Men's Lacrosse Opens Season on Wednesday, Looks to Lay New Foundation in 2015
PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria College men's lacrosse team will open the 2015 season with new expectations under first-year head coach Nate Mayo. Mayo expects his squad to improve as players, as a team, and hopefully, in the wins column.
"I expect us to compete in every game that we play in," said Mayo. "We are laying a foundation for future success."
The team has been battling the tough February freeze to work in practices, alternating between late nights in the gym and cold sessions on the turf. Despite the elements, Mayo has seen improvement and desire in his team.
Noted Mayo, "the players' attitudes and work ethic have left myself and the other coaches excited about what lies ahead."
Joining Mayo on the sidelines are assistant coaches Mark Kelley and Dan Zenevitch. Kelley, the team's offensive coordinator, joins the program after coaching stays at a number of local colleges, while Zenevitch is a 2014 graduate of the University of Hartford, where he was a member of the lacrosse team's goaltending unit.
The team will also see leadership from team captain Dennis Tran (Worcester, Mass.). A three-year member of the team, Tran saw action in 14 games last season and scooped up 14 ground balls in the midfield.
"[Tran] is a great representative of our program and school," said Mayo of his team captain. "He's been great in making sure the team is active in study halls and strength and conditioning sessions."
Tran is one of just five returners to the team, alongside senior defenseman Nathan Batallas (Templeton, Mass.), junior defenseman Edward Jankowski (Billerica, Mass.), sophomore defender Kendal Zeno (East Montpelier, Vt.), and junior goaltender Joseph Morris (Medford, Mass.).
Battallas saw action in 15 games last season and totaled three goals and five assists from his backfield position. He also led the team in ground balls win an impressive 114. Jankowski added 25 ground balls and nine caused turnovers to the AMCAT defense in 2014 while appearing in all 16 games. Zeno played in 15 games as a rookie and totaled 45 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers.
In his first two seasons on the team, Morris has totaled seven games in net with four starts. He holds a career save percentage of .470, has totaled 62 saves, and holds a goals-against average of 13.54.
With just five returners, the AMCATS will rely heavily on a group of newcomers, especially on the offensive end.
Freshmen Andrew Marcotte (Plainville, Mass.), Jonathan McDonald (Marlborough, Mass.), and Tyler Hagan (Charlton, Mass.) are all expected to start at attack in their first season with the team. Also joining the offensive unit will be junior Alex Rezendes (Nantucket, Mass.) and freshman Paul Mills (Auburn, Mass.).
The midfield returns Tran and adds new additions in freshmen Timothy Austin (Babylon, N.Y.) and Michael Rodriguez (Cranston, R.I.).
Freshmen Malik Griffith (Booklyn, N.Y.) and Daniel Rinkus (Harwinton, Conn.) will join a veteran defensive squad alongside junior Zachary Sylvia (Tiverton, R.I.).
Despite being a small, young squad, the AMCAT program has visions of besting last season's 2-14 record. The team, who finished 2-8 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, has targeted Albertus Magnus, Johnson & Wales and St Joseph's as teams to beat this season.
Mayo notes that the toughest teams to beat this season will be Emmanuel, Lasell, and Norwich, but he hopes that his team can play tough and compete with the top tier of the GNAC.
In non-conference play, the team has their sights set on wins against Nichols and Becker. Says Mayo, "we want to win the battle of Worcester County."
The AMCATS will open the 2015 campaign tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25th, in a non-conference contest against UMass Boston. The game will be played at 1:00 p.m. at the College of Holy Cross. Ten days later, the team will travel to Nichols for a 1:00 p.m. start.
Anna Maria opens GNAC play on Thursday, March 12th in a 5:00 p.m. home game against Norwich.
