Sports Hotline
860-465-5756
2008 PREVIEW
FOR M-LACROSSE, FIRST-YEAR COACH AXEL TAKES THE REINS
Former Salisbury University assistant looks to take Warriors to new levels
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The men’s lacrosse program has enjoyed remarkable success in a dozen seasons on the intercollegiate level: 17 Little East Conference and Pilgrim League championships, five NCAA and three ECAC tournament appearances, and 77 home wins in 82 decisions.
Justin Axel, named the fourth head coach in program history last summer, knows something about success. In due time, the former Salisbury University assistant coach is looking to take the program to still another level in his position as a first-time collegiate head coach.
“Eastern has a strong sense of pride and tradition, and with the great facilities and strong academic reputation, I believe that we can establish the program as one of the top echelon Division III programs in the country,” says Axel, a native of Columbia, Md. Axel spent the last six seasons as a parttime assistant coach at Salisbury, where he served on the staff of head coach Jim Berkman with the nation’s premier Division III lacrosse program. With Axel on the staff, the Sea Gulls compiled an overall record of 115-7 (94.3 per cent) and won four national championships (three straight) and placed second once.
Axel brings a new style and new approach to the program, which slipped under .500 and failed to reach double figures in wins (8-9 record) last year for the first time. Facing their historically challenging early-season schedule, the Warriors lost their first four matches and never fully recovered. They climbed back to .500 late in the regular season by winning six of their next eight, but went winless again in a three-game stretch which included losses to top New England opponents Connecticut College and Trinity College.
“The guys are doing great things, they’ve done a great job with the system, and they’re having fun,” says Axel. “The kids are having a blast, and I’m having a blast. Lacrosse should be the best part of their day. If not, you should find something else to do.”
This year, Eastern will be without 2007 national scoring leader and two-time Little East Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year Dave Carpenter – the program’s point and assist leader -- but the Warriors return five of their other six all-conference players. Eastern’s defense returns intact in the form of goalie Kyle Savage (Southington) and close defenseman Jon Snedeker (Southington), Steve Lane (Groton), and Mike Silvestrini (Guilford). A senior, Snedeker will challenge this year as the program’s all-time leader in ground balls, having totaled 214 in 49 career matches (4.4 per match) Lane, second to Snedeker among active players with 122 ground balls, has never missed a start in his two-year career, while Silvestrini started all 17 matches last year as a first-year transfer. Both Lane and Silvestrini are juniors.
Having started 34 consecutive matches in net, Kyle Savage set program records for saves and minutes last year and in only his third season this spring, should break career records for saves, minutes, and starts.
Kyle Savage, Snedeker and Lane are returning All-Little East Conference performers. Snedeker was named to the all-conference team for the third straight season last year, at long-stick midfield. Savage has been named to the all-conference team in each of his first two seasons. As a freshman, he was selected as the conference’s Rookie-of-the-Year. Lane is also a returning all-conference player.
In addition to a run-and-gun offensive style, pressure defense is central to Axel’s philosophy.
“We want our defense to dictate tempo. We are going to get out on our opponents’ hands, and try to take the ball away,” says Axel. “We won’t sit back in a zone and wait. The most important aspect of our game is for us to push out and pressure the offense. We are going to get up and down the field,” predicts Axel. “Given our style, we are going to give up some goals – and we will turn it over – but I’m OK with that. I want our guys to play hard, intelligent and together. If we do those three things, we will be a good team.”
Four of six players who accumulated double figures in points are back, and must help ease the losses of Carpenter (35-61-96) and Tommy Laverty (33-5-38) – two of last year’s top three scorers and first-line attackmen.
Of the top four returning scorers, two are members of the attacking line and two work out of the midfield. Junior midfielder DJ Simmons (Mystic) complemented Carpenter last year by scoring 32 goals and adding 40 points, while junior attack Matthew Savage (Southington) chipped in 25 goals and 33 points. Senior midfielder Pete Hamilton (Rutland, VT) – the active career leader in goals (68) and points (89) -- returns for his fourth season after totaling 19 goals and 30 points a year ago. Senior attack Tyler Prescott (Norwalk) had 17 goals and 27 points as a member of the top attacking unit last year and returns for his fourth season as the active career leader with 30 assists.
Freshman Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY) may join Matthew Savage and Prescott this year on the first attack line this season, with junior Ben Raccio (Hamden), sophomore Maxim Fantl (West Hartford) and freshmen Eric Vasil (Southington) and Jeremy Cogliano (Bedford, MA) expected to be key figures at midfield. Cogliano will also contribute at attack, as will freshman Brian Fechtmann (Levittown, NY) and first-year sophomore Vinny Tornatore (Norwalk).
Junior Gavin Byrne (Trumbull), first-year Western Connecticut State University sophomore Antonio Perretta (Hamden), and junior Kevin St. Pierre (Southington) are the top defensive midfielders.
Axel likes what he sees of the midfield.
“The middle of the field is what wins games,” points out Axel. “I have said to our assistants that if there is one area where we are deep, it is at midfield. It’s one area where we need to be deep, in order for us to be successful. We want to get up and down and wear opponents down. If we run two midfield lines, 2-3 defensive middies, and two long poles, we can wear our opponents down.”
Newcomers Perretta and Vasil give the Warriors two talented faceoff men, with sophomore Will Lathrop (Plantsville) providing depth at that position. Uncharacteristically, the Warriors struggled in that area a year ago, losing 58 per cent of the faceoffs after posting a 56 per cent success rate in 2006.
“We need to win 60 per cent of our faceoffs, and we can do that with (Perretta and Vasil), no problem,” submits Axel. “Even if we are getting beat, I feel we will be able to win some draws, because we have great wing guys on both sides in (Snedeker and Leary).”
Sophomore Douglas Hackenyos (West Suffield) should join Lane and Silvestrini as starting close defensemen, with long-stickers Snedeker and freshman Sean Leary (West Hartford) providing the Warriors with speed, size, and aggressiveness in the middle. Another freshman – first-semester Assumption College transfer Daniel Dowling (Hamden) – will give the starting defensemen a breather as the fourth defenseman.
Like Dowling, freshman Peter Gebhardt (Glastonbury) is a first-semester transfer who is also rehabbing from injury. As the season progresses, Axel expects significant contributions from Gebhardt, who spent the previous three semesters at Quinnipiac University.
Freshman Stephen Goomrigian (Norwalk) gives Eastern a capable backup in net.
The most accomplished program in the Little East Conference, Eastern has won five of seven LEC regular-season and tournament titles. The Warriors have won 51 of 55 matches in conference regular-season and playoff competition, with all of the losses coming at the hands of Keene State College. The Owls have captured two of the last three LEC regular-season and playoff titles, relegating Eastern to second-place status each year.
Eastern’s first seven matches this year are outside the conference and include top Division III opponents Tufts University and RPI and competitive New England foes Wheaton College and Babson College. The Warriors play the first of six conference matches March 29 at the University of Southern Maine.
“We start off with a very tough schedule,” points out Axel. “We anticipate playing our best lacrosse in May, so if we drop a game in March, that’s alright. Our first five games we see are going to be tough, so it’s very possible we could start 1-4. But it will give us the experience for when we play the big games in May.”
