The Massachusetts Maritime men’s cross country team is ready to embark on another race to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title, as veteran Head Coach Chris Ryan will have a blend of experience and youth to mesh together as the Buccaneers seek their second league crown in five years.

Ryan, a two-time selection as MASCAC Coach of the Year, will look to senior tri-captains Patrick Dannaher (Arlington, Va./Trinity), Brian Maniglia (Pennsville, N.J./Pennsville Memorial) and Paul Matz (Plainville, Mass./King Philip) to set the bar for his young squad, as he describes the trio as “determined leaders who will work as hard as they can to help their teammates succeed and improve as each week passes.”  Dannaher, Maniglia and Matz provided consistency throughout the 2009 season for Massachusetts Maritime, which is picked to finish fourth in the MASCAC championships in a vote of the conference’s coaches, as the Buccaneers three top-five team finishes and four in the top nine during competition last fall.  Sophomore Evan Balderelli (Brimfield, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) is the other returning letterwinner for Ryan, as he gained valuable experience during his rookie campaign.

Six newcomers dot the Massachusetts Maritime roster in 2010, as sophomore Rob Bergonzi (Quincy, Mass./Quincy) and freshmen Kevin Griffin (Stoneham, Mass./Stoneham), Erik King (Pittsfield, Mass./Pittsfield), Steven Migridichian (Shrewsbury, Mass./Bancroft School), James Murray (Westfield, Mass./Westfield) and Brent Schouler (Hyannis, Mass./Whitinsville Christian) will all be looking to impact the Buccaneer fortunes this fall.

Massachusetts Maritime begins the season looking to defend its team title in the Lt. Travis J. Fuller Invitational alongside Cape Cod Canal on Saturday, September 11^th beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT.