Several teams to challenge for title

Mercyhurst
Key Players (Yr., Pos.): Brian Scheetz (Jr., A), Greg Bensman (Sr., LSM), Kyle Kallay (Sr., A) and Brady Heseltine, (So., A)

Noting the Lakers:  Mercyhurst enters the season as the No. 1 team in Division II and are looking to claim its second consecutive national title. The Lakers lost several key components of last year’s championship team including All-American goalie Zach Nash. Nash started every game last season and Mercyhurst’s new goalie will be the X-factor heading into the 2012 season.

Brian Scheetz will once again key Mercyhurst’s championship hopes. The junior scored 21 goals and dished 33 assists during last season’s campaign. Senior Greg Bensman is another statistical leader returning for the Lakers, recording 52 groundballs and forcing 29 turnovers while starting all 16 games.

The Lakers face a tough schedule in 2012, taking on five foes in the top 10.

Adelphi
Key Players (Yr., Pos.,): Joe Vitale (Sr., A), Shane Wynn (Sr., M) , Danny Blau (Sr., A), Eric Jannen (Sr. G)  

Noting the Panthers: Adelphi capped an impressive 2011 campaign highlighted by a Northeast-10 Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA championship game, where they lost 8-7 to Mercyhurst. Adelphi is returning four USILA All-American honors including NE-10 Goalkeeper of the year in Eric Janssen.

Limestone
Key Players (Yr., Pos.,): R Shayne Jackson (Sr., A), Riley Loewen (Jr., A), Jackson Decker (Sr., M), Steve Gartleman (Sr., G)

Noting the Saints: Expectations are high for Limestone entering the 2012 season. Head coach J.B. Clarke begins his second season at helm after leading the Saints to a program record 12th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament and a 15-2 record that tied the school mark for wins in a season (’04 and ’05).

The Saints will return one of the most explosive and dynamic attacks in the nation this season. National Player of the Year candidates Shayne Jackson and Riley Loewen are back along with starting goalkeeper Steve Gartleman and midfielder Jackson Decker.. Decker is a devastating offensive force who led Division II with 4.82 points per game and 2.94 assists and was named a USILA First-Team All-American. He was the only Division II player to be among the 25 finalists for the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, given to college lacrosse’s best player, regardless of division, a first in the storied history of Limestone lacrosse.

Last season Limestone also topped all levels of NCAA Men’s Lacrosse in scoring offense, points per game and scoring margin.

Other Teams to Watch: C.W. Post, Merrimack, Le Moyne, Mercy, Dowling.

Salisbury
Key Players (Yr., Pos.): Matt Cannone (Sr., A) Erik Krum (Sr., A) Tony Mendes (Sr., A) Sam Bradman (Sr. D)

Noting the Sea Gulls:  After winning the ninth national tile in program history last season, Salisbury is now focusing on bringing home its tenth.

“Like any season here, the goal is always to win the conference and to compete for a national championship,” Salisbury head coach Jim Berkman said. Berkman is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA men’s lacrosse history.

The goal may stay the same, but with the high quality of the returning players, the team has no reason to strive for anything but to get back to No. 1. On top of the returning players, Salisbury has added even more talent to give the team additional depth and skill. Berkman sees both of those elements in this year’s Sea Gulls and is high on the team he has in front of him.

“We like the depth that we have on this year’s team, and we like the skill level,” Berkman said. “This might be the most depth we’ve had on offense in a long time or, at least, in the past four years … this team can be really special if everyone really pushes hard and works hard in the offseason.”

Roanoke
Key Players (Yr., Pos.,): Richard Lachlan (Jr., A) Jeff Keating (Sr., A) Mike Hayden (Jr. M) Eric DeLong (Sr., D)  

Noting the Maroons: Roanoke enters the 2012 season with a preseason rank of No. 2, the highest ranking in program history. The The Maroons won their second consecutive and ODAC-best 16th overall conference title in 2011.

Four all-conference standouts return to lead the two-time defending ODAC Champions. Leading the way is Jeff Keating, who led the ODAC in points (86), goals (56), assists (30) and man-up goals (10) last spring.

Head coach Bill Pilat, who enters his 24th season on the sidelines, earned VaSID State Coach of the Year award for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The nine-time ODAC Coach of the Year is both the conference and school all-time wins leader, who reached the 250-win milestone in the post-season last spring.

Stevenson
Key Players (Yr., Pos.,): Chris Dashiell (So., M), Tyler Reid (Jr., A) Ryan Rubenstein (So., D) Ian Bolland (Sr., G)

Noting the Mustangs: Stevenson posted an 18-3 record last season while advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship. It was the third consecutive playoff appearance for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs led the nation in goals per game and scoring margin while boasting a program-record nine All-Americans, including the USILA’s Outstanding Player of the Year Jimmy Dailey and Outstanding Defensive Player Evan Douglass.

A total of 10 of Stevenson’s 17 regular-season opponents are either ranked or receiving votes in the USILA poll, including seven of the first eight. The team’s 10-game home schedule features seven of the team’s mentioned in the poll.

Other Teams to Watch: Dickinson, Tufts, Amherst,SUNY Cortland

(DII) No. 2 Adelphi — March 17: vs. No. 6 Le Moyne  March 31: vs. No. 8 Merrimack 

(DII) No. 3 Limestone — March 10: vs. No. 9 Merrimack College  Apr. 13: vs. No. 10 PfeifferApr. 14

(DIII) No. 1 Stevenson — Feb. 25: vs. No. 2 Roanoke  April 14: at No. 7 Stevenson 

No. 3 Tufts — March 20: at No. 17 Stevenson April 14: at. No. 7 Amherst