Men’s Lacrosse Primed to Begin First Season in Empire 8 in 2008

HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 25, 2008) – Coming off a year in which it set a new school record for wins in a season with a 16-4 overall record and captured the program's first-ever Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Metro Championship, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team is hungry to prove that it belongs with the top teams in the country as the Ducks begin their 124th consecutive year of competition in 2008. Despite losing 11 seniors last season, Stevens returns a solid core of players that includes four of the Top-9 scorers and a total of 18 letterwinners from a year ago.

“We have starters back at attack, in the midfield and on defense so we should have valuable experience in those positions,” Head Coach Byron Collins (Succasunna, N.J.) said. “Plus, we have guys who have been around this program for a while that have been working hard for their time to shine. That combination has provided great team chemistry this past fall, which should carry over to the spring.”

The Ducks will once again face a daunting schedule — one that was made tougher as Stevens begins its first year in the Empire 8. Ranked No. 20 in the country in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association preseason poll, the Ducks are scheduled to take on third-ranked and 2007 national runner-up SUNY Cortland as well as No. 8 Ithaca College, No. 13 Rochester Institute of Technology and No. 14 Nazareth College. In fact, three of the national quarterfinalists from last year's NCAA tournament — Cortland, Ithaca and Nazareth — are on the schedule for Stevens this year.

“We have always played a very tough schedule with many ranked opponents on it and that will not change because of the switch to a new conference,” Collins stated. “Some of the names might change but the amount of ranked teams has not. Certainly moving to the Empire 8 will challenge this program on a weekly basis, but we are fortunate to have played against most of the schools over the past few years.”

Attack
After playing last season in the midfield, senior John Dolny (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) will switch back to attack — a position that he played as a freshman and sophomore. Last year, Dolny accumulated 26 points from 16 goals and 10 assists. He will need to put up big numbers to help lead an offense that finished last year ranked No. 2 in the country while averaging 15.55 goals per game. Along the way, Stevens established new school records for goals (311), assists (184), and points (495) in a season.

Dolny, who is serving as one of the team's captains this season along with senior midfielder Frank Sorrentino (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), owns the Ducks' single-season record for assists (46 in 2005). He is looking to regain the form of 2006 when he was named a Knickerbocker Lacrosse Conference first-team all-star.

Sophomore Alex Couture (Vienna, Va.) will split time in the midfield and at attack. Couture had eight goals and five assists (13 points) in 2007.

A number of players will look to fill in at attack. Sophomores James Napolitano (Dix Hills, N.Y.), Trey Bandy (Boca Raton, Fla.), and Dan Prakopcyk (Clinton, N.J.) will all have a chance to earn a starting position. Bandy will also see time in the midfield. Freshman Joey Simone (Westfield, N.J.) played well in the fall and will battle for playing time.

Midfield
Barring injuries, Stevens should be very deep in the midfield in 2008. Junior Jaeke Donahue (Tiverton, R.I.) is a big, strong player who Collins is looking at to have a big season. Despite being nicked up all last year, Donahue tallied five goals in 14 games. According to Collins, Donahue has the ability to score every time he touches the ball.

Meanwhile, junior Eric Smith (Oswego, N.Y.) needs to continue to build off his first two seasons in a Ducks' uniform. Smith, who Collins feels had a breakout fall campaign, finished last year tied for eighth on the team in scoring with 15 goals (three game-winners) and 11 assists for 26 points. Smith appears to have the best vision in the midfield core for Stevens.

Junior Matt Keating (Chatham, N.J.) will look to elevate his game to the next level after tallying 21 goals and eight assists (29 points) in 2007. He tied for fifth on the team in scoring and earned Skyline Conference honorable mention accolades last year. Keating was an All-Knickerbocker Conference second-team selection as a freshman in 2006.

Senior R.J. Ancona (West Islip, N.Y.) also returns after missing a season due to injury. In 2006, Ancona was a Knickerbocker Conference honorable mention and ranked No. 19 in the country in face-off win percentage (0.601). Junior Alex Heckman (Sparta, N.J.) appeared in almost every game over the last two years. He possesses great athleticism and a tremendous work ethic.

Sophomore Bobby Steinhauser (Boonton Township, N.J.) adds depth to a loaded midfield. In 2007, Steinhauser was the only freshman on the team to appear in every game. He finished the year with a team-high 98 ground balls and landed on the All-Skyline Conference second-team. Steinhauser was 124-for-199 (62.3 percent) in face-offs last season and ranked No. 69 in the country with 4.9 ground balls per game.

Sophomore Josh Holmes (North Kingstown, R.I.) is switching from attack to midfield this season. Last year, Holmes finished fourth on the team in scoring with 21 goals and 14 assists for 35 points. He played in 19 of 20 games and tallied two game-winning goals. Freshman Chris Laurita (Kendall Park, N.J.) could also see considerable time in the midfield.

Long-Stick Midfield
Following two years at the close-defense position, Chris Ford (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) will return to his original spot as a long-stick midfielder for his junior season. In 2006, Ford was named the Knickerbocker Conference Rookie of the Year. Last season, he was selected to the All-Skyline Conference second-team. Ford enters 2007 as a Face-Off Yearbook All-America honorable mention. His intimidating presence and ability to run the field will bring more excitement to the already-known transition game of Stevens.

A number of players will look to back up Ford at the position. Freshmen Tom Iadanza (Kings Park, N.Y.) and Jacob Messimer (Rush, N.Y.) will contend for playing time.

Defensive Midfield
Sorrentino is a veteran player that has really developed into a solid contributor for the Ducks because of his hard work. Freshman Ian Burgess (Glen Gardner, N.J.) is back after a medical red-shirt last year. Burgess possesses the talent to be one of the best defensive midfielders on the team. They will be supported by freshman Brandon Faubert (Virginia Beach, Va.), who might just be the fastest player on the roster. Faubert is also very physical and should see time right away.

Defense
On defense, Stevens returns two of three starters from a unit that allowed just 7.2 goals per game last year, which was good enough for No. 21 in the nation. Junior Mike Chase (Ridgewood, N.J.) has been a key cog while starting the last two years. In 2007, he was a Skyline Conference honorable mention. Chase will be joined by senior Nick Daniello (Cross River, N.Y.), who is switching over from his long-stick midfield position of last year. Daniello had a solid sophomore year in 2006 when he garnered first-team all-conference honors.

Freshmen Zack McHugh (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Ted Pfeifer (Crozet, Va.) shined during the fall and will contend for time as well. All in all, Stevens is deep on defense according to Collins so it should be interesting to see who steps forward to grab a starting slot.

Goal
The last two starters in goal for Stevens — Matt Cannon (Bridgewater, N.J.) and Jack Dunderdale (Ridgefield, Conn.) — went on to become All-Americans during their careers with the Ducks. In 2008, the goalkeeper position is a wide-open battle. Senior Corey Vaillancourt (Lincoln Park, N.J.) is the only goalie on the roster with any substantial playing time. Last year, Vaillancourt allowed 19 goals in 16 games. He has played in 38 games in his first three years at Stevens.

Meanwhile, junior Burke Reynolds (Fallston, Md.) is looking to build off his solid play in the fall. In 2007, Reynolds appeared in six games. Freshman David Decker (Califon, N.J.) is looking to return after sitting out last season due to injury. Freshman Felipe McAlister (Bethesda, Md.) will also compete for time.

Outlook
Overall, Collins is excited heading into 2008 as he looks to lead the Ducks back to the NCAA Tournament following a one-year absence. Stevens qualified for the national tournament six straight seasons from 2001-06 before missing out last year.

“While the starting positions will not be all figured out until the first whistle of the new season, the battles in practice everyday for the right to start should be just as competitive as the schedule this year,” Collins said. “We look forward to the challenges ahead.”

Stevens will start the season with a non-conference game against Muhlenberg College on February 25 in Allentown, Pa. The Ducks will then return home to take on 2006 national champion Cortland on March 1. The first-ever Empire 8 game for Stevens will be played on the road at Utica College on March 15.

The Top-4 teams in the Empire 8 will advance to the postseason tournament, which will be held on April 25 and 27. The winner of the Empire 8 Championship will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Last year, Nazareth posted a 16-14 win at top-seeded Ithaca to claim its fourth conference title in the last five years. The Bombers blew a 4-0 lead in that game.