Pat Henderson, who has tallied 38 goals and 18 assists, is one of eight seniors looking to lead the Fighting Scots to new heights.

The 2015 season will be a measuring stick for The College of Wooster, which has improved its win total each of the last four years, including 10-5 last spring, as the Fighting Scots have amped up their schedule in a big way and will now see how they match up against some of the nation's best. Of its 16 opponents, Wooster will play six that were either part of the 2014 NCAA Div. III Men's Lacrosse Championship field or are in the 2015 coaches' preseason top-20 poll.

Undaunted by that schedule, the Scots will rely heavily on their senior leadership, which includes returning all-North Coast Athletic Conference standouts Tom Herold at attack, Sean Hohan at defender, and Max Rubin at face-off specialist. Other members of the senior class include midfielder Evan Albertson, voted a team captain for the third time; midfielder PJ Dallman, an all-NCAC selection himself as a sophomore; Pat Henderson, who has been a key part of the offense throughout his career; starting defender Robert Friedhoff; and Ben Grombala, the anticipated starter at goalie.

Herold has steadily increased his scoring each year, going from 31 points to 38 to 42 last season, when he posted career highs in both goals (28) and assists (14). One of Herold's top running mates on the front line will be his brother, sophomore Josh Herold, again. The younger Herold was the team's second-leading scorer as a freshman with 31 points, including a team-leading 18 assists.

Wooster could receive a significant scoring boost from junior Harry Kemp, who missed last year but is back with the program after netting 26 goals during the 2013 campaign, while it also has Henderson, who has totaled 56 career points (38 goals, 18 assists), and sophomore Pat McKay, who started the majority of time at attack during a strong 15-goal, five-assist debut.

At midfield, the Scots are seeking out a number of athletes who can play both sides of the field, and among their top returning players there this spring are Albertson, Dallman, and junior Nate Weltman. In addition to his outstanding leadership, Albertson has contributed 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) previously, and similarly, Dallman is a 52-point career scorer (33 goals, 19 assists). Weltman broke out as the team's third-leading scorer last season with 19 goals plus four assists en route to honorable mention on the All-NCAC Team.

Rubin, a two-time all-conference pick, will play a key role in jump starting the offense, as he is one of the best around at face-offs, having helped Wooster gain possession 56.4 percent of the time in 2014 and 58.2 percent in 2013 while combining for 120 groundballs.

Other experienced and talented midfielders include sophomores Matt Parmelee and CJ Polak, both of whom are members of the Scots' men's soccer team, as well as junior Niall Cronin and sophomore Mike Pappalardo.

Wooster has established a strong defensive tradition, rating among the top-20 in the final Div. III statistics five times over the past 12 years, including No. 9 in 2014 at 6.33 goals allowed per game.

Three starting defenders return from that group in Friedhoff, Hohan, and junior John McCarthy. Hohan has been all-NCAC every season, highlighted by first-team recognition as a sophomore, the 6-4 McCarthy entered the lineup from day one and already has 24 career starts, while Friedhoff has emerged as a top-flight contributor after overcoming a serious knee injury.

Additional key factors will be junior long-stick midfielder Dan Gorzynski and classmate John Trainor as they have logged significant minutes in the defensive half.

On the surface, the goalkeeper position could be the one area of concern for the Scots, however, those veteran defenders should give Grombala, or whoever emerges as the starter, comfort. Grombala, who also spent time as a defensive midfielder, has played in 10 career games in front of the net, registering a .684 save percentage. He'll be challenged for the position by sophomore Hunter Ligo and first-year Tyler LaCroix.

There are others from the 18-member freshmen class who could make an impact, the most noteworthy being defender Ryan Harms and midfielders Spencer Wood, Jack Templeton, and Sam Kuhn, the latter coming from renowned high school program Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Md.