A mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers should serve the Massachusetts Maritime men’s lacrosse program well during the 2016 season, as sixth-year Head Coach Rory Deegan welcomes back 18 letterwinners and six starters from a squad looking to climb the ladder of success in the always-challenging New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference race.

Leadership has long been a staple of the Buccaneer program, and this spring will be no exception as Deegan looks to seniors Anthony Kurylak (Exeter, N.H./Portsmouth) and James Klose (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Saint Joseph), along with junior Steven Anderson (Crownsville, Md./Annapolis Area Christian), to set the tone as team tri-captains.  Deegan, who guided Massachusetts Maritime to six overall victories as well as its second straight Maritime Cup crown a year ago, says that “all three captains have demonstrated great commitment, integrity and passion to help this program continue to grow and succeed, and I know they will continue to work and set the example of hard work for their teammates.  They know the challenges and goals that they will face during the upcoming season, and they are looking forward to not only meeting them, but exceeding them.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2016 edition of Buccaneer Men’s Lacrosse:

ATTACK.  Junior Ryan McNeill (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) is the top returning attacker for Deegan after netting 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points last season, while senior Reed McLean (Wilbraham, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) followed with 17 goals and a pair of helpers for 19 points in 2015.  Sophomore Keaghan Bartley enjoyed a solid rookie campaign with 15 goals and two assists for 17 points, while juniors Conor Greaney (Milton, Mass./Milton) and Patrick Kearney (Scituate, Mass./Boston College) combined for 10 tallies and seven helpers for 17 points.  A quintet of freshmen will also be looking to make an impact up front for Massachusetts Maritime, as newcomers Ted Powers (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), Elliot Bates (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich), Brendan Kelly (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner), Zack O’Brien (Lakeville, Mass./Catholic Memorial) and Cody Livermore (Ludlow, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) bolster the attack unit.

MIDFIELD.  Kurylak leads a talented group in the middle for the Buccaneers, as he led the squad in scoring a year ago with 28 goals and three assists for 31 points.  Anderson chipped in with 14 markers and five helpers for 19 points for Deegan, who also received four goals and a team-leading 13 assists off the stick of junior Kevin Collins (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional).  Junior Joseph Landy (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) collected 11 goals and 15 points last spring for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received nine tallies and an assist from sophomore Robert Steinweg (Arnold, Md./Saint Mary’s) as well as a goal in 12 outings from fellow sophomore Samuel Hastings (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry).

Senior Nick Foley (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake) was the top performer in the face-off circle for Deegan, as he won 113 attempts in the middle while adding an assist on the offensive side in 16 starts.  Additionally, four rookies will be vying for roles in the midfield for the Buccaneers this season, as freshmen Kenneth Parnell (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), Jack Moran (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee), Ben Barattini (Osterville, Mass./Barnstable) and Jake O’Riordan (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) will look to make their marks in the middle.

DEFENSE.  Juniors Alec Plotnikiewicz (South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley) and Joe Starkey (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) pace a solid defensive corps for Deegan, as the duo combined to start in 15 of 16 contests during the 2015 campaign.  Sophomore Jack Mahoney (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) joined Plotnikiewicz with an assist on offense in 16 matches played, while Starkey led Massachusetts Maritime’s defensive unit with 41 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers a year ago. 

Sophomore Bobby Macarthy (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) registered a pair of goals to go with 28 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers for the Buccaneers, who also welcome back junior Eric Murphy (Danvers, Mass./Brooks School) after a year’s hiatus.  Additionally, junior Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury), along with freshmen Benjamin Hurley (Stow, Mass./Nashoba Regional), Connor Helm (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway), Elias DiTullio (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), Andrew Cook (Quincy, Mass./Quincy), Kevin Clark (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional) and Steven Sullivan (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) provide depth on the defensive side heading into the 2016 slate.

GOAL.  Klose returns as a solid last line of defense for the Buccaneers, as he recorded 177 saves in over 810 minutes of action last spring while starting in all of his 15 appearances in net.  Junior Jacob Brennan (North Reading, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) lends additional experience for Deegan after making 30 stops in seven contests (with one start) and recording a victory, while freshmen Michael Dolan (McLean, Va./McLean) and Jeffrey Statile (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) will be vying for roles in the Massachusetts Maritime cage as well this season.

SCHEDULE.  A good dose of home cookin’ awaits the Buccaneers this spring, as Massachusetts Maritime will play its first seven contests in the friendly confines of Clean Harbors Stadium and 12 of 17 regular season matches on Taylor’s Point.  Included in those home contests is the Third Annual Maritime Lacrosse Classic during the weekend of March 11-13 against rivals SUNY-Maritime and Maine Maritime, and Deegan’s crew will also entertain Springfield, Babson, Coast Guard and Wheaton in NEWMAC play.

The Buccaneers begin the 2016 season on Saturday, March 5^th when Massachusetts Maritime hosts Albertus Magnus in a non-league outing at Clean Harbors Stadium at 2:00 p.m. EST.