2009 Media Guide

2009 Media Guide Covers

The Fairfield University men's lacrosse team will have a new look as it enters the 2009 campaign, its fourth as a member of the ECAC Lacrosse League.  Taking the reigns of the Stags is Andrew Copelan who was named the third head coach in program history on August 25, 2008.  He brings with him 18 career wins in two previous seasons as a head coach, including a conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Between the lines, the Stags will have several familiar faces, but will be integrating numerous young players into key positions.  Copelan will look to a deep midfield unit to implement the run-and-gun style of offense that he would like to play this season.  

The defensive unit will be the most veteran, with two seniors projected into the starting lineup. The midfield and attack, on paper, are young; with one senior slated to start in the midfield and no player with more than 13 games of experience on the attack.

ATTACK
Copelan will have a young, but talented group on the attack this season.  Leading the way is a pair of sophomores who both played quality minutes as freshmen. Doug Kuring was the Stags third leading scorer a season ago, tallying 16 points.  He made an immediate impact on the program, scoring the game-winner in overtime on opening day last season, finishing the year with 10 goals.  Chris Trombino saw action in eight games last season, with three starts, tallying both of his goals against Dartmouth.  Also in the mix for a starting nod on the attack is newcomer John Snellman. A pure shooter, he is also a large presence in the opponents crease, at 6-foot-3.

"We know that this unit as a whole will be relatively green," said Copelan, "but I expect them to ride hard, to be unselfish, and to continuously improve throughout the season."

The Stags have two seniors that will be looked at to be leaders of the attack.  Jeff Cilente is returning for his fifth season and is a true team player.  The attack is the third position of his career, having been a goalkeeper for most of the time, but also moving to midfield in the preseason last year to fill a need.  Once the season began however, Cilente moved back into the crease, and ended up starting four games in net, with 29 saves.  Dan Hettler has seen action in 11 games over the course of his career, but has gained valuable experience playing alongside some of the program's best over that time, and is ready to step into a more prominent role.

Junior Logan Rausse is another veteran who will be counted on to move into a larger role on the attack this spring.  Over his two seasons, he has played in eight games, with a start against Loyola last spring.  Also in the mix is freshmen Mike Esposito who is quick and elusive.

MIDFIELD
The midfield is where the Stags find the most depth heading into the season, with a solid mix of veterans and newcomers.  The offensive side will take its cue from senior Chris Ajemian, who is coming off of his best collegiate season.  As a junior, Ajemian led the team with 15 goals, including a game-winning tally against Dartmouth.

"We will play a lot of guys in the midfield this season," said Copelan.  "I think in order for us to have success, we will need to win the battle in the middle third of the field.  We have a few guys in the midfield that have the potential to be special players."

Ryan Mulford returns for his sophomore season after jumping right into the offensive mix as a rookie.  Playing in all 13 games last season, Mulford netted nine goals and finished fourth on the team with 13 points.  New to the mix will be freshman Brent Adams who uses his speed to create offensive chances for everyone around him.

An additional quartet of returning players is where the Stags depth begins to shine through. Junior Kevin Peters has seen action in 21 games at the collegiate level, tallying eight points along the way.  Matt Plominski, Nick Baglio and Max Trunz all saw at least six games worth of action as rookies, and are expected to continue their development and play larger roles this spring on the offensive side of midfield.

The Stags defensive middies are also a veteran group, with senior Gary Raniolo leading the way.  Along with his 32 games of experience, Raniolo is a vocal leader on and off the field.  Sophomores Steve Golmont and Clay Wells will also be integral parts of the defensive mindset of the Stags.  Golmont will also be one of the Stags primary face-off men entering the season.

Adding depth to the team's offensive midfield are juniors Graham Bergsma, Josh Orchant and Matt Lanzaro, along with sophomore Steven Zande and freshman Nick Tandoi.  On the defensive half the midfield group will be bolstered by senior Chris Campbell and freshman Dylan McGoldrick.

LONG-STICK MIDFIELD
"Fairfield has traditionally been strong defensively and I see no reason why this year should be any different," said Copelan.  "I think our defensive players are made of the right stuff and will be up for the challenge of keeping us in every game."

With the graduation of Matt Scanlon, the Stags, for the first time in three years, will have a new starter at long-stick midfield.  Leading the charge for that job is sophomore Sean Bannon, who played in 11 games a season ago, including a start against Harvard.  He recorded six ground balls in his rookie campaign, while also netting a goal and dishing out two assists.

Copelan will also look to a pair of freshmen, Chris Creighton and Reed Marko, to compete for time at LSM.  Marko is making the transition from short-stick middie to the long-pole and will use his athleticism to aid in making the switch.  Creighton is a young player that has loads of potential and is being looked at to continue his development.

DEFENSE
 "The group is led by two senior captains who will be four year starters," said Copelan, "and will be the backbone of this team."

The Stags defensive unit is by far the most veteran group on the field, with three seniors, a junior and two sophomores expected to play a majority of the minutes.  Captains Matt Petre and Billy Honovich are both back for a fourth-season and will give the Stags a talented and experienced anchor, as both played in every game a season ago, and each with 12 starts.  Petre picked up 28 ground balls a year ago and finished the season third on the team with 12 caused turnovers.  Honovich had 19 ground balls and was second on the squad with 13 caused turnovers.  Fellow senior Patrick Hovey is also back for his fourth season.  At 6-foot-5, Hovey is an imposing presence and will compete for time, after seeing action in 11 games his first three years.

Junior Mike Gianelle and sophomores Brendan McTague and Rob Simeti are also in the mix for starting time in the back.  Gianelle has seen action in 12 games during his career and made his first career start at Harvard last season.  McTague and Simeti both have a year of collegiate experience under their belts, but are undergoing a position change.  McTague moved to the defensive side of the ball midway through the 2008 season, while Simeti has done so during the 2009 preseason.

Sophomore Nate Norbo and freshman Tommy Whitlock are additional options for the Stags in the defensive unit.  Norbo is another player with a physical style for Copelan to turn to, as he continues to learn the collegiate game.  Whitlock brings size and determination every time he steps on the field and has a wealth of untapped potential to turn to as he acclimates to the program.

GOALKEEPER
A trio of players give Copelan a variety of options in the crease this season.  Junior Joe Marra is the incumbent, having played in 10 games a season ago.  In his nearly 600 minutes in his first season as a Stag, Marra picked up three wins, making 103 saves.

A talented pair of freshmen will push Marra for the starting nod this season.  Tommy Kralovenec is a vocal leader on the field, despite being a rookie, while Charlie Cipriano brings lightening quick hands to the cage.  Also looking for time at goalie will be junior JD Coleman.

"We have a group of good goalies who all do different things well," said Copelan.  "The guy who evolves into the most complete goalie will emerge as the starter."

SCHEDULE
The Stags' first-year head coach and his charges will have a competitive slate awaiting them this spring. Fairfield will play a 13-game schedule, featuring six home games, seven ECAC Lacrosse League contests, and four teams that are ranked in the preseason Lacrosse Magazine.

Copelan makes his Stags head coaching debut at home this season, hosting CAA member Delaware, before taking the show on the road to face former Great West Lacrosse League foe, Ohio State.  For the fourth consecutive season, Fairfield will begin ECAC play versus Rutgers, hosting the Scarlet Knights on March 7.  The following weekend, the Stags will take on Colgate for the first time since defeating the Raiders 9-8 in 2004.

Fairfield will play six of its next seven games on the road, beginning March 17 at Marist, as Copelan returns to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where his collegiate coaching career began.  A pair of ECAC games wraps up the first three-game road swing, as the Stags travel to Penn State on March 21 and Hobart on March 28.  After a home game March 31 against Vermont, the Stags again embark on a three-game road swing, beginning with an ECAC game at Georgetown on April 4.  Fairfield then heads up I-95 for an April 11 game at Yale, before wrapping up the road portion of its schedule at ECAC foe Loyola on April 18. The Stags finish the season with back-to-back home games, April 21 and 25, versus ECAC opponents UMass and St. John's.