New Faces Dot Field for M. Lacrosse

From a first impression, one might think that this years Harvard men’s lacrosse team would be hurting after losing four key players.

The Crimson is actually looking better than ever.

Last year’s biggest loss was the graduation of star goalie Jake McKenna, but the team is hopeful with its new goalie prospects of junior Craig Thomas, who red shirted last season, and freshman Evan O’Donnell.

“[Who to replace McKenna] is the most complex issue we have,” head coach Scott Anderson said. “This year we are asking the goalies to compete. We will play the one that develops the most quickly and who shows the most poise in the games.”

There is always uncertainty with a new goalie, as McKenna started all four years and didn’t allow for the development of a replacement, but everyone has high hopes for O’Donnell and Thomas.

“[Thomas] has been playing great,” said midfielder and tri-captain Doug Kocis. “If not better he is just as good as [McKenna] was. He is a goalie who has not been seen and he will be surprising a few people this year.”

But along with McKenna, the team has also had to deal with the void in their defense left by Spencer Stenmark ’04 and Hani Malone ’04.

“I guess the one big question mark this year is for our defense,” said attackman and tri-captain Mike McBride. “I think that was a big concern for our team early on in the year, but we have a lot of senior leadership and they have been the core for our defense.”

But in a strange stroke of fate, Stenmark and Malone were both out with injuries at the end of last year, forcing the team to rearrange and account for their absence at that time.

The biggest change to be made was moving senior and tri-captain Brian Wannop back to play close defense, a position that he will continue to play this year.

The other two new players that will be playing in the defensive spot are junior Josh Donohue and freshman Nick Lafiura.

Junior Tom Mikula is the only man left of the three starting defenders from last year, and his experience and talent at the position will be a huge asset to the team in helping the other three players to adjust.

“We want to let people develop in positions and Mikula is great,” Anderson said. “Last year was his first year playing defense and he made the transition in a week. We have two people with a lot of experience in Mikula and Wannop and everyone else feeds off of that.”

Anderson and the team are also extremely confident in the defensive lines, because of its two great short-stick midfielders, senior Zach Chandis and Kocis. Short-stick midfielders are unheard of in lacrosse, and will be a great asset for the team.

“We have two of the most talented short-stick middies in the nation,” Anderson said. “We have strengths in places that other people don’t have.”

But while the defense is looking incredibly strong considering its losses, the offense is looking powerful as well even with the loss of sophomore Greg Cohen. Last week, Cohen broke his arm and will be out of play for at least six weeks if not the whole season. Cohen was a huge asset last season, leading the team in scoring and assists last year.

“It’s definitely bad news, but I think that the team has responded really well,” McBride said. “I think our team orientated offense this year won’t be as affected as it would in the past. [Cohen] is a scoring threat and a tremendous player and athlete and him not being out there. It’s kind of a blow to our offense, but you can’t dwell over it and it’s something you can’t control.”

That team oriented offense is going to be key to success this year. In past years this team has focused more on singular players, but this year the Crimson has been focusing much more on working together.

“We have struggled my three years in scoring goals,” McBride said. “We have always had a lot of talent but we have never been able to lead that into scoring goals. We really focused this year on playing more as a team.”

The offense will also be helped out by the talent of freshman attackman Brooks Scholl.

“He is the most developed player as a freshman that we have ever had,” Anderson said. “He looked like a college player from day one. He has been th leader in every sport he has every played and competing he is so strong.”

Everyone is hopeful that this new offensive strategy will help to provide a winning record, especially a winning Ivy record, for this season.

Because even though they had a winning record last year of 7-6 their record in the Ivies was a less than stellar 2-4.

“The problem with Ivy is that it is such a strong conference,” Wannop said. “Any team can beat any other team in any game. This year we are definitely focusing more on the Ivy League season. Other games are important but Ivy games determine our season.”

But most of the players are very positive about their Ivy chances for this year and think that in this season the Crimson will fare better than in years past.

“Our expectations every year are to do well in the Ivies and to go for an Ivy title and this year that goal is even more attainable than it has been in past years,” Kocis said. “I think that everyone on the team this year is not only hoping to win the Ivy title but expecting to win it.”

–Staff writer Abigail M. Baird can be reached at ambaird@fas.harvard.edu