February 14, 2009

BULLDOGS OPEN NEW ERA OF BRYANT LACROSSE IN 2009, READY TO TAKE PROGRAM TO NEXT LEVEL AND IN THE DIVISION I RANKS

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant men's lacrosse team sports a sign in its locker room.

Bryant Lacrosse: Beginning of a New Era

And coming off its most successful season to date in 2008 - the Bulldogs tasted success in both conference play and the conference tournament to earn the program's first-ever NCAA tournament bid on the back of a school-record 14 wins - Bryant has achieved all that it was meant to and more at the Division II level, leaving the program and head coach Mike Pressler are ready for a new challenge, a new era.

That sign seems most fitting for the 2009 season and the new test that is on the horizon: Division I.

"We are taking our game and our program from Division II to the highest level of Division I ball," said Pressler, who enters his third season at the helm of the Bryant program. "It is a daunting challenge, but one we are truly excited about."

With a great nucleus of experienced upperclassmen and a pair of Division I recruiting classes - not to mention a highly competitive schedule - the Bulldogs have every right and reason to be excited entering their first year at the highest level of NCAA competition.

Bryant will face off against the top players of the lacrosse world in 2009, including and beginning with 2008 Final Four qualifier the University of Virginia. But the Cavaliers are just one of a pair of ACC opponents (the other being Maryland) that highlight a slate that also features the best of the Ivy League (a trio of Brown, Dartmouth and Penn), a pair of perennial top-15 foes (Loyola [Md.] and Army) and three future Northeast Conference rivals (Sacred Heart, Wagner and Mount St. Mary's).

But this season's squad certainly has experience, and they'll welcome sophomores and freshmen recruited for the purpose of adding depth, talent and support to a Division I squad.

"This is landmark territory for us," said Pressler. "There will be a new and exciting atmosphere in Bulldog Stadium from now on." 

ATTACK
­The strength of the team lies in its front line, and the Bulldogs welcome not just the return of a trio of senior attackmen, but also the coming of one of the NCAA's most prolific scorers in the history of lacrosse.

Senior co-captains Kevin Hoagland (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Bryan Kaufmann (Putnam Valley, N.Y.), along with fellow senior Matt McKeefrey (Melville, N.Y.), have combined to form one of the nation's most potent offensive lines for the last three seasons at the Division II level.

Kaufmann has thrived under Pressler's offensive system, dishing out a team-best 22 assists in 2008 to compliment the second-most goals on the squad with 35. His 44 goals as a junior in 2007 were a team-high, earning him Northeast-10 Co-Player of the Year honors.

Hoagland, a talented and powerful finisher, recorded a team-best 44 goals in 2008, finishing the season with 100 on his career, adding 14 helpers for a squad-best 58 points on the year. Hoagland's numbers earned him a second-team all-conference bid in 2008.

McKeefrey, a tenacious sparkplug in front of the cage, added 19 goals and a team-high 22 assists of his own last season.

But this year, the trio will be joined by the NCAA's all-time leading goal scorer in former Duke Blue Devil standout Zack Greer (Whitby, Ont.), who transferred to Bryant for his final year of eligibility.

Greer, named a captain by the rest of the 2009 squad, has 206 career goals to his name and looks to be the difference maker as the only Bulldog with significant Division I experience. A Preseason First-Team All-American selection, Greer is already the owner of a trio of All-America picks and looks build upon his reputation not just as a scorer and a finisher, but also as a passer and playmaker.

"There is, to say the least, able leadership and experience in that group," said Pressler. "We are very fortunate to have these four senior attackmen on our side."

But the Bulldogs will also have a young crop of newcomers to solidify the offense as one of Bryant's true strengths.

Sophomores John Truscello (Holbrook, N.Y.), Dylan Schmitz (Newport, R.I.) and Chase Hayes (Greenboro, N.C.), along with top offensive recruit, freshman Travis Harrington (Vestal, N.Y.) will back up the seniors in search of not just experience, but the opportunity to contribute as the season progresses. 

MIDFIELD
Bryant looks to its undisputed leader and top veteran returner Jim Long (Durham, N.H.) to take possession of the midfield and be a field general in 2009 after earning first-team all-conference honors last season.

Long gives the team an added dimension on the offensive end, scoring 19 goals with 12 assists in 2008, and is a key player for the Bulldogs this season. Arguably the best overall athlete on Pressler's squad, Long also sports tremendous speed in the midfield.

But there are six other players vying for the five remaining spots on the top two midfield units: returning sophomores Matt Larson (Cheshire, Conn.), Greg Lehane (Southlake, Texas), Gary Crowley (Scituate, Mass.) and Evan Roberts (West Cornwall, Vt.), returning junior Bryant Amitrano (Valley Stream, N.Y.), and incoming rookie Max Weisenberg (Long Beach, N.Y.).

Crowley, the reigning Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year, led all rookies with 22 tallies, good for third on the team, and chipped in 11 helpers on the season.

But one of the most crucial keys to the success of the 2009 Bulldogs is the performance of top face-off specialist Andrew Hennessey (Wading River, N.Y.).

Arguably the best face-off specialist in Division II last season - Hennessey won 246-of-345 (.713) face-off opportunities last season - Bryant will be counting on the redshirt-junior to carry the load in this transition, and he is the key to getting the ball off the faceoff. Hennessey earned  second-team all-conference as well as Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2008 after garnering a First-Team All-America bid in 2006. He also led the team with 117 ground balls in 2008.

LONGSTICK/SHORTSTICK MIDFIELD
Sophomore Anthony Iannello (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) gets the nod as the top pole for the 2009 season after earning praise as the most dominant defender of the fall season from Pressler.

Iannello spent last season learning from now graduated LSM Vince Zorskas and is more than ready to take on full responsibilities at the position.

But he will also benefit from the arrival of Navy transfer Rob Maiorano (Easton, Conn.) on the scene, a speedy and athletic second option.

A quartet of Bulldogs will share time at the shortstick defensive midfield position, as the Bulldogs will opt for a four-man rotation of senior captain Matt McAllister (East Quogue, N.Y.), sophomore Robert Stephano (Garden City, N.Y.), freshman Erik Elmquist (Bainbridge, Wash.) and senior Matt Tyburski (Mendham, N.J.). 

CLOSE DEFENSE
With much of its recent success stemming from a quick transition game, Bryant is happy to return Honorable Mention All-America and first-team all-conference selection Matt Murnane (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) to the defensive unit.

Murnane, who gathered a second-best 64 ground balls last season, will be given the task to cover the best of the opponent's attackmen - and Pressler knows he is up to the challenge.

"He is one of the best defensemen I've ever coached in my career," hailed Pressler.

Murnane will be joined on the top defensive unit by sophomore Joe Rauchut (Philadelphia, Pa.), who as a freshman last year started in all but one contest, appearing in all 18. Rauchut is a physical lefty who will be hard to shake for opposing attackmen. 

But the third spot is wide open for any, or the combination, of four players: sophomore Ryan Mahoney (Port Jefferson, N.Y.), senior Sean Pasley (Rexford, N.Y.), freshman Tim Clinton (Darien, Conn.) and sophomore Harrison Tull (Annapolis, Md.), who comes to Smithfield from Colgate and possesses tremendous athleticism, particularly for his 6-foot-5 frame.

GOALKEEPER
Perhaps the biggest loss for the 2009 Bulldogs comes in the most exposed of positions.

Bryant returns this season without its standout goalkeeper Michael Kennedy, who graduated after a 14-4 season between the pipes in 2008.

And while Kennedy leaves tremendous shoes to fill, there are five battling it out to prove they are worthy.

Senior Brad Burkhardt (Branford, Conn.) may be the team's best stopper, while sophomore Alec Rosenbruch (Nassua, N.H.) is a big-bodied lefty who is a true student of the game.

But it has been rookie Jameson Love (Darien, Conn.) and last year's backup, now-sophomore Andrew Clingenpeel (Norwalk, Conn.) who seem to have set themselves apart after the fall season.

And while the position remains wide open, between the quick hands of Love and the experience of Clingenpeel, the Bulldogs can be secure and confident with whomever ends up in net.