2008 Men's Lacrosse Preview - Part I: Attack/Midfield
1/28/2008 4:46:05 PM | Men's Lacrosse
No one is more excited than head coach John Desko to erase the memory of last year’s 5-8 season, and with an experienced offensive attack and a renewed commitment to defense, he has the talent to do it. Syracuse returns its top five scorers from a year ago and 10 of its top 11 overall. He welcomes back eight starters and brought in another top recruiting class, fueled by a group of Central New York’s best scholastic players, to bolster an already loaded Orange lineup.
“We’re excited to get back. I think after the season we had last year, you just want to get out and play,” Desko said. “I think the guys have come back with their eyes and ears wide open. Again, with the kind of season we had, I think they really bought into the (offseason) conditioning and are ready to go this spring.”
Following the close of the 2007 campaign, Desko and his charges made it their mission to learn from last year and carry those lessons into 2008. This season, the team looks forward to writing a new chapter in the Orange’s long and storied lacrosse history. One that ends with a return to glory and another trip to the Final Four.
Attack
With the return of its top four attackmen from last year, the Syracuse attack is one of the most experienced and potent groups in the nation. Senior Mike Leveille has earned All-America honors in each of his first three seasons and is a second-team preseason choice in 2008. He led the Orange in scoring (39 points) and assists (17) last season and tied for the team lead in goals (22). He owns a 39-game point streak, the second-longest in the country, and has started every game of his SU career.
While Leveille is the veteran of the group, several players gained significant experience last year. Junior Kenny Nims started every game a season ago and was third on the squad in scoring with 30 points. Nims also developed into an excellent feeder, finishing second on the team, behind Leveille, with 12 assists.
Junior Greg Niewieroski emerged as an offensive threat last year following Dan Hardy’s shift to the midfield. Niewieroski started seven games, including the last four, and tallied 19 goals. His five-goal performance against Cornell at the Dome was his coming out party and he proved to be nearly unstoppable when he bulled his way to the cage.
One of the team’s final ties to the 2004 NCAA Championship squad, senior Mike MacDonald spent the second half of 2007 as the team’s fourth attackman. The Henninger High School product flourished in the role, scoring in three of the last four games. MacDonald put on a show in the Orange’s rout of Rutgers, netting a career-best five points, including four goals.
The remainder of the unit is made up of younger players. One of those who will push the veterans for playing time is freshman Stephen Keogh. Keogh spent two seasons at Brewster Academy, a prep school in New Hampshire, and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 205 points. A U.S. Lacrosse All-American in 2007, Keogh showed a flair for finding the net, scoring three goals against Stony Brook in the fall.
Sophomore Chris Daniello and freshmen Jack Harmatuk, Alex Giocondi and Pat Nemes are also in the hunt for playing time.
Midfield
The Orange midfield is as deep as it is talented, and Desko has the option of using several players in various combinations. The group is also versatile with many having the ability to play on offense as well as in defensive situations.
Hardy and senior Steven Brooks, both preseason All-Americans, made up two-thirds of the Orange’s top midfield line at the close of the 2007 season. Both players were USILA Honorable Mention All-Americans last year and ranked second and fourth, respectively, on the team in scoring. Hardy netted 32 points and tied for the squad lead with 22 goals. He moved to the midfield after beginning 2007 on attack.
At 6-4, Hardy is an imposing presence when he drives to the cage and has the ability to score or draw the defense and pass off to one of the attack’s capable finishers.
Brooks possesses one of the hardest shots on the team and rebounded from a season-ending injury in 2006 to finish tied for second on the squad with 19 goals in 2007. While nicked up at times last season, Brooks was an offensive force for the Orange, registering three consecutive hat tricks in games against Georgetown, Johns Hopkins and Binghamton. Now completely healthy, Brooks will try to solidify his position as one of the top offensive midfielders in the nation.
Junior Pat Perritt was a starting midfielder at the beginning of the 2007 season and is in the hunt to regain his starting spot. Also back is classmate Matt Abbott. Abbott, one of the best all-around athletes on the team, scored nine goals and finished with 15 points last season. He earned his second career start in the season finale against Colgate and matched his personal-best with two goals. Abbott also served as a one-man clear last year, thwarting opposing team’s rides with his speed and quickness.
Senior Brendan Loftus established himself as a consistent presence last year, scoring seven goals. Senior Steve Babbles and sophomore Max Bartig contributed as well. Babbles handed out two assists and Bartig scored three goals, including the game-winner against Albany.
A host of younger players are also in the mix. Sophomore Lincoln Cavalieri and freshmen Josh Amidon, Jovan Miller, Jeff Gilbert and Josh Knight are all capable of contributing. Walk-on Blair Koontz adds depth to the position.
