Great Lax State

I ran down Michigan and Detroit’s common opponents last week, and since the season approaches, here are the Titans’ other squads on this year’s docket.

VMI

The VMI team name is the Keydets, a Southern style slang for the word “cadets”.

Detroit: March 1 (away)

2013

1-12 (1-5 MAAC), #62 Laxpower, #63 Tempo-Free Lax

VMI was awful last season, winning but a single game against Manhattan (the Jaspers would go on to upset Marist the following week, which, what?). They’re in a new conference this year, but I wouldn’t count on them making huge strides as a program.

The Past Results

The Titans beat VMI in an 11-6 win at Titan Field last year that was more dominant than it looks on the final scoreboard. Detroit led 6-1 at halftime and let off the gas a bit after the break, playing basically the entire active roster.

Alex Maini and Tom Masterson each had two goals and two assists, Damien Hicks won 11 of 15 faceoffs, and Jamie Hebden caused an impressive seven turnovers.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

The VMI offense was the country’s worst last year, and by a pretty healthy margin – nearly three goals per 100 possessions. I’m betting things won’t get a whole lot better with the top two scorers from last year, Russell East and Bernie Mowbray, no longer around. Junior attack Mike DeBlasio and his 12 goals and five assists are back, along with enormous (6-6, 205) sophomore midfielder Gage Snowbarger with his 10 and three. That’s every single returning double-digit point earner. Brutal.

The defense was better than the offense, but still really bad. This means it’s good to lose the starting goalie, right? The only returner who saw a shot last year is junior Evan Windisch, who saved barely more than a third of shots faced (albeit on only 14 shots). Fortunately, LSM Tyler Prasnicki, who led the team with 26 caused turnovers, is back. Close D Taylor Jenkins is not, but senior Rory Jenkins will try to help shore things up a bit. This defense might actually get worse, unless some young guys step up.

After several years of being good at faceoffs and nothing else, VMI was even terrible on draws last year, coming in No. 50 in the country. In what is a theme with this team, top option Gaston Ledford… has graduated. No. 2 option Scott Frizzell… has graduated. The only returning player with more than a couple attempts is LSM Patrick Hine, who won just five of 23 last year.

Wagner

Logo: Fierce. Team: Usually not as fierce.

Detroit: March 8 (away)

2013

1-12 (0-5 NEC), #63 LaxPower, #62 Tempo-Free Lax

Hey, so Wagner was the only team with a legitimate claim to being worse than VMI – though they did beat the Keydets in a class of the non-titans (no pun intended). This should be another opportunity for UDM to pad the win column.

The Past Results

Detroit beat Wagner 14-7 in 2010. That was a much worse Titans team than the program we see today, and probably a comparable Wagner squad.

A couple Titans from that game – Tylers Staruch and Corcoran – are still on the squad. Corcoran went 1/5 on faceoffs while Staruch had a goal and an assist.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Wagner was mind-numbingly bad at possessing the ball last year – nearly an entire percentage point worse than the second-worst team in that regard. It’s probably a bad thing that the most-used (and by far best, though he was the only one with enough attempts to know for sure) faceoff man is gone in Krey Keller. Sophomore Paul DeVita id the only other guy who’s really had a chance, but with how bad the whole unit was lat year, new guys might get a chance. It’s also worth noting that, while the clear was very bad (per expectations when looking at an unskilled team), Wagner rode opponents very hard, putting together the No. 10 national unit in that regard.

Since the defense was really bad, it’s important to note that it might improve slightly. Goalie Nick Gibaldi (who faced tons of shots last year) is back, and actually didn’t put up numbers that are as depressing as you’d expect, given the heat. Defenseman Nick Beyer is back for his junior year after starting most of last year’s games, as is classmate Nick Bunting. Wagner has to replace R.J. DeRosa on a pole, but that’s not as daunting a task as replacing even more of those guys. There’s nowhere to go but up (literally so, when it comes to the national rankings).

Wagner’s offense last year actually wasn’t that bad. The SeaHawks lost leading scorer Colin O’Rourke, but a nice nucleus of twin sophomore attackmen Reed and Griffen LeClaire, junior attackman David DeCirce, and junior midfielder Cory Santor is back. Another year of experience for those guys should result in a decent offense, all things considered.

Marquette

Not many good Marquette lacrosse logos available on the internet :/

Detroit: March 15 (home)

2013

5 -8, #52 LaxPower, #55 Tempo-Free Lax

The first season for Marquette probably went quite a bit better than expected, with five wins under the Golden Eagles’ belts (including one over Detroit, about which more in a moment). That included quite a bit of luck, however, with a .357 win percentage, compared to the expected value of .228 that the data spit out for us.

The Past Results

Marquette’s first-ever home game was a victory over Detroit, just a couple days after the emotional letdown of the Titans’ canceled game against Michigan. The Golden Eagles used a 6-2 run in the third quarter to take a commanding lead in the 14-9 win.

Mike Birney and Alex Maini had three goals apiece, though it took them 10 and seven shots, respectively, to get there. The problem for Detroit was defense, where backup keeper Chris Kelly couldn’t channel A.J. Levell behind the high-pressure UDM defense (though the Titans went away from pressure to their doom in the contest), allowing 14 goals and making only nine saves.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

I just previewed Marquette for their scrimmage against Michigan, so I’ll keep this brief.

The offense was pretty good for a first-year squad, and attackman Tyler Melnyk is the straw that stirs the drink. He scored approximately 700 goals in the Michigan scrimmage last weekend, so if you give him opportunities, he’ll take them.

On the other side of the ball, Marquette was quite a bit worse, more in the range you’d expect for a new program. The defense struggled (a lot) against Michigan despite playing starters almost throughout, but given that the Golden Eagles return almost everyone from last year, some strides over the course of the season can be expected.

Canisius

Fear the Griffin!

Detroit: March 23 (away)

2013

3-10 (2-4 MAAC), #57 LaxPower, #56 Tempo-Free Lax

Canisius beat both teams that finished behind them in the MAAC, along with non-conference opponent Binghamton, but it was tough sledding outside of that. The Griffins were not expected to be quite that bad, so we’ll see if a rebound year is in store.

The Past Results

Detroit’s must-win regular season finale came against Canisius, and the Titans knocked the Golden Griffins out of contention for the MAAC Tournament (which was hosted in Buffalo by… Canisius. Harsh). UDM led 7-1 after the first quarter, and though Canisius fought back with a 3-0 run in the second, Detroit slammed the door in the third en route to a comfortable 13-7 win.

Detroit had a balanced scoring effort with three three-point scorers (Mike Birney with two and one, Alex Maini and Brandon Beauregard with one and two apiece), and 11 different players getting on the scoreboard in one way or another.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

This is the first of the Detroit-only opponents thus far that was legitimately good at anything. Mike Moran was a simply dominant faceoff specialist, spearheading the No. 6 group in the land… so naturally he has graduated. The players behind him weren’t bad by any stretch, but when your team is clinging onto something as a strength, you don’t want it to suddenly become an unknown.

The leading scorer last year was actually the second most-deploy faceoff specialist in midfielder Tim Edwards. The junior will try to continue where he left off last year, while potentially picking up a bigger load on draws. Attack Vince Gravino impressed as a freshman last year, and will likely improve from the No. 3 scorer in year two on-campus. Four of the top five scorers are back, so don’t be surprised if more experience means improvement from this unit.

Junior Alex Govenettio will return in goal, and though his numbers were borderline ugly, he faced some of the tougher offenses on Canisius’s schedule (though thankfully not Albany), and could improve by simple luck in who he’s running up against. Defensemen Dylan Knopfke, Adam Donner, and Rich Stapleton (who only took over a starting position midway through the year) all return, so there’s plenty of upside here.

Quinnipiac

This bobcat is looking extra-fierce

Detroit: March 29 (home)

2013

6-8 (3-2 NEC), #53 LaxPower, #42 Tempo-Free Lax

Quinnipiac makes the shift from the NEC into the MAAC this year, going from one poor conference to another. The most interesting thing I see about last year’s Bobcats is the wildly differing opinions by LaxPower and Tempo-Free Lax (and I don’t know how LaxPower’s formula works to explain it).

The Past Results

Detroit was one of Quinnipiac’s early-season victims last year (unfortunately before the Titans rounded into form and the Bobcats fell apart). Alex Maini and Shayne Adams both scored two goals, with Maini adding an assist in the 9-5 loss.

This was around the time that Detroit starting upping its caused turnover numbers after starting the year on a much lower pace than previous seasons. Jordan Houtby had six CTs on his own, but Quinnipiac’s Jake Hayes went off with three goals and three assists, accounting for enough scoring to beat Detroit on his own.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

This may just be me acting like a stat-homer here, but looking at the stat components, I see the profile of a team much more like the No. 42 squad nationally like TFL says than the No. 53 LaxPower thinks Quinnipiac was last season. They had an easy schedule, but were only truly bad at one thing: defense.

So let’s talk about that D, where senior Gill Conners will try to improve the unit. The Bobcats lose all of two starts (Sean Damboise and Dorian Wolff, who I assume just started the senior day game since each of them only totaled four appearances last season). With senior J.B. Marston, sophomore Chris Kendall, and junior Greg Pendergast used to working with each other, I expect a big leap from this unit.

West Islip attackman Michael Sagl went nuts last year, with 25 goals and 26 assists to account for more than a fifth of his team’s total scoring during his sophomore year. He’s the key guy on this offense, but classmate Pat Corcoran, a midfielder (and as far as I can tell, no relation to UDM’s Tyler), put together a 28-point year of his own. The player with whom he tied for second on the list, Basil Kostaras, and No. 4 scorer Brendan Wilbur are both gone, however. This is a junior-dominated returning group, with Matt Diehl in the midfield as well. Outside of Kostaras and Wilbur, most of a dominant (in its cohort, at least) offense is back, so this could be another good year.

Marist

RAWR!

Detroit: April 5 (home)

2013

10-4 (5-1 MACC). #33 LaxPower, #20 Tempo-Free Lax

Marist was the class of the league last year, and Detroit’s MAAC semifinal win really was a stunner at the time it happened. The Red Foxes had to be extremely disappointed with their season ending the way it did.

The Past Results

Detroit split its games with Marist last year. The regular-season contest was an 11-8 win for Marist in Poughkeepsie (one of the closest games Marist had all year, which I guess could have helped foreshadow the MAAC Tournament upset). Mike Birney had two goals and an assist and Tom Masterson had two goals.

In the MAAC Tournament, the Titans played a much slower game. It was a 68-possession outing with 13 total goals, for a combined efficiency of an ugly 19.11. Detroit got three goals from Mike Birney (this was when his hot streak hit full stride), and three assists from Scott Drummond. A.J. Levell was ridiculous with 17 saves and only six goals allowed in the 7-6 Titan victory.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

It’s a bit easier to put up good numbers against the No. 61 schedule in the nation, but even adjusted for opponents, Marist was good. Possession was their strong point, but top faceoff specialist Matt Dugan graduated, and No. 2 option Dominic Montemurro was well below .500. More important to the possession success was ridiculously good clearing and riding, something that’s philosophical and shouldn’t see too much dropoff.

The offense, on the other hand, could go off a cliff unless the Red Foxes can find a way to replace Connor Rice and Jack Doherty. They combined for 94 points, more than a third of the team’s entire production. Sophomore attack Joseph Radin had a strong debut as a freshman, and midfielder Drew Nesmith should take a step up as a junior (with the shots available to him now since Rice and Doherty are gone), but I don’t think this will be a top-30 O nationally.

Goalie Dave Scarcello is back, and he had very nice numbers last year. Defensemen Ethan Fox (Fox named Fooooooooox), T.J. McDermott, and Patrick Wall, however, all graduate after combining for every start last season. It’s clear this year should see a big dropoff for Marist, and they really wasted their prime opportunity for the NCAA Tournament last year.

Siena

“Saints” as in “Saint Bernards,” rather than “canonized people.” I can dig it.

Detroit: April 12 (home)

2013

8-9 (4-2 MAAC), #37 LaxPower, #32 Tempo-Free Lax

Siena was the MAAC’s second-best team last year by a wide margin ahead of No. 3 Jacksonville (now a member of the A-Sun), so the Titans really did go through a murderer’s row in the conference tournament. The Saints were probably licking their chops after the UDM upset over Canisius, but fell to the same fate.

The Past Results

The regular-season game last year was a 13-10 win for Siena in Loudonville (tough break for Detroit to play the league’s top three teams on the road in the regular season, all of them close losses). Alex Maini and Scott Drummond both recorded hat tricks wihile adding an assist. The defense was non-stout, causing only eight turnovers while opening AJ Levell up for 22 shots on goal.

In the tournament game, the defense wasn’t a whole lot better, but the offense was significantly more fun because Mike Birney went ham (five goals on 13(!!!) shots, just about all of them from distance). Alex Maini also had two and one, while Scott Drummond had a pair of goals on ten shots. I’m pretty sure the coaches just said “screw it, put the ball on cage as much as possible.”

Also of note, Damien Hicks held his own against a good Siena FO unit, at least enough for the clear/ride game to tilt possession in Detroit’s favor.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Siena played really fast lacrosse last year, which is fun. They were above-average in possession, thanks to Casey Dowd, who took almost every faceoff and was really good at them. He’s just going to be a junior this year, so expect more of the same, and possibly even a bit of improvement.

Siena’s offense was good-not-great last year, and was actually a pretty significant dropoff from the previous season. Expect the Saints to reload with the top four scorers returning. Junior midfielder Conor Prunty brings back 31 goals and 19 assists, while redshirt junior attack Richie Hurley was only one goal behind him production-wise. Senior attack Colin Clive and junior midfielder Nate Barry round out the top four. No. 5 Danny Martinsen is gone, but he’s the only departure from the top 10 of last year’s team. Reloaded.

The defense, on the other hand, doesn’t get off to such a good start, with goalie Matt Sharp out the door. Gone too are defensemen Mike Generi, Joe Ednie, and Erik Casparius. While Mike Battaglia (LSM) and Jake Kissick are back, those are significant losses throughout the defensive corps.

Manhattan

Jasper: Far more scary if you’re a dalmatian. Disney jokes.

Detroit: April 19 (away)

2013

4-11 (1-5 MAAC), #61 LaxPower, #59 Tempo-Free Lax

Manhattan was one of the country’s worst teams until the season finale against Marist, which was a 14-12 upset. That improved them to… still one of the worst teams in the country. Them’s the ropes.

The Past Results

Detroit had a pretty easy go in the only matchup last year, building a 5-1 lead and not letting the Jaspers get any closer than three goals once it reached 6-3. Although UDM never had that single back-breaking moment to put it away once and for all, the 14-8 margin says enough about the difference between the squads.

Mike Birney scored four goals and chipped in an assist, while Tom Masterson and Andy Hebden each had a pair of goals (plus an assist for Masterson). A.J. Levell faced 18 shots and saved 10 of them, while Jamie Hebden led the D with four CTs.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Manhattan tried a ton of guys on faceoffs last year, but no individual could crack the .440 mark. Sean McMahon was by far the most-used, followed by Matt Ruquet. They were the worst on the team, but I would still expect that the returner McMahon gets his chance to win the job. Fellow senior Greg Smith didn’t blow anyone away either, and unless some new blood comes in, the struggle could continue.

The offense was a relative strong suit last year, and although leading scorer Tyler Jarvis has graduated, the rest of the top five is back. Finding some assists will be a big priority, since the only true assist man (No. 5 scorer Brett Madarazs) will take on a bigger role and his midfielder spot is not always the most natural for assisting, and this offense was extremely light on assisted goals in the first place. Attack Ryan Payton and midfielders Marcel Godino, Patrick Hodapp, and Madarasz are all seniors, so if nothing else there’s a lot of experience here.

This is the first team of the post that didn’t have a true No. 1 keeper last year, instead splitting time between Michael Wiatrak (just over nine games’ worth of time between the pipes in 10 appearances) and Rich Akapnitis (about seven games’ worth in eight appearances). Akapnitis had the worse save percentage but the better GAA, so maybe his defenders like him more. He’s a senior this year, and Wiatrak is a junior.

Junior Max Kerber and senior Dan McGreevey are the key returners on close D, and a rotating cast of characters earned the third start of the unit next to them during last season. Finding a third player to be “the guy” could help solidify the defense to a degree and lead to some major improvement for the Jaspers.

Monmouth

A rare photo of the Monmouth mascot mid-magic trick.

Detroit: April 26 (away)

This will be the first year of Monmouth’s program, so there’s not any past evidence to build a basis on them. the general picture is that new programs are sort of terrible until a couple years in, so this should be a victory for a Detroit squad that has its feet firmly under it (and is gunning for an NCAA Tournament berth for the second year in a row).

The Hawks feature a number of JuCo and small-college transfers on the roster, but nobody who cam in from a different Division-1 institution. With just nine non-freshman on the roster and nobody who has an established reputation at the D-1 level, this could be pretty rough for a couple years until the squad grows up a bit.

Stay tuned in coming days, when I’ll run down the rest of the schedules for each team, and then get into full-on season previewin’ mode.