Men's Lacrosse | 2/23/2010 11:09:06 AM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - With all but four players returning, the RIT men's lacrosse team has high hopes for the 2010 campaign. The Tigers have goals of winning the Empire 8 Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship.

First-year Head Coach Jake Coon will lead the Tigers this season. Coon comes to RIT after spending the last five years as an assistant coach at Division I UMASS-Amherst. Coon is no stranger to success, leading Nazareth to the 1997 Division III Championship as a player, and coaching in a two NCAA Championship games, in 2004 (Nazareth) and 2006 (UMASS) . He later went on to play professionally for the Rochester Rattlers and the Boston Cannons. “I am extremely excited to be the new head lacrosse coach at RIT,” said Coon. “It is an honor to associate myself with such a prestigious institution, and a lacrosse program with such a rich tradition.”

Helping Coach Coon lead the Tigers this season are five captains, who will provide leadership on and off the field. David Burke (Fairport, NY/Fairport), now entering his fourth season, is a two-year captain for the Tigers. New faces include short-stick defensive midfielder Craig Nairn (Fairport, NY/Fairport), All Empire 8 second-team selection midfielder Chris Cherami (Olwick, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), USILA All-American defenseman Dan MacRae (Oakville, Ontario/Holy Trinity), and senior defenseman Josh Lewis (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo).

“This is a dynamic group of leaders,” said Coon. “We are going to lean on them to push us in practice, step up in games, keep us focused off the field, and maintain team morale throughout the season. It is a huge responsibility, but I have a great deal of confidence in these guys to get the job done.”

MacRae and Lewis will lead a talented Tigers defense this season. Both add a tremendous amount of talent and experience, which will enable them to shut down opposing team's top offensive threats all season. MacRae has become one of the best defenders in the Empire 8. Last season, he amassed 46 caused turnovers, and picked up a team leading 89 ground balls, en route to earning All-American accolades. Lewis is a solid defender, appearing in 15 games last season, grabbing 19 ground balls and causing nine turnovers. Sophomore Jimmy Walsh (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit), who appeared in all 16 games last season, will be expected to step up and shut down opposing attackmen.

“We have three guys with some good experience,” said Coon. “We are looking to find that fourth and fifth guy to round out the unit. Right now, it's a battle, and it looks to be anyone's spot.”
Top prospects fighting for those spots will be sophomores Tim Slattery (Elma, NY/Iroquois Central), Devin Lamb (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon), and Ryan Shea (Needham, Mass./Needham High), along with freshman Evan Burley (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy).

The defensive midfield unit is one of the hardest working units on the field, but receives little praise. Nairn and sophomore Alex Crepinsek (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) will split time at short-stick defensive midfield this season. The pair combined for 16 caused turnovers and 71 ground balls last year. Sophomore Ryan Foringer (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) saw plenty of action last season, and has the opportunity to step in and fight for a starting spot. Long-stick middie and first-team Empire 8 selection MJ Kiekebelt (Caledon, Ontario/St. Andrews College/Aurora) will help shut down opponent's top midfielders. He produced 36 caused turnovers last season, and finished third on the team in ground balls with 69, earning him All Empire 8 first-team honors. Junior Mike Boya and sophomores Avery Hallett (Syracuse, NY/Bishop Ludden) and Thomas Gray (Pittsburgh, PA/Central Catholic) will also fight to see time this season. “This is a solid group of players,” said Coon. “We are hoping to get more transition started with these guys, which will turn into transition points.”

Face-off specialist Jerry Ragonese (Berkeley Heights, NJ/Governor Livingston) returns for his final season after suffering an injury a year ago. In just three games last season, he won 54 percent of his face offs. He will split time at the face-off x with Adam Lehmann (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit), Jordan MacIntosh (Oakville, ON/Holy Trinity), and Kiekebelt. “We have high expectations for Jerry this season,” said Coon. “If he can carry the load on his shoulders and be our main draw man, that will free up the other guys to focus on offense and defense.”

The battle for the starting spot in net looks to be fierce. Juniors Bobby Tonnessen and Kevin Rattigan (Chicago, IL/Western Reserve Academy) split time last year. Rattigan finished last season with an excellent 8.53 goals against average. Tonnessen earned wins over Ithaca and Stevens. Sophomore Dan Wiatroski (Califon, NJ/West Morris Central) will also contend for playing time, and push for the starting spot. “We are extremely lucky to have three great young men and solid goaltenders this season,” said Coon. “This will be a tough decision, but I feel confident that any one of them has the ability to play and do a fine job.”

Offensively, the Tigers return the top eight point getters from 2009.

Burke and Lehmann will pace the offensive midfield this season. Burke has consistently improved throughout his career, and will be relied on more heavily to be an offensive threat for the Tigers. Last season, he recorded 20 goals and assisted on three others, and established himself as a strong defensive midfielder. Lehmann is a bruising midfielder, who can run through defenders, making a double team almost immediate as soon as he touches the ball. Last season, he broke out scoring 20 goals and assisting on three others. In addition, he quickly became a dominant threat at the face-off x, winning 51 percent. Cherami will also join Burke and Lehmann at the midfield. His speed and quickness makes it nearly impossible for defenders to play good position defense. He netted 15 goals last season, including three key goals in an 11-8 victory over then No. 3 Ithaca.

Transfers MacIntosh and Mike Barilla will be a great addition to the midfield this season. “Jordan is an excellent player, who is very skilled and athletic,” said Coon. “Mike has been battling injuries the majority of his career, but has the tools to be a great player.”

In addition, there are several talented players that will also contribute on midfield this season. Junior Doug Hemink (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) and sophomores Ian Dominick (Severn, MD/Mt. St. Joseph), Thomas Akey (Concord, NH/NH Concord), Jordan Collins-Hartwig (Buffalo, NY/Clarence) and Tom Riley (West Nyack, NY/Clarkstown South) will all fight for playing time.

“There is no shortage of talent in this group,” stated Coon. “We are going to have to be creative and get our best guys on the field. We will need a little more production and for them to play solid defense. It is important for us to be a solid unit on both sides of the field.”

Iric Bressler (Stafford, VA/North Stafford), Adam Vlassis (Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa), and Sean Gillies (Oakville, Ontario/Albany Academy), the top three scorers from last season, will lead the attack this year. Each contributes in an effective way. Bressler, a two-time Empire 8 second-team selection, has become the quarterback of the offense. Last season, Bressler battled injuries, but was still able to lead the team with 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists), including 30 in his last eight games. The Tigers will look for him to be a go-to-guy this season. Vlassis proved to be an offensive threat, netting 15 goals and assisted on 20 others. With a cannon of a shot, he has the potential to be the top goal scorer on this gifted attack. Gillies buried 20 goals last season, along with eight assists. With a great sense of the crease, he looks to be an inside threat for the Tigers. In addition, juniors Kelso Davis (Freeport, ME/Deerfield Academy) and Cody Schroeder-Young (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) could see a lot of time on the field. Last season, Davis scored 17 goals and assisted on four others, while Schroeder-Young contributed 18 points, on 12 goals and six assists.

Also adding talent to the attack unit is junior Tanner King (Virginia Beach, VA/Corning East) along with sophomores AJ TIngle, Matt Lesczynski (Honeoye Falls, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) and Tyler Russell (Livonia, NY/Livonia). Last season, King scored six times and added four assists. He could see time at midfield as well. Lesczynski and Russell showed signs of brilliance last season, and will continue to see playing time. With such talented depth at attack, the Tigers should have no problem putting the ball into the back of the net.

“The attack is probably our most talented unit,” said Coon. “Once we are able to develop some chemistry, we could have something very special. The keys for their success this season will be unselfishness and hard work.”

The Tigers have made it apparent that they are ready to compete with the top opponents in Division III, opening their season with USILA preseason No. 1 Stevenson. RIT continues to compete in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Empire 8, competing against rivals such as perennial powers Nazareth, Ithaca, Stevens and St. John Fisher.

“We have a great deal of talent this season,” said Coon. “We are going to have our hands full, but with a great deal of hard work, dedication, and leadership, I believe we can compete with anyone in the Empire 8. We will have to show up for every game with a chip on our shoulder and a hunger to win.”