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Scots Making 2008 Debut vs. First-Year Program in Hendrix
Despite the snow on the ground, The College of Wooster men’s lacrosse team plans on opening its 2008 campaign this week, as it is now set to play Hendrix College (0-0) this Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m. The game will take place at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Originally, it was scheduled to be played in Wooster on Sunday, March 2. Hendrix is a first-year program, one of three that the Scots will play this season. 2008 Preview Notes: A group of players similar in talent to that of the program’s 2004 team, which won a share of the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and went on to the NCAA Div. III tourney, is in place for the 2008 season, according to seventh-year head coach Jason Tarnow ... The Fighting Scots, who went 8-4 last spring, did lose four starters to graduation, two being attackers, however, two-time all-NCAC award winner Mark Weschler (Silver Spring, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel) returns to lead the offense. The junior standout has totaled 84 points on 58 goals and 26 assists, which puts him on pace to finish among the top-10 scorers in Wooster history ... Supporting Weschler will be senior Conor Hannan (Wiscasset, Maine / North Yarmouth Academy), who has provided steady contributions throughout his career (12 goals, 13 assists), as well as sophomore Alex Mies (Birmingham, Mich. / Cranbrook Kingswood School) and freshman Joe Sulliman (Sherborn, Mass. / St. Sebastian’s) ... The strength of the team is expected to be its offensive midfielders, keyed by the return of veterans Pat Coyne (Chatham, N.J. / Chatham), Chris Curran (South Portland, Maine / North Yarmouth Academy), Chris Gatsch (Princeton, N.J. / Blair Academy), Tim Lee (Orion, Mich. / Detroit Jesuit), and Cole Simmons (Calabasas, Calif. / Chaminade College Prep). Coyne looks to build off of an all-conference (honorable mention), 14-point freshman season, while Curran, now a junior, also is a former all-NCAC player (second-team), having earned the recognition in 2006 when he threw in 14 goals and assisted on six others. Gatsch has scored 19 goals his first two years, several coming at critical times, and fellow junior Lee is a two-year starter. Simmons, the lone senior of the unit, has steadily improved throughout his career while tallying 16 goals. Additionally, the highlight of the Scots’ recruiting class, Matt Pullara (Centennial, Colo. / Arapahoe), is an offensive middie ... Wooster’s defensive midfielders are described as the “most improved part of the team” by Tarnow. The short-stick middies include seniors Dan Adair (Tecumseh, Mich. / Tecumseh) and Chris Nixon (Holland, Ohio / St. John’s Jesuit), and juniors Garrett Dennett (New Haven, Conn. / Hamden Hall Country Day) and John MacVarish (Hingham, Mass. / Pomfret School – Conn.), all of whom have been contributors the last couple of seasons, while handling the long-pole duties will be sophomore Phil Blecher (Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Twp.) and freshman Bill Hiatt (Clarendon Hills, Ill. / Saint Ignatius) ... The area hit hardest to graduation was the backfield, however, Tarnow is not too concerned due to the return of seniors Greg Lentz (Marietta, Ga. / Lassiter) and Kyle Story (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon). Lentz is a two-year starter and Story has received significant minutes throughout his career, and they will serve as team captains, along with Hannan and Simmons. Ryan Story (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Mt. Lebanon), a sophomore and Kyle’s younger brother, and three freshmen – Hiatt, Bryan McDonald (Canal Winchester, Ohio / Canal Winchester), and Scott Heisler (Granger, Ind. / St. Joseph’s) – are all expected to see playing time as defenders as well ... The Scots’ final line of defense features senior Matt Biester (Wallingford, Pa. / Strath Haven), a two-year starter at goalkeeper, and sophomore Calvin Todd (Deerfield, N.H. / Concord). Biester’s career numbers include a stingy 7.63 goals against average and a .591 save percentage, and he was all-conference (honorable mention) as a sophomore. |
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