2015 Pride Mens Lacrosse

[LaxPhan]

Starting up a topic specific to Hofstra Men's Lacrosse. Thoughts on the upcoming 2015 season?

[HofstraPride1]

I think team will certainly be contenders in CAA but Yapor and Varn will be tough losses offensively. Losing the way they did in CAA title game has to leave a bitter taste this off-season so will be interesting to see how they respond. Hopefully they can avoid hiccups like they did last year with Marquette and St. John's so they can position themselves for at-large should CAA not work out.

[Jojogunne]

We're solid in goal and at face-off, two critical positions, and have a lot of prospects to fill in the holes on attack. We need to develop a reliable second midfield line and continue to play tough defense.

Any word on the out-of-conference schedule?

[HofstraPride1]

From what I have heard most of the non-conference opponents will be the same, although Fairfield will now be a CAA game of course. We also lose Penn State and will only have 5 CAA games so perhaps we will get to schedule another couple solid non-conference games. It would be great to get an ACC team back on the schedule.

[LaxPhan]

I would expect in conference games to be competitive but I do think the Pride can get into the CAA's and even take the conference in 2015. Won't be easy, but Drexel graduated a ton of offensive talent (same can be said of the Pride though but Drexel did lose 3 premier players to graduation). Udel, Towson re-tooling, UMass always tough, but I like our chances IF, we can put up more than 9 PPG and stay healthy. Pride need to win the games they are supposed to.

I agree, my guess is Penn State is replaced with a team that enhances SOS, ideally an ACC opponent. The biggest challenge will be finding replacing Varn and Yapor. Varn stretched defenses a bit so the Pride need an outside shooting threat. I think there is a solid second attackman on the bench or coming in, someone that can reliably finish inside. If the Pride can find a second dodger to compliment Llinares all the better. I also agree with Jojogunne on the need for a second midfield line but that doesn't concern me as much as finding a third player on the first line with Coholan's departure. I see Malave and Hendricksen, probably Altmann but he has to protect his stick in traffic and learn to dish. But he has real potential. Pride offense needs to be creative with using the puzzle pieces. Somewhere a mixture of Malave, Hendricksen, Llinares, Altman, Begley, Davis, maybe incoming Kavanaugh will yield a potent offense and von Bargen gets back on track and healthy. Way too early to tell.

Defense is very solid, faceoff too. Pride will field outstanding players in goal, LSM, long poles, FOGO, SSDM. Unsung but maybe the best in the CAA overall.

Schedule wise, Pride need to avoid putting up stinkers like those against Marquette and St. John's each which cost the Pride an At Large bid to the NCAA's. St. John's without McArdle will not be the same team.

This is the year the Pride need to break out.

[Jojogunne]

I read somewhere that the ACC teams have dropped Maryland from their schedules, now that the Terps are in the Big Ten. Maybe we could add them to our schedule.

[HofstraPride1]

That would be great Jojoguinne. It will certainly take some getting used to not having Maryland be in the ACC. I'd also love to see Notre Dame return as well to the schedule since we always seem to match up well against them.

[Dutchman57]

JoJo...I totally agree that getting Maryland on our schedule would be a "ten strike" for our HU lax program. In looking ahead, somewhat, at our
incoming freshman class, particularly the offensive players, the following recruits could be helpful to perk up our attack.

Mitchell Kingsley, Attack , 5'11" 165, Junipero Serra HS, San Diego, CA; HS All American. His HS coach played for Seth Tierney while at JHU.

Luke Gomez, Midfielder/FO, 6" 1" 175, Wissahickon HS, (3.98 GPA) Ambler, PA; Videos show him to be a very active, two way player who
also takes face offs for his team.

Tim Golden, Att/Middie, 6' 170, Wooton HS (attended Georgetown Prep first 3 yrs of HS) Also played FB, Senior year had a scoring line of 28G's-
12 assists.

Dylan Alderman, Midfield, 5' 8" 155, Bishop Shanahan HS, PA, two way player who was actively recruited by other lax playing colleges.

Brandon Standard, Middie, 5'8" 150, Iona Prep, NY, Sr year scoring line: 26 goals - 17 assists.

Brenden Lynch, Att/Mid, 6' 150, Junipero Serra HS, CA, A productive offensive player with high lax IQ

Brendan Kavanaugh, Att, 5' 5" 125, Kellenburgh HS, NY, Smallish, but productive player who had a scoring
line of 26 goals - 20 assists during his sr year.

Joe Baker, Midfielder, 6'1" 170, Hersey HS, PA (transfer from Loyola where he played SSDM as a Fr) HS AA at
Hersey HS but injured later part of senior yr; still had a scoring line of 43 goals - 24 assists, in spite of injury.

Also, mention should be made of incoming defensive players:
Tanner Griffin, LSM, Loveland, OH; recognized as one of 20 top defensive HS players in Midwest.
Joe Serrecchia, LSM, Brewster, NY; star HS FB and lax player. Honor roll student.
Jack Concannon, GK, St Anthony HS, NY; outstanding GK prospect.

Dutchman57

[HofstraPride1]

Thanks for the list Dutchman. There are certainly some promising names on here. I will be interested in Brendan Kavanaugh since his older brother Matt has been so great for Notre Dame. I have heard Brendan is not nearly at Matt's level but perhaps he could improve over time to be productive offensive force.

[LaxPhan]

Nice looking list of incoming talent, be interesting to see how many can make the huge transition from high school to college. Need to add one inside threat and another dodger on attack and a solid third midfielder for the first line.

Maryland would be a nice addition, or an ACC team. I would think UNC might work best. I don't see Duke, Notre Dame, Hopkins or Virginia for various reasons. My completely uneducated guess is Penn State drops off the Pride schedule. They have had the Pride's number for a few years but they don't carry the ranking to help the SOS where quality losses (an oxymoron for sure) have value. Replacing them with Maryland or better yet, UNC would be interesting. The only other options could be a Loyola or UAlbany maybe?

[Jojogunne]

If this Laxpower post is correct, we're not playing Stony Brook in 2015:

http://network.laxpower.com/laxforum/vi ... =1&t=52625

[HofstraPride1]

I was hoping we'd add Stony Brook for 2015 but considering Cold War only ended earlier this year I'm not surprised we aren't since much of the schedules were already made. I predict they will return to the schedule in 2016.

[Dutchman57]

Newly listed (LaxPower Forum) recruits joining the 2016 list are:
Kyle Sliwak Midfielder Wantagh HS
Kevin O'Keefe Midfielder Oceanside HS
Ryan Tierney (Son of Seth T) Att/Mid Massapequa HS
Ryan Kinnard Midfielder Penncrest HS, PA
Riley Forte Att/Mid Half Hollow Hills - West HS

These recruits join GK Bobby Casey of Wantagh who has been listed for several weeks, now.

Dutchman
(hc57)

[LaxPhan]

I haven't been one to get excited at the prospect of adding Stony Brook to the Pride schedule. I could see it if the team swapped out St. John's, otherwise it doesn't add much to the strength of schedule. Would be a convenient Tuesday afternoon game and I guess the Long Island rivalry angle can interest some, but I would pass.

Like I said before, swap out Penn State for a big time opponent from any one of the following if at all possible (Maryland, Loyola, UNC, Virginia).

Nice to see Ryan Tierney select Hofstra. He is a good looking prospect. Say's a lot about them.

Can't wait for the 2015 season.

[HofstraPride1]

I heard Tierney on WRHU's The Locker Room last night and he seemed excited about incoming recruits, esp. Brendan Kavanagh,

[HofstraHockey]

Well of course the son would go play where his dad is coaching!

Oh. Wait. Right....

[Dutchman57]

Well of course the son would go play where his dad is coaching!

Oh. Wait. Right....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sure... just as Matt Danowski did?
Dutchman57
(hc57)

[stuball888]

Although Matt eventually played for his Dad at Duke.

[LaxPhan]

Young Tierney is a fine looking player and will help down the road.

Should be a very interesting season in 2015. The Pride should make a serious run at taking the CAA as they did last season, just need to seal it. My early prognostications on the keys to the season:

1) Clarke builds on a very fine freshman season at the faceoff X and dominates.
2) The first midfield line solidifies with a third player and gets its mojo going early.
3) The deck is shuffled and the right combo of off the bench and incoming players replace Yapor and Varn. Varn was the shooting threat that stretched defenses, who will step in? Davis perhaps or Begley? Who will fill the second attack spot and relieve Llinares of the burden of having to create all the offense off the dodge from X? Kavanaugh maybe?

This assumes continued superb play from the goalie and defense. The combination of Selva, Reicherter, Romano, Sullivan, Reilly should keep the Pride in every game, it's on the offense to deliver more than 9 PPG, especially if Clarke's F/O average closes in on .600.

The Pride offense needs more movement, a bit more creativity. The horses are there, my feeling is the schemes just didn't have enough variety and the offense was too predictable. Having said that, the shooting percentage has to go up, that's on the players.

[HofstraHockey]

I agree with the last sentence (I mean I agree with all of it, but specifically that one). The numbers weren't that far off. But watching them play (and I was at most games this year) it just felt like Hofstra's opponents were all having the goaltending performance of their lives.