With 22 letterwinners and seven starters returning this spring, experience will certainly be a large factor in the success of the Massachusetts Maritime men’s lacrosse team in 2017.  Head Coach Rory Deegan will rely upon veteran leadership at several key positions in his seventh campaign in Buzzards Bay, and coupled with a group of talented newcomers in the fold, the Buccaneers are ready to climb the ladder of success in the always-rugged New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference.

Deegan will turn to a quartet of seniors to provide the leadership that has long been a staple of the program, as Kevin Collins (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional), Patrick Kearney (Scituate, Mass./Boston College), Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury), Ryan McNeill (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) and Alec Plotnikiewicz (South Hadley, Mass./South Hadley) will serve as Massachusetts Maritime’s captains this spring.  Deegan, a former standout at Division I Manhattan, describes the ‘fab five’ as “incredibly gifted leaders both on the field and in the regiment.  They have distinguished themselves by achieving excellence in their studies, by making a difference in the community and by setting examples to emulate in competition.  They have raised the bar even higher and will continue to set a high standard of achievement that our program strives to attain each and every day.”

Here’s a look at how things are shaping up for the 2017 edition of Buccaneer Men’s Lacrosse:

ATTACK.  Sophomores Cody Livermore (Ludlow, Mass./Brewster Academy) and Ted Powers (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) lead the way up front for Massachusetts Maritime after turning in solid performances in their rookie seasons, as Livermore notched 21 goals and a team-leading 22 assists for 43 points and Powers added 27 goals and 42 total points a year ago.  Junior Keaghan Bartley (Richmond, Va./Godwin) lends additional experience after posting 10 goals and 21 assists in 15 outings, while freshman Benjamin Avakian (Bourne, Mass./Bourne) will look to make an impact during his inaugural collegiate campaign.

MIDFIELD.  McNeill heads a veteran group in the middle for Deegan after collecting seven goals and 18 points in 17 contests in 2016, while sophomore Zack O’Brien (Lakeville, Mass./Catholic Memorial) netted seven goals and seven assists as a rookie.  Kearney and sophomore Jake O’Riordan (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) each notched three tallies and four points for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received three points and a team-leading 137 face-off wins from sophomore Kenny Parnell (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield).  Collins, along with sophomores Brendan Kelly (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) and Ben Barattini (Osterville, Mass./Barnstable), combined for three goals and four points for the Buccaneers, who also received 14 match appearances from sophomore Jack Moran (Mashpee, Mass./Mashpee).

A talented group of newcomers will bolster Deegan’s crew in the midfield, as sophomores Andrew Franks (North Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) and Sean Flaherty (South Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth), along with freshmen Sean Kahler (Greenville, R.I./Smithfield), Casey Fisher (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin), Nolan Delano (Billerica, Mass./Arlington Catholic), Thomas Modula (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township), Michael O’Brien (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield), Michael Sharry (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) and Franklin Ragge (Scituate, Mass./Scituate), are looking to impact Massachusetts Maritime’s fortunes this season.

DEFENSE.  McCarthy and Plotnikiewicz lead a solid Buccaneer defensive corps, as they each appeared in all 17 matches in 2016 and combined for 46 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers.  Junior Bobby Macarthy (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) added 20 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers to go with an assist on offense, while sophomore Eli DiTullio (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) enjoyed a successful rookie campaign after notching 16 ground balls and causing six turnovers in 13 starts.  Juniors Samuel Hastings (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) and Jack Mahoney (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) provide additional experience after combining for 31 match appearances, 22 ground balls and five caused turnovers for Massachusetts Maritime, while sophomores Kevin Clark (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional) and Andrew Cook (Quincy, Mass./Quincy) return after playing in a combined 14 contests in 2016.  Junior Nicholas Zaia (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) is back after a year’s hiatus to provide depth on defense for Deegan, who will also look for contributions from freshmen Paul Toscano (Bedford, N.H./Bedford), Sean Smialek (South Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) and Timothy Johnson (Bourne, Mass./Bourne).

GOALIE.  Sophomores Jeffrey Statile (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) and Michael Dolan (McLean, Va./McLean) will compete for the starting spot in the Buccaneer cage this season, as each appeared in five matches and made six saves as rookies last spring.  Statile earned a win over Anna Maria last March and played in just over 60 minutes in net for Massachusetts Maritime, while Dolan logged just under 40 minutes of action.  Freshman Samuel Lyons (Pocasset, Mass./Bourne) will also challenge to be the last line of defense during his inaugural collegiate campaign.

SCHEDULE.  Deegan’s crew will embark on a 16-match regular season slate in 2017 that features home contests against Albertus Magnus, Plymouth State, Norwich and Anna Maria in non-league play along with NEWMAC clashes against Emerson, Clark and MIT alongside the Cape Cod Canal.  The Buccaneers will head to Saint Joseph’s (Maine), Salem State and UMass Dartmouth while also competing in the two-day Maritime Classic at Maine Maritime in early March, and Massachusetts Maritime will travel to Springfield, Babson, Coast Guard and Wheaton for NEWMAC outings.

The Buccaneers are set to begin the 2017 season on Saturday, March 4^th when Massachusetts Maritime welcomes Albertus Magnus to Clean Harbors Stadium for a non-league match at 3:00 p.m. EST.