After missing its fifth trip to the NCAA tournament by just a goal last spring, the Mount Ida men’s lacrosse team is focused on capturing the program’s ninth conference title and a return trip to the big dance in 2018. Head Coach Andrew Fink welcomes back 18 letterwinners and six starters back for the upcoming campaign, and the Mustangs are poised to make another run at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference crown.
Leadership has been a staple of the Mount Ida program under Fink, who sports a 163-82 (.665) mark heading into his 15th season, and that trend looks to continue this spring with seniors Cam Hayward (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) and Marcus Donahue (Braintree, Mass./Blue Hills) serving as the Mustangs’ co-captains. Fink describes the duo as “two of the most competitive players we have, but they always have the team’s best interests first. Both of them know that expectations are always high for themselves and their teammates, and they are ready to lead both on and off the field.”
Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2018 edition of Mustang Men’s Lacrosse:
ATTACK. Junior Kyle Ton (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) leads the way up front for Mount Ida after netting 31 goals and 16 assists for 47 points in 2017, while sophomore Max Serra (Nashua, N.H./Nashua South) lends additional experience after collecting a marker and helper in 10 outings as a rookie. Juniors Owen LaPorte (Farmington, Conn./Farmington), Matt Curran (Abington, Mass./Abington) and Eric Walker (Newington, Conn./Newington), along with freshmen Matt DeLuca (Northbridge, Mass./Northbridge) and Michael Muench (Maplewood, N.J./Seton Hall Prep), will be vying to make an impact as newcomers this spring.
MIDFIELD. Donahue leads a talented group in the middle for the Mustangs after collecting 33 goals and 14 assists for 47 points a year ago, while sophomore Dakari Eason (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) also returns after averaging a point per outing (seven goals, eight assists) during his inaugural collegiate campaign. Senior Alex Zito (Andover, Conn./RHAM), who earned third team all-GNAC honors last season, is Fink’s top face-off specialist after winning 58 percent (246-426) in the circle last season and leading the squad with 134 ground balls, while fellow seniors Derek Polish (Bow, N.H./Bow) and Joe Gengarelly (Sag Harbor, N.Y./Pierson) provide additional depth after combining to play in 15 contests with 31 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers.
Senior Alex Pereira (North Attleboro, Mass./North Attleboro), junior Adam Lavallee (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) and sophomore Alex Gillissen (White Plains, Md./McDonough) also return after combining to appear in 24 matches for Fink in 2017, while juniors Jacob Gordon (Niantic, Conn./East Lyme) and Luke Townsend (Vernon, Conn./East Catholic), along with freshman Lee Petrini (Dover, Mass./Proctor Academy), will serve as long stick midfielders this season. Freshmen Mike Alibrandi (Holliston, Mass./Holliston), Roman Dennis (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston) and Tom Wood (Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth) will be looking to impact Mount Ida’s midfield fortunes as rookies this spring.
DEFENSE. Sophomore AJ Yarrow (Middletown, R.I./LaSalle Academy) leads a solid defensive corps for the Mustangs after starting 17 of 19 matches played and recording 22 ground balls and causing 12 turnovers, while junior Dylan DiLena (Barre, Vt./Spaulding) lends additional experience after starting 11 of 17 matches and registering 16 caused turnovers, 14 ground balls and a pair of assists. Junior Parker Hoffman (Fairway, Kan./Shawnee Mission East), along with sophomores Max Dubois (Standish, Maine/Windham) and Patrick Webb (Westwood, Mass./Plymouth North), combined to appear in 11 contests for Mount Ida a year ago, while junior Shayne Rix (Westwood, Mass./Silver Lake) and freshman Ben Lenzer (Ledyard, Conn./Westerly) add additional defensive depth in 2018.
GOALIE. Hayward, who earned second team all-GNAC accolades a year ago, returns to as Fink’s solid last line of defense, as he recorded an 8.58 goals against average and made 230 saves for a .597 saves percentage while picking up all 14 wins in the Mustang cage. Sophomores Allan Stein (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) and Joe Varagnolo (Centereach, N.Y./Sachem North) combined for 16 saves in nearly 57 minutes of time in net in 2017 for Mount Ida, which also welcomes in freshmen Andrew Costa (North Providence, R.I./North Providence) and Nick Mango (Wolcott, Conn./Cheshire Academy) into the goalie mix this spring.
SCHEDULE. Another challenging slate awaits the Mustangs this season, as Fink’s crew will play its first five contests on the road. Mount Ida will host New England College, Gordon and Eastern Connecticut in non-league action at Alumni Field and will also welcome Albertus Magnus, Rivier, Regis, Anna Maria and Johnson & Wales to Newton for GNAC clashes. The Mustangs venture to Emerson, Becker, Salve Regina, Kean and Dean for non-league road tests to begin the year and will travel to Saint Joseph’s (Maine), Lasell, Emmanuel and Norwich for conference contests.
Mount Ida begins the 2018 campaign on Wednesday, February 28th by heading into Boston for a non-league encounter with Emerson at 4:00 p.m. EST.