2020 Season Outlook: Veteran Core Looking to Build On Quick, Upward Momentum From Second Half of 2019 Season

A very youthful College of Wooster men's lacrosse team gelled quickly last year, and the Fighting Scots rode that upward momentum to a spot in the four-team North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. Now with nearly all of those key pieces back, Wooster's heading into the 2020 season with plenty of positive momentum.

"We clicked at the right time to turn around the season last year," summed up head coach P.J. Kavanagh, who enters his sixth year at the helm of the Scots' program. "The biggest key for our success is the significantly strong team chemistry. The guys play with and for each other really, really well."

Wooster projects to have a strong, established attacking core in place for 2020, with five of the team's top six goal scorers back in the fold. Junior Shaun Peirce, who tied Wooster's 29-year-old record with 51 goals last season, headlines the attackers. The Scots certainly don't lack firepower up front, thanks to the likes of sophomore Drake Nickolaison, senior Cullen Kuhn, and senior Cooper Pewitt, who combined for 75 tallies in the scoring column a year ago.

Ultimately, Wooster's offensive success rests heavily on the Scots' ability to establish a strong midfield, both on the attacking end and in transition. From the offensive side of things, junior Ted Wells (20 goals, 18 assists) leads the way.

"Hopefully the starting midfield, which all returns this year, can drive the pace of our offense," explained Kavanagh. "Ted will be one of our significant initiators. He does a great job dodging and making the right decisions with the ball."

Junior Connor Mangan, sophomore David Fitzgerald, and first-year Brad Root "look to anchor the second midfield line that should provide some scoring power," per Kavanagh.

Defensively, rising sophomore Joe Citera heads into the season as the Scots' standalone number one short-stick defensive midfielder, per Kavanagh, who best described the Scots' outlook in this area with the word "potpourri."

"It's wide open right now (behind Joe)," shared Kavanagh. "There are a number of first-years, sophomores, and junior vying for competitive roles at that position. The short-stick defensive midfielder is extremely important and this is a question that is going to need to get answered very quickly."

While numerous Scots are in the mix for the key roles at short-stick defensive midfielder, Kavanagh is optimistic that "with the skillset we have at this position, we should have more opportunities for transition scoring than we had the last two seasons."

Plenty of senior leadership lurks in the back end of Wooster's team, with four-year starter Wesley Wagner anchoring the defense from his 'keeper position.

"We expect another level of vocal leadership from Wesley this year," said Kavanagh. "His poise, and the respect with which he captivates the rest of the team, should give him an excellent ability to lead the team."

Returning faces, but new starters, are projected to start on Wooster's defensive line this year. That unit should get a big boost with the return of former starter Noah Plotkin, who missed a season due to injury. Classmates Caelan Doherty and Rob Driscoll are other likely defensive starters, per Kavanagh, with Driscoll taking on a new position as a close defender.

"Despite a new look, we have some veteran leadership on defense," stated Kavanagh.

Some substantial strides could be in store from Wooster's up-and-coming faceoff unit, thanks to a strong mix of new and returning talent at both the faceoff-x and on the wings.

"First-year Olayinka Jimba has really locked down the top spot at the faceoff-x," shared Kavanagh. "We are extremely excited about his ability, his energy and his exceptionally positive attitude. In addition, he's sparked a ton of competition there with the other guys, which has brought up everyone's level of play."

Wooster's season starts with a 9 p.m. game against Albion College at Detroit Country Day School on Saturday, February 8. The first of seven homes games is set for Wednesday, March 4, when Capital University visits John P. Papp Stadium for a 7 p.m. contest.