After enjoying its best campaign in seven years last spring, the Massachusetts Maritime men’s lacrosse team is looking for a combination of experience and depth to continue to successfully chart the waters of the Pilgrim Lacrosse League.

Head Coach Barry Joyce welcomes back 19 letterwinners for the 2010 campaign after guiding his Buccaneers to nine overall victories and a berth in the ECAC Division III New England Semi-Finals last May, as Massachusetts Maritime dispatched Plymouth State with a spirited second-half comeback in the quarterfinal round before giving nationally-ranked and eventual ECAC champion Endicott all it could handle.  Joyce, a former Buccaneer standout (Class of 2005) in his own right, hopes a veteran presence will continue to be a positive influence for his alma mater once again this spring.

Leadership will once again play an important role in Massachusetts Maritime’s fortunes, and Joyce will look to three senior Buccaneers to set the tone for the upcoming campaign, as Connor and Brian Burke (Del Mar, Calif./San Diegutio Academy), along with James Hitchings (Dover, Mass./Dover-Sherborn), have been elected as tri-captains for the 2010 season.  Joyce describes this trio as “committed to taking this program to a higher level of excellence.  They have been leaders on the field and in the classroom, and every member of our team should look to emulate their performance.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2010 edition of Massachusetts Maritime Men’s Lacrosse:

ATTACK.  Brian Burke posted another all-Pilgrim League performance in 2009, as he paced the Buccaneers in scoring with 42 goals and 15 assists for 57 points in 16 contests, including a pair of game-winning tallies and five man-up goals.  Connor Burke added 25 goals and 12 assists for 37 points despite missing three contests with an injury, and the tandem of twin brothers boasts one of the most formidable scoring duos in the region.  Sophomore Kyle Lersch (Suffolk, Va./Barham Trail) chipped in with three goals up front during his rookie season for Massachusetts Maritime, while freshman Parker Simon (Kennett Square, Pa./Salesianum) looks to contribute during his inaugural campaign this spring.

MIDFIELD.  Joyce has a plethora of experience to rely upon in the middle in 2010, as juniors Jake Bickley (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and Ryan Linn (Bourne, Mass./Bourne) return after combining for 47 points last spring, including 19 goals and five assists from Bickley and 12 goals and 11 assists off the stick of Linn.  Junior Craig Nichols (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and sophomore Will Doucette (Manchester, Mass./Manchester-Essex) each notched five goals and an assist for six points, while junior Michael Lambros (Forestdale, Mass./Sandwich) chipped in with a pair of goals and three assists for five points.  The quartet of junior Max Wigglesworth (Beverly, Mass./St. John’s Prep) and sophomores Kyle Scannell (Tierra Verde, Fla./Lakewood), Peter Menard (Somerset, Mass./Bishop Connolly) and Jonathan Kincaid (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) combined for five goals and an assist for six points last spring for the Buccaneers, who also received additional experience from junior Adam Jaspon (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham), who appeared in 15 contests in 2009. 

Joyce will welcome in eight newcomers looking to make an impact at the midfield spots this spring, as junior Chris Davis (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset), sophomore Ben Wilbur (Sharon, Conn./Housatonic Valley) and freshmen Evan Sheridan (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford), Alex Katapodis (Wrentham, Mass./King Philip), James Burns (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury), Dan Langley (Abington, Mass./South Shore Voke), Steve Buker (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) and Kevin Flanigan (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) will be vying for roles in Massachusetts Maritime’s lineup.

DEFENSE.  Juniors Mark Robinson (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) and Matt Donahue (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) lead a solid Buccaneer defensive corps, as the duo combined for 31 appearances last season with Robinson chipping in an assist on offense.  Fellow junior Ryan Delaney (Whitman, Mass./Xaverian) also appeared in 15 matches last season for Joyce’s crew, while sophomores Nick Bronski (Needham, Mass./Needham) and Matt Adam (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich) lend additional experience after combining to appear in 16 contests as rookies.

Sophomore Vincent Esposito (Yorktown, N.Y./Lakeland Senior) and freshmen Nate Lawson (Middlebury, Vt./Middlebury Union), Derek Mucciarone (Franklin, Mass./Tri-County), William Baribault (Middle Haddam, Conn./Kingswood-Oxford) and Jake Lennon (Bourne, Mass./Bourne) will also be looking to impact Massachusetts Maritime’s defensive attack as newcomers this spring.

GOAL.  Hitchings once again proved to be a solid last line of defense for the Buccaneers in 2009, as he notched seven victories to go with a 10.40 GAA and a .557 saves percentage, recording 116 total stops on the season.  Delaney will serve as Massachusetts Maritime’s back-up netminder, as he appeared in a pair of contests last spring and recorded one save.

The Buccaneers open up the 2010 season on St. Patrick’s Day when Massachusetts Maritime entertains Wentworth in a non-league encounter at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT.