Former Skidmore College lacrosse standout Tom Spinella begins his second year as an assistant men's lacrosse coach at Bryant in 2008-09. During his first year with the Bulldogs, where he worked with the team's goalies, the Bulldogs posted a school-record 14 wins in capturing the 2008 Northeast-10 Conference Championship and berth into the NCAA championships.
Spinella comes to Bryant from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he was an assistant coach in 2007. A native of New Hartford, N.Y., Spinella was a four-year standout and served as team captain as a junior and senior. A three-time All-American at Skidmore, he finished his career as the fourth-leading scorer in school history, tallying 143 goals and 27 assists for 170 points. He was an All-Liberty League selection three times and was the college's Senior Athlete Award recipient in 2006.
One of Spinella's finest seasons came as a junior in 2005 when he was named the Liberty League Player of the Year and National All-American. That season, Spinella led the league in goals per game (3.38) and shots per game (9.75) and was second in points per game (3.94). He was first on the team in goals (54) and points (63) while helping Skidmore to a league title and berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. The Thoroughbreds advanced to the second round.
Spinella was also a three-year member of the Skidmore men's hockey team, serving as captain in 2004. During his career, he tallied 15 goals and nine assists in 66 career games.
In addition to his playing career, Spinella has been an assistant coach and instructor for numerous lacrosse and hockey programs. He served as an assistant coach for the Adirondack Empire State lacrosse team in 2005 and worked with the Saratoga Springs High School lacrosse program in 2004 and 2005. In ice hockey, Spinella was an instructor at the Exeter Hockey School and the Hamilton College Hockey School. A 2006 graduate of Skidmore with a degree in exercise science, Spinella also volunteers with the United States Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
