has played 33 games during his career. Romano has played in 43 career contests and is a "tremendous athlete" according to Tierney. Rielly, a first team All-CAA selection last year, has played in 44 career games and was selected as the Pride's 2015 Nick Colleluori Memorial Award winner and will wear the number 27 this season.

"These three guys have been starters on the rope unit since day one and have done a great job for Hofstra Lacrosse," Tierney says. "They are angry because there have been times where they thought they could have done more or motivated the team to have done more to be successful the past couple of years. We are thrilled to have them all back and they will be a key to our success."

At the face-off X, sophomore Kris Clarke is coming off an outstanding rookie season, winning 56 percent of his face-offs and earning CAA All-Rookie Team honors. "Chris had a great first year and a huge learning curve last season," Tierney commented. "He has and will continue to play a huge role for us." While Clarke took all but three face-offs last year, he will be challenged by senior Connor Horl, his back-up from a year ago, who has enjoyed a solid preseason.

DEFENSE
The defense lost two starters in senior Corey Caputo and freshman Stephen Satterthwaite. But Hofstra returns junior starter Finn Sullivan, who earned All-CAA first team honors in 2014, who ranked 11th in the CAA in caused turnovers. After playing in just one game as a freshman, he started all 16 last season and earned All-CAA Preseason honors in 2015. "We knew that Finn had leadership abilities when we recruited him and they have now come out," Tierney says. "He is a smart player and loves to compete. We are very happy that Finn has evolved into a leader on defense."

Like on attack, Sullivan's two running mates on the starting back line will have been battling for the spots since the fall. Sophomore Nate Schilling appears to be a front-runner for a starting job after appearing in 13 games as a freshman in 2014. Freshman Tanner Griffin, a USILA All-America team selection and the Southern Ohio Player of the Year from Loveland High School, could get the other starting spot.

Senior Jack Moorehead, who has played in 20 games during his career, leads a group of mostly younger players looking to crack the line-up. Sophomore Michael Diener, who played in one game last season, red-shirt freshman Tyler Fleury, who sat out last season after suffering a preseason injury, and newcomers, sophomore Pat Joy, a first year player with the Pride, and freshman Joe Serrecchia, an all-sectional player from Brewster (NY) High School, round out the defense.

GOALIE
With a relatively young defense is good to have experience in front on the rope unit and behind in goal and Hofstra has that with the return of two-year starter Chris Selva. The Florida native has earned All-CAA second team honors the past two seasons and received preseason All-CAA accolades in 2015. Selva, another team captain this season, led the conference and was sixth in the nation in goals against average with an 8.29 mark. He has played in 32 games during his career and has a 7.99 career goals against average.

Tierney believes that Selva will shine, once again this season in part to the arrival of freshman Jack Concannon, a CHSAA Goalie of the Year and All-Long Island selection from St. Anthony's High School. "Jack will push Chris this season and I am confident that he will rise to the occasion in his final season," Tierney said.

SCHEDULE
Hofstra's 14-game schedule is tough, from the start against Marquette, which stunned the Pride in the 2014 season opener, to the final three games all on the road, at Cornell, Towson and Fairfield, to close out the regular season. In addition to Marquette, the home schedule features a rematch against CAA champion Drexel as well as battles against UMass, Providence and local rivals St. John's, Marist and Manhattan. The road slate includes Princeton, Georgetown, Ohio State and Delaware before the aforementioned final three.

As if the CAA wasn't tough enough already, the Stags of Fairfield, who have had some close battles with the Pride over the past five seasons, are now a conference member. Like it has the past couple of years, expect the CAA race for tournament positions to once again go down to the wire. "There are no lay-ups or easy games on the schedule," Tierney says. "There is so much talent around the country that anybody and everybody can surprise you. We'll play one game at a time and we will not look past anybody this season."