St. John's University Athletics
2006 Lacrosse Season Preview
2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Feb. 15, 2006
QUEENS, N.Y. - A program on the move is the objective for the 2006 St. John's lacrosse team. The Red Storm begins just its second season since the program was restarted after an 9-year absence. The team has taken major strides from just one year ago, and St. John's head coach Rick Sowell believes it will continue to improve and remain competitive as it aspires to become a top level program.
The biggest improvement for St. John's heading into the 2006 season will be its returning experience. Last year, the Red Storm had just one player with NCAA Division I experience and 26 of the 33 members were freshmen. This season, the squad returns 22 letterwinners and nine of its 10 starters.
"Once again our schedule poses a significant challenge, however we are excited to show that we are a program that's on the move," said Sowell. "Our goal is to get better everyday and eventually be playing our best lacrosse down the stretch."
Attack
The attack unit will be led by sophomores Robert Gannon and Tom Michaelsen. Gannon saw action in all 13 games last year, recording seven goals, one assist and picking up 27 groundballs. Michaelsen also played in all 13 contests, leading the team with 25 points and was second with 17 goals.
"Gannon and Michaelsen are two of our hardest working guys," said Sowell. "We are excited to have them back with a lot of big-game experience under their belt. They continue to get better and we will be expecting a lot from them."
Sophomore Graeme Gillespie will be filling in the third spot on attack; Gillespie made the switch from midfield a season ago, where he played 12 games and accounted for one goal and two assists.
"Graeme's role last season was mostly as an invert midfielder, so he feels comfortable handling the ball behind the goal," said Sowell. "The fact that he is left-handed also made this a logical decision."
Sophomore Justin O'Donnell and freshman Bobby Fitton, both natural midfielders, are very capable of playing attack and will provide quality depth at that position. O'Donnell led the Red Storm in goals with 19 and was also tied with Michaelsen for most points on the team. O'Donnell was named an All-District and All-Region selection in high school and received honorable mention All-Met honors.
Midfield and the Face-Off
Sophomores Felix Forbes and Jack Rosson will join O'Donnell as key contributors in the midfield. Each has the ability to make plays with and without the ball. making them dangerous at all times on the offensive end. Forbes scored four goals and assisted on three others last season, while Rosson was third on the team in goals with 13 and had three assists.
"Felix is a versatile player," said Sowell. "He can create offense, is solid defensively, and is good between the lines. We are expecting Jack to score more goals. He has an accurate and powerful shot, and the ability to get himself open for shots."
Freshmen Thomas Manes will see a lot of time at midfield. He has proven that he can handle the ball a lot and will be given the chance. Manes was an All-Catholic League selection his sophomore through senior seasons and was a two-time All-state nominee.
"He's a playmaker and he's quick," said Sowell. "He was a former point guard for basketball in high school so he has the ability to see the field, create offense and move the ball accordingly."
Fitton along with other freshmen Jamal Jones, Patrick McClay, sophomore Kyle Brant, junior Guiseppe Troisi and junior-college transfer Rick Ruggles will make an impact in the midfield this year. Ruggles transferred from Nassau Community College, where he helped lead the squad to the national semifinals last year.
Jones earned all-county honors during his junior and senior campaigns while McClay was a member of the first team All-District and All-Region teams. Brant and Troisi played in seven and four games, respectively last season.
Sophomore Devin Madden will shoulder most of the battles at the X for St. John's. He took most face-offs last season and won 102 of 195 for a .523 face-off percentage.
"Devin continues to work hard at the face-off X," said Sowell. "He had a solid season one year ago and we are expecting even more from him in 2006."
In the defensive midfield, sophomores Christopher DeMarco and Madden return to action and will be joined by freshman Matthew Viscusi. DeMarco played in five contests in 2005 before getting hurt.
"He was on his way to having a fantastic freshman season," said Sowell. "We hope he can pick up where he left off, and so far Chris is progresing ahead of schedule." Viscusi, meanwhile, was an All-Conference and All-County selection in high school.
"He is very poised for a freshman and rarely makes mistakes," said Sowell. "Matt is very coachable and very intelligent. He picks things up in a hurry and continues to impress our staff."
At the long stick position is sophomore Tim LaMare. He returns for a breakout season. LaMare is fast and when he's on the field he is an absolute presence. He picked up 38 groundballs last season and recorded one assist.
"LaMare can run and is exceptionally athletic," said Sowell. "He is all over the field and will be able to keep our opponents' top midfielders in check." Junior TJ O'Shea will serve as LaMare's backup.
Defense
The defensive unit will again be stable and deep for the Red Storm. Senior captain John Kutner will lead the pack. Kutner transferred last season as a junior college All-American, he was injured early but came back and made an immediate impact on the field.
Joining Kutner in the regular rotation will be sophomore Michael Luyster, freshman Dominick Denapoli and junior Anthony Boyzmowski. Luyster started all 13 contests last year and collected 37 groundballs. "Mike's big, strong, talented and he works hard, "said Sowell. Denapoli and Boyzmowski, both newcomers, have shown steady improvement since they arrived at St. John's. Denapoli was an honorable mention All-American and led his high school to its most successful season in school history with conference and county titles. Boyzmowski transferred to St. John's from Herkimer County Community College and was a big part of their 2005 national championship campaign.
"John and Mike were very solid for us last year and this season we will be expecting them to be even better," said Sowell. Denapoli and Boyzmowski have proven they are capable of stepping in immediately and contributing. The competition between the four of them will make the defensive unit stronger and raise each others level of play."
Returning sophomores Ryan Milford, Chris Lipski and Ryan Parker are also capable of having some quality time on the field. Milford and Lipski both earned starting roles in 2005, eight and ten respectively. Parker is a key component of the man down unit. "There is a lot of depth on the defense," said Sowell. "Milford, Lipski and Parker will be able to give a lot of support and help strengthen the team."
In Goal
Sophomore Dave Saccente will be in the cage for the Red Storm this season. Despite missing the beginning of last year with a broken thumb, he made 126 saves while playing in nine games and making seven starts, which earned him last year's team MVP honor.
"Dave had a great year for us," said Sowell. "He's big, he's strong and he's our anchor. You want the goal to be the backbone of your team and Dave certainly fits the bill."
Pushing Saccente will be junior Chris Barto, who continues to steadily improve and is coming off a solid fall season.
Coaching Staff
Sowell and assistant coaches Dan Chemotti and Terry Gilroy, return to the Red Storm sidelines for their second seasons. Sowell is no stranger to building programs to prominence. He spent five years with the Big Green of Dartmouth guiding them in his final season to an 11-3 overall record, an Ivy League Championship and an NCAA berth. Chemotti, who coached alongside Sowell at Dartmouth, works mostly with the midfield and offense, while Gilroy returns to help the defense. Last season, Gilroy worked with the man-down defense, which was recognized by the NCAA for allowing the fewest goals in the nation when other teams had an extra-man opportunity.
ECAC
The Red Storm is a member of one of the toughest conferences in the nation. The ECAC Lacrosse League grew from seven to eight programs with the addition of Fairfield University this season. The Stags only strengthen the conference, with the team making the NCAA tournament two out of the last three seasons. In this season's preseason polls, six of the eight ECAC squads are ranked in Inside Lacrosse and Face-off Yearbook's Top-25 poll and four of eight in Lacrosse Magazine's Top-20 poll.
"It's exciting to be a part of, and adding Fairfield makes it even better," said Sowell.
-Red Storm-
