Jan. 23, 2003
The men's lacrosse team is looking to build on what they accomplished last season and become a contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Lacrosse League. Head coach Edgar Glascott returns for his second season and will have a rookie-laden team, but will also have great experience and leadership from the veterans, as senior tri-captains Pat Scully and Brian Schumeyer will be counted on to lead the young Marist squad. Juniors Brian Diele, Jay Nahama, and Josh Ben-Eliyahu are the top returning scorers from last season and will counted on to lead the offense once again.
The Red Foxes will be looking to the attack position for most of its offense this season. The attack will be led by junior Pat Scully, a quick player with good vision. Scully was fifth on the team in scoring with 22 points, notching nine goals and 13 assists. Sophomore Dan Kushner also should provide some depth at midfield for the Red Foxes after coming off a 2002 campaign where he recorded eight points, on three goals and five assists. Sophomore Pat Van Horne will be asked to play both attack and midfield. Freshmen Billy Duerr and Tim Iuculano will be counted on to contribute right away and have an impact on the offense. The defensive-midfield group will be led by junior Billy Dziedzic, who will cover the opposing team's top midfielders.
The defense will be led by junior college transfer Mark Paquette. Paquette, who played at Suffolk Community College, is a natural leader on defense who has great take away checks and foot speed, and will be asked to cover the opponents' top attack men. Joining him will be junior Justin Casano, who appeared in 12 games and made 11 starts last season. Casano has worked hard in the weight room and with his speed. Sophomore Dan Bellew completes the defense. He is an extremely hard worker and will mesh nicely with the other two starters.
In goal will be three players battling it out for the starting job. Senior tri-captain Brian Schumeyer, a MAAC Defensive Player of the Week on April 15th last year, has excellent quickness in and out of the cage. Schumeyer finished last season with 11 starts and a .580 save percentage. He was the anchor of the Red Fox defense last season and is looking to keep his starting position. Freshman Bobby Gross, a high school All-American, has had a very impressive fall season. Gross is extremely athletic and pushes the ball up the field very well. He has excellent vision and will push Schumeyer for the starting spot. Freshman Steve Graviano will also be competing for playing time in goal for the Red Foxes.
Marist will begin the season with a very challenging non-conference schedule that will prepare them for conference play, in what should be a competitive season. The Red Foxes open the season on the road, as they face non-conference foes Navy and Lehigh. The first home match of the year is on March 1st against Hartford. Other non-conference opponents include Delaware, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross, and Lafayette. The first conference match will be on March 8th, as they travel to Emmitsburg, MD to face Mount St. Mary's. The Red Foxes will once again be hosting the MAAC Championships this year. The tournament will be held from May 2nd-3rd at Leonidoff Field.
Marist will bring a young team to the field this season, with 11 freshmen among the group. The Red Foxes have been dedicated to their off-season training program to enable them to be stronger and quicker on the field. With a commitment to hard work and effort, the Red Foxes are looking to be a force in the MAAC in 2003.
