Greyhounds Head to Immaculata Wednesday to Begin 2017 Schedule
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men’s lacrosse team is set to begin its 2017 season on Wednesday, March 1 with a non-conference road match at Immaculata University.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's lacrosse team is set to begin its 2017 season on Wednesday, March 1 with a non-conference road match at Immaculata University.
Second-year Head Coach Dave Carty, who is beginning his 14th season as a collegiate head coach, returns 19 players from last year's team that finished with a 10-6 record and played in the ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic Championship Tournament first round in the program's return to varsity status. Carty will also lead the Greyhounds in their first Landmark Conference season since 2010 beginning in late March.
Coach Carty returns his top two scorers from last season in sophomore attacks Mark Laratta and James Carroll. Laratta led the Greyhounds with 42 goals and 51 points while contributing nine assists, 41 ground balls and six caused turnovers while Carroll had 38 goals and eight assists for 46 points to go with 29 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Laratta added three game-winning goals, four man-up goals and two man-down goals a year ago while Carroll had two game-winning goals, six man-up goals and two man-down tallies.
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Sophomore midfielder Alec Oriolo had 18 goals and tied for the team lead with 16 assists last spring for 34 points, and he added 22 ground balls, nine caused turnovers and a game-winning goal while sophomore attack Jack Gozzard had 13 goals, 11 assists, 24 points, 26 ground balls and a game-winning goal. Sophomore midfielder Dominick Gurreri contributed six goals, six assists, 12 points, two game-winning goals and 10 ground balls a season ago while sophomore midfielder AJ Cioffi had one goal, four assists and six ground balls. Senior Chris Mayer and sophomore Robert Gellatly add depth in the midfield for the Greyhounds, and Gellatly had an assist and 17 grounds balls in 2016.
In the face-off circle, Coach Carty looks to sophomore midfielders Hayden DuPont and Rick Guerra. DuPont was 96-of-190 on face-offs last spring to go with three assists, 56 ground balls and seven caused turnovers while Guerra was 78-of-138 on face-offs while adding two assists and 32 ground balls.
Moravian returns six defenders from last year including sophomore John Polich, who had a goal and four assists to go with 62 grounds balls and 21 caused turnovers while going 6-for-23 in the face-off circle. Sophomore Brian Biase started all 16 matches in 2016 with 24 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers while sophomore Anthony Pontone made 14 starts with 15 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers. Sophomore Nicholas Kopko had six ground balls last season while senior Andrew Cruz had three caused turnovers and junior Michael Debowski also saw action.
Coach Carty returns two of his goalies from last spring. Sophomore Kurt Dick had an 8.97 goals-against average while starting all 16 matches, and he added 174 saves, 32 ground balls, three caused turnovers and a 10-6 record in 903 minutes of action. Senior Michael Smith saw 30 minutes in goal a year ago with 11 saves and a 7.99 goals-against average.
Moravian has added 11 players to the squad for the 2017 season as Coach Carty looks to challenge for a Landmark Conference postseason berth.
