2011 Season Outlook: New Era of Men’s Lacrosse, But Scots Expect to Continue Progress

A new coaching staff has infused The College of Wooster men's lacrosse team with a fresh outlook. It's not as if Carl Festa and full-time assistant Audi Glass are starting from scratch, though, as they're attempting to continue a process that has seen the Fighting Scots develop into a consistent contender for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship.

"We have a solid foundation to build on, and we're excited about the new additions," said Festa, who takes over a program that has a streak of five consecutive winning seasons, including 2010 when it went 9-7, headlined by a victory over a No. 6 ranked team (Denison University). "It's an exciting time for Wooster, with the new athletic facility being built and the recent recognition that the school has received for academic excellence. As a staff, our goal is for this to translate to a bright future for our lacrosse program."

This spring, the new staff is facing the challenge of having just one of the top-five scorers returning and one member of its starting defense back in place. Due to the lack of game experience, most pundits don't expect much from Wooster this spring, but don't tell that to Festa.

"We admittedly have some holes to fill from a year ago, but I am excited about many of our returning players, who have worked hard and shown that they are ready to take on a larger role this season," he said.

Offensively, Festa is working on pushing the tempo and creating scoring opportunities in transition. With the loss of All-American midfielder Pat Coyne, there is a need for more offensive threats, and the Scots will likely lean on senior midfielders Matt Pullara and Joe Sulliman. Pullara has developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the top face-off specialists in Div. III, ranking 20th with a .620 win percentage last year, but the two-time all-NCAC standout also led the Scots with 29 goals as part of a 36-point campaign. Sulliman, who has 25 career points (20 goals, 5 assists), is expected to produce at a high rate.

Looking to carry more of the scoring load are senior Graham Zimmerman, juniors Eric Johnson and Matt Rubin, and sophomore Pat Schlick. The speedy Zimmerman, who earned honorable mention on the All-NCAC Team as a defensive specialist last season, will now spend considerable time on both sides of the field. Some freshmen middies are also looking to play integral roles in Jake Bernard, Nate Pangniano, and Logan Fitch.

Junior Taylor Takacs and seniors Pat Orr and Andrew Valeriane cap off the group as defensive middies, and their speed and athleticism will be used to quickly create transition opportunities. Also noteworthy, Orr will see time at the face-off position.

The attack line will have a completely new look with sophomores Steve Crozier, Mike Lloret, and Matt Ranck all expected to step into larger roles. They combined for 19 goals in their rookie seasons.

On the other half of the field, Wooster looks to continue its tradition of having a very athletic and hard-working defensive unit. The Scots have finished No. 8 in NCAA Div. III in scoring defense in 2008 (6.36 gpg), No. 19 in 2006 (7.07 gpg), No. 5 in 2004 (6.54 gpg), and No. 10 in 2003 (6.87 gpg).

The coaching staff offered preseason praise for junior Nick Spittle, who is expected to have a breakout year at the long-stick midfield position, and should do a great job mentoring Dean Marchitelli, a talented freshman who will back him up.

Senior Bryan McDonald is a two-year starter at close defense, but senior Bill Hiatt, who returns from a knee injury, juniors Myles McGinnis, Sam Cook, and James DeCrispino, and sophomore Andrew Holmes are also battling for starting positions.

The goalkeeper position will see a new face as well due in part to a season-ending injury for junior Corey McGann, who has started there the last two years. Senior Jake Kubasta, with eight career games worth of experience, will likely get the first look, but newcomer Matt Magoon is among a few others also vying for time.

With so little experience, it may take some time for Wooster to hit its stride. But the talent level is still very good, and mixed with a renewed energy and love of the game from the coaching staff, that could add up to some exciting results.

"We set goals game-by-game," Festa summarized. "To win the NCAC, that's a goal everybody should have, (but) as individuals and as a team, we want to continue to improve throughout the season."