Heading into the 2008 season following a 6-8 mark in his first year in charge of the Hofstra men's lacrosse fortunes, Pride Coach Seth Tierney was cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a successful campaign and returning to the NCAA Championship. With more than two-dozen young returnees and a solid group of newcomers, the Pride figured they would be in the hunt for the Colonial Athletic Association title.
If flying below the radar was in the game plan that idea was scrapped just two weeks into the season when the Pride upset #1-ranked Johns Hopkins, 8-7, in overtime. While the still-young Pride worked on their chemistry, they were winning the close games, unlike the seven one-goal losses they suffered in 2007. Hofstra had nine games decided by two goals or less in 2008 and posted a 7-2 record in those contests. Included was a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory at Drexel in the CAA title game that gave Hofstra its' 14th NCAA Championship bid. While the tournament loss to national finalist Johns Hopkins ended the Pride's 10-6 season, a renewed optimism was carried forward into the 2009 campaign. The hunter is now the hunted.
Tierney will have 29 players returning from last year's CAA championship squad and several newcomers who could be impact players right away. Despite having 13 juniors and 10 seniors on this year's team, Tierney still considers the Pride young. "We weren't consistent enough for my liking last year," the third-year coach says. "But it was only the second year of putting our system into place. This year - year three - with the comfort level greater, a bigger senior class and more guys playing I think you will find more contributors this season."
ATTACK
The Pride return all three starters on attack from last year's team in sophomore Jay Card, junior Dan Stein and senior Tom Dooley. Card (Caledon, ON, Canada) had a fantastic 2008, finishing second in scoring with 27 goals and 12 assists, earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors as well as All-CAA second team and All-CAA Rookie team accolades. If that wasn't enough, he helped lead Canada to a second-place finish at the ILF Under-19 World Championships, scoring 22 goals in seven games and being named to the All-World Team. Stein (Merrick, NY) was fourth on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 10 assists, while Dooley (Yorktown Heights, NY) was right behind him with 26 goals and four assists. All three were CAA All-Rookie team members in their first seasons with Dooley joining Card in earning Rookie of the Year honors.
The attack could be even stronger with the return of red-shirt freshman Kevin Ford (Floral Park, NY), who missed the final 13 games due to injury, after posting five goals and one assist in his first two contests.
"We are still relatively young, playing-wise," Tierney says. "Jay had a great freshman year. Tommy Dooley, one of our captains, has expanded his role as a team leader and is an extension of the coaching staff in practices and games. Danny Stein played with a great deal of confidence in the fall and preseason and we are looking for him to make more plays that eluded him in the past. We are excited to have Kevin Ford back and healthy. He is a playmaker with great vision who has the ability to score from anywhere on the field."
Freshman Cole Koesterer (Manhattan Beach, CA), sophomore Stephen Bentz (Massapequa, NY) and junior Tyler Brant (Silver Spring, MD) will also be looking for time on the attack as well. "I believe that the chemistry and the familiarity with each other will carry this unit," Tierney said.
MIDFIELD
As strong as the Pride attack is expected to be, the midfield, with its great depth, could be the backbone of the team. Despite the graduation of the brothers Unterstein - Kevin, the 2008 CAA Defensive Player of the Year and All-CAA first team selection (70 ground balls), and Michael, an All-CAA second team pick who was third on the team in scoring with 20 goals and 13 assists - an experienced and talented group returns.
The first midfield is headed by 2008 honorable mention All-American and All-CAA first team selection, senior Anthony Muscarella (Wantagh, NY). An Inside Lacrosse Face-off Yearbook Preseason All-America honorable mention pick and All-CAA Preseason selection, Muscarella led the Pride in scoring last season with 28 goals and 14 assists. He more than doubled his career totals last season and will be a key factor in Hofstra's success this season. Senior Michael Colleluori (Holmes, PA) led the Pride in assists with 15, while scoring 10 goals in 2008 and continues to be the heart and soul of the team. "Anthony and Michael are playing like the senior leaders that they are," Tierney commented. "We expect great things from both of them."
A good battle for the third spot on the first midfield is sure to be waged during the preseason. Look for the fourth attackman, Ford or Stein on any given day, to see action at midfield. Junior Tom Interlicchio (Yorktown Heights, NY), senior Ryan Carter (San Francisco, CA) and freshman Brad Loizeaux (Mullica Hill, NJ), an All-Delaware selection, and Dan Pezzolla (Endicott, NY), a U.S. Lacrosse All-American last year, are also expected to figure in here as well. Interlicchio, who played in 16 games and started six last season after coming back from a knee injury, posted seven goals and four assists last year, while Carter added one goal and two assists. "Tom Interlicchio is playing with confidence and Ryan is stepping up this season," Tierney says. Loizeaux (pronounced Lo-wah-zoo), who suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason that will sideline him for the first couple of weeks of the season, was playing as well as any midfielder, while Pezzolla is developing well, according to Tierney.
Senior Steve Prifte (Shamong, NJ), a 2008 All-CAA second team selection at long-stick middie and a 2009 Preseason All-CAA pick by Inside Lacrosse and the CAA coaches, returns to his role after picking up 40 ground balls last season. Prifte will be pushed by sophomore Adam Mojica (Springfield, PA), who played in nine games last season, and junior Isaac Neal (Aurora, CO). "Steve has been playing well and provides leadership and experience while Adam and Isaac are developing nicely," Tierney said.
The short-stick defensive middies are led by sophomore Steve DeNapoli (Hewlett, NY), who played in all 16 games as a freshman. Nassau Community College-transfer Jake Born (Copiague, NY), a junior college All-American, and sophomore Tim Holman (Garden City, NY) will challenge DeNapoli. "We are comfortable with all three of our short-sticks," Tierney said. "We are confident that each of them can do a solid job."
Hofstra tallied a .452 face-off winning percentage last year but is sure to improve upon that in 2009. Joe Montemurro (Kings Park, NY) returns for his second year after winning 116 of 243 face-offs (.477) as a freshman. Junior Mike Vaccaro (Plano, TX), who took 68 face-offs last year and won 30 (.441), and freshman Shane Wynn (Oceanside, NY), a scholastic All-America honorable mention at Oceanside High School, will challenge for the starting job.
DEFENSE
The Pride defense graduated two seniors, Connor Hagans and Collin Stabler, who each started a majority of the contests and played in all 16 games in 2008. "I think our defense could be more talented this season but we are less experienced," Tierney explained. Three juniors are expected to start for the Pride and their development as a cohesive unit will go a long way towards the success of the team.
Adam Swarsen (Denver, CO), a 2007 All-CAA second team selection, returns after missing the entire 2008 season with a knee injury and is one of the team captains. Ryan Smith (Baldwinsville, NY), who picked up 29 ground balls, is expected to return to a starting role after staring 12 of the 15 games that he played in 2008. Christian Scuderi (West Islip, NY), a two-time Division II All-American who helped New York Institute of Technology to the 2008 national title, came to Hofstra last September and at 6-feet, 4-inches will provide muscle on the back line.
Tierney also sees graduate-student Jack Vivonetto (Rocky Point, NY), a fifth-year player with the Pride who played in 14 games last season, and sophomore Mike Skudin (Long Beach, NY), who picked up 14 ground balls and started five of the 15 games that he played in 2008, contributing on defense this season. "Swarsen, Scuderi, Smith with Skudin and Vivonetto gives us a five-headed monster, so to speak" Tierney says. "While collectively young, we have talent, depth, speed and some good experience on defense."
GOAL
Junior goalie Danny Orlando (South Hempstead, NY) is expected to return to a starting role for the third consecutive season. After being a CAA All-Rookie selection with a 7.21 goals against average in 2007, Orlando slipped to a still-respectable 8.56 goals against average last season. "Danny didn't have the kind of sophomore season that we hoped he would have last year," Tierney said. "He is working hard and we are looking for more consistency in the cage from him this season." Senior Brian Schneider (Rockville, MD) and freshman Andrew Gvozden (Millersville, MD) will back-up Orlando. Schneider has played sparingly over his first three seasons with the Pride, while Gvozden, an all-county selection with a .800 save percentage as a senior, helped lead Severna Park High School to Maryland Public School Championships in 2006 and 2007.
SCHEDULE
A 13-game schedule, that includes seven homes games as well as a key league game that is part of the Big City Classic tripleheader at Giants Stadium, highlights this year's Pride schedule. In addition Hofstra will serve as the host for the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Northern Quarterfinals on Saturday, May 16.
The Pride begin their 61st season of lacrosse on Saturday, February 21 at James M. Shuart Stadium at 1 p.m. against long-time-rival, the Minutemen of Massachusetts. It is the first of seven home games that will bring perennial national contenders - Princeton on March 14 and North Carolina on April 18 - to Shuart Stadium. CAA championship contenders Drexel (April 8) and Villanova (April 25), as well as local-rival Stony Brook (April 21) will also make visits to Shuart Stadium.
Hofstra will make its first road trip of the 2009 season on Saturday, February 28 to Providence, Rhode Island, to face Brown. The Bears, 11-3 last season, are one of the nine 2009 Hofstra opponents that posted winning records a year ago. Included in this road group are national finalist Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field on March 7, Army at Michie Stadium at West Point on March 24, as well as conference foes Sacred Heart (March 21) and Towson (April 11).
The Pride will also square off against perennial CAA contender Delaware as part of Inside Lacrosse's Big City Classic tripleheader at the 80,000-seat Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 4. Virginia and North Carolina will face-off in the first game at noon, Syracuse versus Princeton follows at 2:30 p.m. with Hofstra and Delaware squaring off at 5 p.m. "We are extremely excited to participate in the inaugural Big City Classic at Giants Stadium," Tierney stated. "We would like to thank Inside Lacrosse and the Meadowlands for all the work that went into putting this event together. With the six teams that are participating, it will surely be a great day of college lacrosse."
The 2009 regular season will conclude with the CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Tournament with semifinals scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 at the higher seeds, and the title game slated for Saturday, May 2 at the higher advancing team's home stadium.
"Coming off a thrilling 2008 season, we are excited about the challenges that our 2009 schedule will bring us," Hofstra's third-year coach Seth Tierney said.
Hofstra, which has hosted NCAA Championship quarterfinals five times since 1997, will be hosting a quarterfinal doubleheader for the first time since 2002. Shuart Stadium hosted the quarterfinals from 1997 through 1999, and in 2001 and 2002. The 1999 Northern Quarterfinal attracted a record-quarterfinal crowd of 12,292 to Shuart Stadium, while the 2001 quarterfinal drew 10,510 fans.
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