Season Preview: Men's Lacrosse will rely on veteran talent to lead it to May success

SALISBURY, Md. - The 2010 Salisbury University men's lacrosse program has worked hard to put itself in a position to go for a ninth national championship and will rely on a solid group of experienced veterans to try and lead the team to Baltimore in late May. The Sea Gulls have some good fortune on their side, as each time the national championship has been hosted at M&T Bank Stadium, the site of this year's title game, the Sea Gulls have won the championship.
           
SU head coach Jim Berkman, now in his 22nd season, has a talented group of seniors that he can count on as the season progresses. "We have some seniors at each position, so it gives us some leadership because they have been around here for four years," said Berkman. "They know the ins and outs of the program and have worked hard to keep the tradition alive and really pushed the guys around them because they know the system." Over the last three seasons, this group has won two national championships, played in three NCAA tournaments, won three Capital Athletic Conference titles and compiled a career record of 61-4 (94 percent win percentage).

The team seems to have more depth in 2010 compared to last year's team that advanced to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals for the 21st consecutive season. The depth on the team has already proven to be a great benefit. "Not only do we have the depth that allows us to compete better in games, but it allows us to practice better," said Berkman. "We have more depth and speed at defense that is pushing our offensive players on a much more consistent basis in practice; they can't relax in practice because if they do, someone is in their face and it's going to make them better." 

ATTACK
The 2010 attack features all three returning starters plus several players pushing to get into the mix. SU returns a pair of seniors on attack in Jake DeLillo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Mike Winter (Port Washington, N.Y.). The two provide experience on attack and will be counted on in big games this year.  Salisbury also has sophomore preseason honorable mention All-American candidate Matt Cannone (Bayport, N.Y.)  back for his second year in the maroon and gold. Cannone had a breakout freshman season and has expanded his game during the offseason to become a more complete attackman. The sophomore has worked on his speed, dodging abilities and shooting in the offseason. In 2009, the three combined for 34.3 percent (173 points) of the team's offense.

Another player to watch is freshman Eric Law (Centennial, Colo.), who was the Colorado Player of the Year and a high school All-American. Law is considered an old school attackman in that he can break players down from behind the goal and can do some damage on offense due to his speed and quickness. Sophomores Matt Pierotti (Corning, N.Y.) and Kyle Quist (Doylestown, Pa.) are two players that both have one year of experience with the program under their belts, and will see increased minutes this year after a year of improvement.

MIDFIELD
The Sea Gull midfield is highlighted by the return of senior pre-season All-American first team candidate Mike Von Kamecke (Winter Park, Fla.). The Winter Park, Fla., native finished fifth in both points (44) and goals scored (27) as he picked up his second straight USILA honorable mention All-American award in '09. Von Kamecke has played brilliantly at times in the maroon and gold, but will be counted on to play at a consistently high level this season.

SU will be forced to replace three-time National Midfielder of Year Kylor Berkman this season, but Coach Berkman feels that sophomore midfielder Sam Bradman (Canton, N.Y.) can be the player to step in and fill that void. Bradman had some big games last season for SU but will be counted on to be a bigger factor on the offensive end on a consistent basis. After a strong freshman season in which he finished sixth in points (41) and a great fall, he has been named a preseason honorable mention All-American.  "Sam and Mike are a lot alike in that they are both extremely talented," said Berkman. "I think now they are ready for the next stage of their development and will be a lot more consistent and an overall bigger threat."

Junior Shawn Zordani (Littleton, Col.) looks to pair with Von Kamecke and Bradman as the third member of the first line. Zordani had some great games last season considering the fact he was battling injuries, and after offseason surgery should have a breakout season. Sophomore Tim Lum (Long Valley, N.J.) is battling for a spot on the first line after a productive fall season. Lum possesses tremendous speed and is one of the hardest shooters on the team with both hands.
           
The second midfield line will feature a mix of juniors Logan Keyser (Midlothian, Va.) and Kyle Piper (Landisville, Pa.) plus freshman Alex Nieves (Centreville, Md.). Keyser has recovered from an injury that cut short his first season with SU last year, but is running at full speed and has prepared for a bigger role this year. Piper has been with the program for two years now and has gained more muscle and confidence since last year and will get a shot with the second line. Nieves is a talented player that has tremendous stick stills and speed that can break down a defense. Competition for the third midfield line includes junior Perry Craz (Romsenburg, N.Y.) and sophomores Craig Burnett (North Wales, Pa.), Sean Hickey (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Jeff McGuire (Severna Park, Md.).

FACE-OFFS
Senior Ryan Finch (Finksburg, Md.) returns for his third season with the Sea Gulls and will handle the majority of the face-off responsibilities again this year. Finch, a preseason second-team All-American in 2010, finished with the nation's eighth best win percentage at .661 (265-of-401). Finch will also see some time in the midfield due to his athleticism and offensive IQ. Sophomore Kyle Gallagher (Salisbury, Md.) is expected to backup Finch for face-offs.

DEFENSE
Salisbury returns two starters from last year's defense that finished with the 12th best scoring defense in of all Division III at 7.1 goals per game in senior Jeff Breeding (Cockeysville, Md.) and junior Collin Tokosch (Arnold, Md.). Breeding was elected one of five team captains and Tokosch is a preseason honorable mention All-American.

Sophomore Andrew Sellers (Baltimore, Md.), a transfer from Mercyhurst College, is a favorite to start. Sellers is one of the best athletes on the team and will allow SU to do some creative things defensively because of the athleticism he brings to the table. 

Junior Nick Mooney (Glenolden, Pa.) worked hard in the offseason and is pushing for a spot in the starting three. His individual defensive skills have vastly improved after a big year in the weight room. Freshman Brett Baer (Manchester, Md.) could see some minutes this year on close defense, and took some face-offs in the fall season and will see some time at both spots. Junior Tom Cooper (Ellicott City, Md.) is back for his second season with the program and has gotten a lot stronger in the offseason. Junior Spencer Smith (McMurray, Pa.), sophomore Sam Miller (Ithaca, N.Y.) and freshman Adam Dickson (Ontario, Can.) provide a lot of valuable depth and could see time this season.
           
Senior Connor Burgasser (Mendon, N.Y.) is set to be the top long-stick midfielder and is a preseason second-team All-American. Burgasser is ready for a strong senior season after he worked hard in the offseason to improve all areas of his game, including leadership. "Connor has been a great leader," said Berkman. "He has always done a great job of pushing himself, but this year he has done a great job of providing a drive for his teammates."
           
Sophomore Evan Hockel (Millersville, Md.) came on strong towards the end of last season and is expected to see more playing time and contribute on the wing for face-offs. Freshman John Churchman (Salisbury, Md.) was a high-school All-American at local Parkside High School and provides depth to the long-stick midfield position.
           
Senior Will Poletis (Baltimore, Md.), who was an All-CAC second team performer last year, is set to be the top defensive midfielder again for SU. Poletis played in all 20 games last year and is a transition offense threat in between the midfield lines because of his speed. Senior Kevin Finn (Evanston, Ill.) and junior Dean Rossi (Pleasantville, N.Y.) are competing for the second and third defensive midfielder positions. Finn and Rossi each made the switch from offensive midfielder to the defensive midfield position during the fall season and provide great shooting ability in the transition game for SU. The two add superior size and athleticism to the defensive midfield position.

GOALIE
Junior Johnny Rodriguez (Gambrills, Md.) returns for his second season with the Sea Gulls and looks to be the starter for the second consecutive season. Rodriguez has worked hard on his game to become a much more consistent goalkeeper and his clearing skills have vastly improved. Last season, he logged over 1,000 minutes in the cage and had a goals against average of 7.29 goals per game.

Junior Tim Swinburn (Swarthmore, Pa.) had a great fall season and is pushing Rodriguez for the top spot and for minutes in the cage. Swinburn played in nine games for SU in '09. Freshman Mitch Meredith (Annapolis, Md.) is in the mix for the Sea Gulls, as he made the All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association team as the goalie for Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Md.

SCHEDULE
If the Sea Gulls are to win their ninth national championship in 2010 they will have to play a schedule competitive enough to prepare them for it, and Coach Berkman has developed a schedule he believes will do just that. SU is set to face four teams that made the 2009 NCAA Division III tournament field and four teams ranked in the preseason top 20 polls, including the top three.

Salisbury opens the season on the road on February 14 at Greensboro College, before returning to the friendly confines of Sea Gull Stadium with a contest against No. 18 Lynchburg College on February 20. The Gulls will then travel to Widener University the next weekend to close out their February schedule.

SU will open up its March campaign with a contest against in-state foe McDaniel College at Sea Gull Stadium on March 3. The next week Salisbury will travel to Haverford College for a matchup set with the defending national champion Cortland State and preseason No. 1 on March 10. The two teams have combined to win the last seven national championships, but this will be the first regular season meeting between the two since March 16, 2002. Following the Cortland game, Salisbury will return for its next four games at Sea Gull Stadium kick-started with a contest against '09 NCAA tournament participant Ohio Wesleyan on March 13. SU will then host the College of Wooster (March 18) and Eastern Connecticut State University (March 21) before the Capital Athletic Conference opener against Wesley College on March 24. SU then travels to Gettysburg, Pa. for a game against preseason No. 3 Gettysburg College on March 27 before closing out the month with a CAC contest against University of Mary Washington on the road on March 31.

April is kicked off with highly anticipated game against CAC foe and preseason No. 2 Stevenson University in Owings Mills on April 2. The Sea Gulls will return for a three game CAC home stand against St. Mary's (Md.) College (April 7), Hood College (April 10) and York (Pa.) College (April 13). SU will wrap up CAC regular season play at Marymount (Va.) College on April 15 before the start of the CAC tournament on April 18. The Salisbury regular-season schedule closes out at home in the much-anticipated "War on the Shore" game against Washington (Md.) College on May 8. The NCAA tournament begins on May 12.

SUMMARY
Coach Berkman is ready for the 2010 season to start and is excited about the product he has in place at this time. "We have a tough schedule that hopefully gives us the background and challenges that will help us as a team and be ready to compete in May," said Berkman. The team is a talented one with leadership at each position, depth on defense, good speed in the midfield and an experienced attack.

Opposing teams should be aware of Salisbury when the Gulls feel their back is against the wall to start a season. The last time the program had at least four losses was in 2002 when they went 13-5. The following season Salisbury went 20-1 and started a streak of three straight national championships and began its 69-game winning streak.