Associate head coach Peter Toner completed his third season on the Bryant University men’s lacrosse coaching staff under Mike Pressler in 2010.
After playing an integral role in guiding the Bulldogs through their inaugural Division I season in 2009 -- a season that saw the Black and Gold go 10-5 against some of the nation's top competition -- Toner led the Bulldogs to an even more impressive campaign in 2010.
Running the defense for the Bulldogs, Toner produced the nation's top-ranked scoring defense in 2010, one that allowed just 6.59 goals per game and was led by the Northeast Conference's inaugural Defensive Player of the Year and eventual Honorable Mention All-America selection Matt Murnane. The Bulldogs allowed just 112 goals in 17 games and boasted the lowest goals-allowed average by nearly a score per contest.
Under Toner's guidance, the Bryant defense proved to be the strength behind the Bulldogs' 12-5 record, both as individuals and as a unit. The Black and Gold defense earned a number of national rankings in addition to the No. 1 scoring defense, and was also ranked sixth in man-down defense (.765), 12th in caused turnovers per game (9.35), 10th in ground balls (357) and 24th in ground balls per game (31.59).
The Bulldogs allowed just 12 extra-man tallies in 51 opportunities in 2010 and was backstopped by one of the top goalies in Division I in Jameson Love, who owned the country's best goals-against average (6.52) and finished the season ranked seventh in save percentage (.587). Murnane's myriad of postseason accolades came on the back of 2.47 caused turnovers per game, good for fourth in the nation, and a ground balls per game average ranked in the top-35 (4.12).
Bryant would place nine on all-conference teams in the NEC's first year sponsoring men's lacrosse, including a pair of defensemen in Murnane and junior Anthony Iannello, as well as Love between the pipes. The Bulldogs also saw one of their own drafted into the MLL when faceoff specialist Andrew Hennessey was taken 11th overall by the Denver Outlaws.
In his second season in Smithfield in 2009, Toner helped guide Bryant into the Division I ranks for the first time, taking on such heavy hitters as top-ranked Virginia, Maryland, Army, Brown and Loyola (Md.), among others.
In the side's first season against the NCAA's top competition, the Bulldogs found success in the form of a 10-5 overall record. The defense finished in the top-25 in goals allowed per outing (8.67) and saves per game (11.27), and finished in the top-10 in ground balls per contest (42.40) and scoring margin (3.27).
In his first season with the Bulldogs, the men's lacrosse team posted a school-record 14 wins, capturing the Northeast-10 Conference Championship and first-ever berth into the NCAA tournament.
Toner comes to Bryant from nearby Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., where he was the head men's lacrosse coach in 2006 and 2007. In his first season, the Lyons enjoyed their best campaign in school history, going 9-7-1 and earning a spot in the ECAC Division III championship game. In 2007, three players earned all-conference recognition with six earning academic all-conference honors and one earning scholar-athlete all-America honors.
A 2003 graduate of Springfield College, Toner helped lead the Pride to three NCAA tournament appearances as a standout defenseman. Named team captain, Toner was an NEILA all-region selection and was selected to the National Strength and Conditioning Association All-America team. He also participated in two USILA all-star games during his playing career.
Following graduation, Toner served as a graduate assistant men's lacrosse coach at his alma mater for two seasons while earning his master's degree in physical education. While an assistant, the Pride captured two league championships and qualified for one NCAA Division III tournament championship.
