Men's lacrosse announces trio of captains
NEWPORT, R.I. – Under the direction of 11th year head coach Patrick Cooney, the Salve Regina men's lacrosse team is set to open the 2014 season at Mount Ida on Feb. 26. Seniors Chad Hollenshade (Lutherville, Md.), Curtis McKeon (West Haven, Conn.) and Dan Parks (Nesconset, N.Y.) will serve as captains of the Seahawks.
The trio of captains look to lead a team that finished 7-10 last year and 4-4 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Seahawks fell to the University of New England in the opening round of the CCC tournament as SRU has made the playoffs seven of the last eight seasons.
Hollenshade, a 2010 graduate of Avon Old Farms, returns as a captain for the second-straight season. The forward is a two-sport athlete for Salve Regina as he is also a four-year member of the men's ice hockey team. Hollenshade holds a 3.0 grade point average in business administration with a minor in sports marketing at Salve Regina. Over the last four years at Salve Regina, Hollenshade as served as the team's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) team representative and spent last fall as an intern in the sports information office.
"We look forward to our three seniors leading us this year. The team has responded extremely well to their positive approach to command," stated coach Cooney. "All three young men are dedicated student athletes who have achieved goals on and off the field. They will be successful in their future endeavors."
Hollenshade returns as the leading scorer from last year after finishing the season with 45 points (31g, 14a) and will once again be looked at to lead the Seahawk offense. Not only did the forward lead the team in goals, but also Hollenshade was second on the team in assists. In his career, Hollenshade has 114 points, 83 goals and 31 assists.
New to the ranks as a captain are McKeon and Parks. McKeon, a graduate of St. Joseph's, holds a 3.0 in financial management with a minor in business administration. McKeon currently is interning with Triton Insurance.
McKeon, a former two-sport athlete for the Seahawks, is the all-time leader in groundballs (367) and faceoff percentage (567-936 • .606). Last year, McKeon set the program's single-season record for groundballs with 149. The midfielder is averaging 9.41 groundballs a game, a program record. Last season, McKeon was tied for second on the team with 36 points (18g, 18a), while leading the team in assists. McKeon won 62 percent (200-323) of the face offs he was in for the fifth best percentage in a single season.
Parks, also a two-sport athlete at Salve Regina, graduated from Smithtown East and was a four-year member of the football team. Parks has a 3.3 GPA in math and secondary education and is a three-year member of the New England Football All-Academic team. This semester, Parks in student teaching at Mount Hope High School and is a two-year SAAC representative for the Seahawks. Parks is also an Eagle Scout.
The two-way midfielder is an influential part of the Seahawks transition game. Parks moves the ball well and is dependable and a durable part of the Salve Regina defense. Parks has a knack for scoring timely goals and moves well on the midfield. Parks finished the season with 13 points (12g, 1a), including the game-winning goal against Curry (4/16). Parks picked up 29 groundballs last season while causing seven turnovers.
The Seahawks open their season when they travel to Newton, Mass. to face Mount Ida in the inaugural Frostbite Classic on Wednesday, Feb. 26.