Seahawks set to man-up for strong '12 schedule
NEWPORT, R.I. - Heading into his ninth year as head coach of the Salve Regina University men's lacrosse team, Pat Cooney has assembled all of the elements needed for an exciting season in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). The team returns 15 student-athletes from last years roster and welcomes 16 newcomers to the ball club. The 2012 Seahawks' schedule includes some of the finest Division III teams in New England.
Last season, Salve Regina finished 9-8 overall, including a 6-4 mark in the conference, earning their sixth consecutive CCC Championship tournament berth where they eventually came up short in the quarterfinals with a 10-7 loss to Gordon College. New defensive coordinator Evan Douglass, and returning assistant coach Brent Morin, have helped to bring a renewed excitement to the team.
The 2012 offense returns a lot of talent in the attack position, including three of last year's top five scorers. A newer group of long poles will man the defensive side of the field with three upperclassmen leading the way. A mix of returners and newcomers will occupy the midfield area, while the starting goalie situation is up for grabs at this point. At faceoff, sophomore Curtis McKeon (West Haven, Conn./St. Joseph) will hope to continue his success from last year where he finished the season with a .573 winning percentage. Finally, the Seahawks will welcome 13 freshmen and two transfer scholar-athletes, as well as senior A.J. Albert (Franklin Park, N.J./Immaculata).
ATTACK
At attack, the Seahawks return last season's leading scorer and a Second Team All-CCC selection, senior captain Chris Walker (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield). Last year, Walker tallied a team-high 61 points on 49 goals and 12 assists. He enters his senior campaign already holding the program's all-time records for points (188), goal (137), and assists (51). Captain Brendan Carroll (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) enters his senior year as the program's eighth all-time scorer, compiling 110 points on 73 goals and 37 assists. He finished his last year with 27 goals, and 20 assists, for a total of 47 points. Walker and Carroll's line-mate sophomore Chad Hollenshade (Lutherville, Md./Avon Old Farms) will be called upon for continued production after earning the CCC Rookie of the Year honors in 2011. He finished his freshman campaign with 39 goals, and 14 assists, ranking second on the team with 53 points.
MIDFIELD
With the departure of Evan Gates '11 and Brendan Rooney '11, two of the team's top five scorers in 2011, the Seahawks will rely on a number of athletes to move up on the depth chart. Senior Kevin Murphy (Yorba Linda, Calif./Servite) and junior Taylor Braun (Commack, N.Y./Commack) are two experienced midfielders. Murphy rounds out the trio of captains and possesses good speed in between the lines. He will be asked to do a lot this season at both the offensive and defensive side of the field. Taylor is one of the team's most athletic student-athletes. He is a strong, fast, skilled midfielder. Also entering their junior years are James Dillon (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter Christian School) and Francis McNulty (Durham, Conn./Xavier). James is a two-way player with quick feet, while McNulty will find time not only on both sides of the field, but also while sharing time with McKeon on faceoffs. Sophomore Dan Parks (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) will be relied upon again to fill various roles and help bolster a young midfield. Also, expect to see a few newcomers compete at midfield, including Bryan Walsh (North Andover, Mass./Lawrence Academy), Beau Bennardo (Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven), Zach Alexander (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth), and James O'Brien (Oyster Bay, N.Y./St. Dominic).
DEFENSE
Senior William Milsop (Deering, N.H./Bishop Brady) and juniors Michael Horn (Marstons Mills, Mass./Barnstable) and Kevin Moore (Yonkers, N.Y./Fordham Prep) return to lead the defensive unit. Billy, who may find a lot of his time at the long-stick midfielder position, finished this past season with 20 ground balls, while Horn competed in all 17 games down low, tallying 25 ground balls and an assist. Kevin, who competed in 15 games with 10 ground balls, brings a strength and presence down low. Also returning this year is sophomore Ian Cadzin (East Rockaway, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) who missed last season due to injuries. Steven Russell (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point), Gordon Ruffing (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood), Rodrigo Hernandez (Irvine, Calif./Servite), and Kevin Kavanagh (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade) are some of the freshmen competing for roles at close and long stick midfielder. Expect to see a few of their names regularly in the rotation. Finally, senior AJ Albert joins the Seahawks this year. Last fall he captained the 2011 Seahawk football team to an 8-3 season, leading Salve Regina to their first ECAC bowl victory since 1998. A member of the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Football Team, AJ brings a mature, athletic presence to the defense. His tremendous footwork will help him match-up well versus the oppositions top scoring threats.
GOALIE
The Seahawks have three net minders competing for the starting role this season. Junior Evan Simone (Dover, N.H./Saint Thomas Aquinas) earned valuable experience as the team's back up goalie last year, finishing with a .569 save percentage. He made great strides during fall ball, propelling him into the mix for the starting role. Freshman Jackson Petri (Wenham, Mass./Malden Catholic) has also showed the coaches that he can make saves and clear the ball especially well. Sophomore Christopher Connors (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) will be back in action this season after missing all of 2011 with an injury. Chris started 14 games for the Seahawks in 2010, compiling an 8.66 goals-against average and a .564 save percentage.
SCHEDULE
The Seahawks open their 2012 schedule with back-to-back home games, facing Salem State University during the season opener on Saturday, March 3 at 1:00 p.m., and then returning four days later to battle Keene State College on Wednesday, March 7 at 4:30 p.m. This will be the start of the strongest schedule on paper in program history, as four of the team's 13 regular season opponents were ranked in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook's Top 20 Poll at some point over the past two seasons. This includes CCC foes Endicott College and Western New England University, which were both placed in the top 15 in 2011. The Seahawks will host their conference opener versus the CCC defending champion Endicott Gulls on St. Patrick's Day (Saturday, March 17) at 2:30 p.m., before welcoming Western New England on Saturday, March 31 for a 12 p.m. contest. Other dates of interest include the annual "Quahog Cup" which will take place versus the Hawks of Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. on April 4 at 7:00 p.m., as well as Senior Day, which will be held on Saturday, April 21 versus the University of New England during the Seahawks' regular season finale.
"We remain committed to playing as strong a schedule as we can," Coach Cooney says. "We see huge dividends in terms of our young program's growth, our players' development, our recruiting, and the overall excitement that surrounds our team. Players want to play a competitive schedule, and we feel we have that here at Salve Regina."