With experienced veterans and talented newcomers comprising the 2015 Massachusetts Maritime men’s lacrosse roster, enthusiasm is running high for Head Coach Rory Deegan as he embarks on his fifth campaign as the Buccaneers’ mentor.  Deegan welcomes back 17 letterwinners and six starters from last year’s squad that posted seven overall victories for the second time in three years, as Massachusetts Maritime is set to take on the rigors of the New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference once again this spring.

Leadership has always played a key role in the success of the program, and Deegan will look to senior Dylan Freudenberg (Islip, N.Y./St. Anthony’s) and junior Anthony Kurylak (Exeter, N.H./Portsmouth) to set that example as team co-captains this season.  Deegan, a former standout at Division I Manhattan, says the two “have a solid veteran presence and are effective leaders both on and off the field.  They have earned the respect of their teammates, and they demand excellence that this program strives to attain in athletic competition and academic performance.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2015 edition of Buccaneer Men’s Lacrosse:

ATTACK.  Freudenberg, a three-year team captain, is Massachusetts Maritime’s top returning scorer after netting 25 goals and 12 assists for 37 points while chipping in with 23 ground balls in 2014.  Junior Sean Staples (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) and sophomore Ryan McNeill (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) also provide valuable experience at attack after combining for 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points last spring, while junior Hayden Lynch (Dunstable, Mass./Groton-Dunstable) and sophomores Patrick Kearney (Scituate, Mass./Boston College) and Conor Greaney (Milton, Mass./Milton) return after combining for six goals and six assists for 12 points a year ago. 

Senior Todd Solari (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) returns to the program after a two-year absence to lend additional experience for the Buccaneers, while freshmen Keaghan Bartley (Richmond, Va./Godwin), Maclain Kearns (Watertown, Conn./Holy Cross) and Paul Frost (Tiverton, R.I./Bishop Connolly) will also look to impact the fortunes of Deegan’s crew during their rookie campaigns.

MIDFIELD.  Kurylak keys a strong presence in the middle for Massachusetts Maritime, as he netted 13 goals (including four man-up markers) and five assists for 18 points last season.  Junior Reed McLean (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) earned second team all-NEWMAC accolades in 2014 after notching 19 goals and seven assists for 26 points to go with 22 ground balls, while sophomore Sam Jarvis (Laurel Springs, N.J./Paul VI) had a solid inaugural collegiate campaign with 14 goals and three assists for 17 points as well as 17 ground balls.  The sophomore trio of Kevin Collins (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), Steven Anderson (Crownsville, Md./Annapolis Area Christian) and Joseph Landy (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) combined for 13 goals and four assists for 17 points as rookies last spring.

Junior Nick Foley (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake) is the top returnee on face offs for the Buccaneers, as he won 25 draws and added a pair of tallies on offense.  Freshmen Robert Steinweg (Arnold, Md./Saint Mary’s), Amir Rassipour (Framingham, Mass./Framingham), Tarsiah Murphy (Holden, Mass./Montachusett Tech), Samuel Hastings (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry), Corey Papineau (Westfield, Mass./Saint Mary) and Cody Parks (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) will be vying for spots in the middle for Deegan during their first collegiate season of play.

DEFENSE.  Sophomores Joe Starkey (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) and Alec Plotnikiewicz (South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley) return to lead Massachusetts Maritime’s defensive corps this spring, as Starkey appeared in 11 matches and collected an assist on offense while Plotnikiewicz played in seven outings in 2014.  Deegan will look to seven newcomers to step up as well on the defensive side, as senior Tyler Connolly (Norfolk, Mass./King Philip), along with freshmen Robert Macarthy (Winchester, Mass./Winchester), John Mahoney (Hanover, Mass./Hanover), Nicholas Zaia (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional), Caleb Brown (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth), Nathan Jensen (Fork Union, Va./Fork Union Military) and Kyle Richardson (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) should play key roles for the Buccaneers this spring.

GOALIE.  Junior James Klose (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) is the top returning netminder for Deegan’s squad, as he has made five career appearances with 12 saves.  Sophomore Jacob Brennan (North Reading, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) played in three matches as a rookie in 2014 for Massachusetts Maritime, while freshman Conor Sherman (Ocean Springs, Miss./Ocean Springs) will also look to impact on the Buccaneers’ last line of defense as a newcomer.

SCHEDULE.  Another challenging 17-match slate awaits Massachusetts Maritime during the 2015 campaign, as the Buccaneers will tangle with Albertus Magnus, Saint Joseph’s (Maine), Plymouth State and Regis in non-league home outings while entertaining Emerson, Clark and MIT in NEWMAC play.  Deegan’s crew will head to Wentworth, Anna Maria, Salem State and UMass Dartmouth for non-league tilts while also traveling to Babson, Springfield, newcomer Coast Guard and Wheaton for NEWMAC action.  Additionally, Massachusetts Maritime looks to defend its crown at the Second Annual Maritime Cup against rival Maine Maritime and host SUNY-Maritime on March 14-15.