Conference Previews for the 2023 season - ECC

ECC Pereview

SPEAKER_03 0:10

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of In the Crease with Danny and Kevin, a coast-to-coast discussion of D2 Men's Lacrosse. I'm your co-host, Kevin Stentrum, and joining me as always is the arbiter of all things D2 Lacrosse, Danny Moran. How's it going, Danny?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Arbiter, a gang in deep. I'm great, Kevin. How are you doing tonight?

SPEAKER_03 0:36

You know, your views on D2 Lacrosse carry a lot of influence out there. Everyone's asking, what is Danny thinking? What is Danny thinking? So you're like the arbiter. Everyone's like, you know.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Well, I'm doing a good job faking it then. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's good. Thank you so much. How's it going?

SPEAKER_03 0:53

I'm doing fine. Uh, you know, as this episode will drop the week after Thanksgiving, I thought it'd be nice that we just wish and hope that all our listeners out there had a healthy and happy one.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yeah, happy Thanksgiving to all our listeners. Thanks for listening. Part of our little uh weekly podcast, and uh hope everything's uh wonderful for the up and holiday season.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

There we go. There we go. So before we get back at it with these conference previews, I thought I would remind our listeners again that the effect that coaching changes have on the conference. They bring a different look to each team that the other coaches will need to figure out and deal with. And the conference we are actually previewing tonight has two of those changes. And we'll mention the others as we go through the conference previews. So if you're listening to this podcast, but you have not yet listened to our three-part series on coaching changes in D2, I think you'd agree with me, Danny. I would highly recommend going back and listening to those.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

100%, Kev. It brings us right to where we are. So it's kind of like a little story we're telling and coaches' previews and then, you know, coaches and now now the conference previews.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Yeah, it gives a good perspective of what those coaches are thinking because we'll and we'll obviously add that in a little bit as we talk about these previews, go through these previews, but hearing it from them, it there's nothing better.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

No, I agree with you. And we're lucky that they get to come with they come on with us and share knowledge with us. We're lucky, man. Yeah, we're always lucky by that, you know, humbled.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Keeps us in our place.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

That's what I like to say. Right. Uh we know, we know our place.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

That's right. That's right. But let's move on. Let's move on. What and talk about what we're here to talk about, and that's a conference preview. Last week we're in the south. Today we head north. So let's get into it, Danny. Let's talk about the East Coast Conference, the ECC.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

ECC. It's a good conference, Kev. It's got a lot of teams, and uh yeah, there was some like changes, some new coaches and things that got brought in, and then here we have some coaches, a big, big one that was named today.

SPEAKER_03 3:12

Yeah, so weak. Yeah, let's let's talk about that right now. Let's start off with Mercy. You want to start us off there? National runner up.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Yeah, C Mavs, uh, Kev, I saw them play what, three times last year in person. Got to really, really get to see the team in action and how they were under Coach Jordy, Jordan Levine, who you know had uh coach in Division I, and God bless him. But uh, you know, all fall they didn't have a coach at Mercy, you know, and they just they just brought the in. Um you want to talk about him? Go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 3:50

Yeah, sure. So it's um his name is Ryan McSpadden. He was named the new head coach. As we are recording this, I think it came out today. So the uh, you know, obviously this will come out a few weeks later, will drop a few weeks later, but he is an alum, graduated in 2019, and he then he spent the next two years as a graduate assistant. So he knows the program.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

All American.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Twice named All-American, has several, you know, in the record books there, first ever player in Mercy history to be drafted into the NLL, drafted by the swarm two years ago. So he's he's got some pedigree, but he's a young, he's a young dude. He's gonna bring some young energy, and they're bringing back, I find this really interesting. They've got a young core of coaches. They've Dom Scorsha, who played for him last year, is now back as an assistant coach, and then they've got Joe Cassari, who is the the veteran. The veteran, the the kind of the I would I would probably say he's is probably going to be acting somewhat as a mentor for these guys, knowing the program and and being a coach before. Now, Ryan obviously has had that two years under his belt as a graduate assistant, so he's not like he hasn't done it before. So I think it'll be really interesting. A lot of young blood in there coaching for Mercy this year.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

You you said the word. The word is interesting. Because when that came out this afternoon, that was the first word that came out to my mind. I'm that's that's an interesting choice. Okay, let's take let's talk about Ryan. Ryan's been there for six under Coach Levine, been through all of it, all of it. Yeah, saw that get better and better each year, and and and what a great player he was. And again, you mentioned yeah, I guess LL playing for the Georgia Swarm, playing professional across. He's a good player. He's a good player. And he's the graduate assistant, like you said, two years under under Levine. And now I gotta be honest with you, I'm a little surprised, I think, a little bit at at that choice. I understand the choice, I get it, culture. And if I'm not mistaken, he's also an athletic director there, too, now. Yes, yep, yep. So so pretty big job, you know. Yeah. Stepping in, and like you said, he's a very young guy, only you know, three, four years out of college. So, you know, Mercy being national was such a great team last year. And you know what? We're gonna talk about some of the guys that are coming back. Yeah, but with such a great with such a great squad last year, and for a young guy to come in, it's gonna be interesting to see first how former teammates look at look at him as a head coach now. Is it gonna be like, hey man, a free, or is it gonna be like, all right, coach, real deal? You know, how how is that bridge? What's that bridge gonna be like? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

Well he's got several assistants, so that that'll help. And and maybe he he he just takes on that that head job, and he's got, like I said, uh Jokic Sarah there that um can really help uh on that side. That that uh but you're right, it's an interesting dynamic that's gonna be happening.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

You know, I understand why they did it. I get it, you know. He's a hometown kid, he's a home kid. You know, went four years, two-time All-American. I mean, the kid's a stud. He was a stud on the field. Does that parlay into coaching? We we'll see. I think it takes a little bit to become a coach. I do, you know, and you know what? He's seen a lot, especially with the NLL. You know, he knows his offense. So Mavs might I they might be really tough again. They really are. They I think they got a whole stud, stud spill coming back.

SPEAKER_03 7:55

We'll go through that in a in a quick second, but first I have to say I've been I've been saying uh the assistant coach, actually associate head coach, Joe Karachi or Karazi, C-O-R-A-C-E, incorrectly as we've been talking. So I'll make sure I get that outright. The other thing I need to point out before we go any further and going down the roster is I have to mention that after we talked about Mercery during the coaching changes, I was quickly corrected on something I said. I said on that podcast episode that Tommy Umano and Jack Higgins were not returning, but I got that wrong. And both Tommy and Jack are returning this year, and that's just unbelievable for the team. So I have to thank Dan Heider out there and Tommy Umano himself who DM'd me to correct me, and I really appreciated it because that really helps us for this podcast as we go down the west.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Tommy Amano in goal, man. That guy come back. That's huge for the new coach. That's huge. There's a guy that's been to the national chip, you know, and he knows how to direct the defense. And Justin Gervedville comes back too.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Yeah, so look at on the defensive side, Justin Gerville, senior, Jack Kipnas, graduate, Tommy Umana, grad student, Jack Higgins, senior, Jack Fitzgerald, graduate student, Tyler Petak, senior. That's on their defensive side from Stortstick D. Mitty. I mean, do you think they want to go back to the finals? All these guys coming back?

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Dude, they're stacked. They're good.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

And that's just on defense. And you've got Brady Kiernan Kearnan and Jack Gibbons and TJ Heider on the offensive side. I think their defense is obviously much more stacked right now from returning players and offense. But if you count those three people on the offensive side and the firepower they brought last year. I mean, don't forget Andrew.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Don't forget Andrew Calabria. That kid's a stuff, too, man. He had 21 goals and seven assists. He's a big-time contributor to that team. That that Maverick team is going to be really good. The ECC Champs last year, they went 6-0 in conference. They went 16-2 overall. Their one loss during the season was a one-goal loss. Then number one Lemoyne. Right. And then they're they went through the rest of the season. We were calling the Cardiac kids for a while. They always let teams back in. They found ways to finish. They found ways to finish. And they got all the way to the national championship. You know what? And they hung with Tampa for the first half.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

Yep. Yep. And I guarantee all of those players have that taste in their mouth, a bad taste in their mouth, that they didn't play that championship game the way they wanted to. Didn't obviously I didn't have the results, but I think there were times when they, you know, there was things that they gave up. I mean, Tampa was just Tampa. But, you know, they're coming, they're going to come back guns ablazing this year.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

I I I just see it. You know, when I look at some of the numbers, like I'm surprised at some of the stuff because let's take TJ Hyder, for example. He had 28 and 13 assists. 41 points that kid put up. Silently.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

Yeah. Silently. Silently. Well, he went some through some runs on certain games, almost when they needed it. But you know what?

SPEAKER_01 11:31

He seemed like the other guys were getting theirs. You know, you had Ciernan and Scortia, you know, just doing doing their thing. Yeah. But there was TJ, you know. Then you look at his numbers like, man, that kid put up 41 points. Yeah. So now you got that kid coming back, you know, with with Gibbons and Calabria. They're going to be good. They're going to be tough. Yeah. Whoever they play, whoever they play, and everybody else in the ECC is going to have to deal with Mercy.

SPEAKER_03 12:03

Yeah, exactly. And one of those teams is Frostburg State. They went in 11-8 last year, four-and-two conference. Now, that's not what I think Coach Garlaman was really hoping for last year. They had losses to Roberts Wesley and Mercy, but they made it to the ECC Championship, losing to Mercy. But I'll tell you what, a lot of these, we went out to all the coaches and asked for any input they wanted to give us about their teams and their schedule for this next year to help us out because we're looking on the website and trying to see. There's some interesting things that uh Coach Gardelman sent to us. One, I found this really interesting. They have a six-man face-off unit that Gardelman says they're loaded with talent. They have like a faux room, like a QB room. All these guys are competing against each other, but they're helping each other out at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Pushing each other.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Yeah. Six. Six to choose from. I'll be interested to see that. And then they're returning seven of last year's top ten scorers. Jack Bowman, who was team captain. He's returning for his fifth year. He had 60 points last year. Bubba Love, Austin Speites. Bubba Love.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

I love Love. I love that name. And you know, he made a great play last year. Spoke about. He's a good player, man. He's a good player. I like Bubba.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

He had 64 points last year. Yeah. No, he's now returning. He's a senior this year. That's what the senior this year? But they have two returning juniors, Austin Sipes and Tyler Dooley. And then on the midfield side, they've got Tanner Donaldson, who's their team captain and returning fifth year. Chase Buckwalter, Owen McCallum, who emerged last year as a big offensive threat and hopes to really kind of pick up that and really carry that this year. Yeah. So offense is looking pretty good, but I think their defense is even looking even stronger. So what I love is their close defense. They've got Luke McCullough as a junior and a captain. Jake Sprecker, he's a returning fifth year. And then you've got a sophomore in Landon Bruce. So you've got guys that are veterans and a guy that got a lot of minutes as a freshman now coming up.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

New studs with each other under their belt.

unknown 14:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

They got a tough schedule, too. Yeah. Oh yeah. Now their schedule, their schedule is tough.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

They're out of the way. Tampa neutral site in Maryland. So that means Tampa's coming up in March. In March. So them Tampa boys are coming from nice balmy sunshine trees of Tampa, Florida, and they're going to come up to cold-ass brick, ice-cold Maryland in March. It's still just not even thought yet.

SPEAKER_03 14:59

It'll be one of those 80-degree days in March, and then a week later it'll be like down to 20 again.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

So no, but you know, they always talk about guys coming north during the cold winter. They struggle with it.

SPEAKER_03 15:13

You know, so but they and they've also got a heavy GMAC out of conference, they're playing both senior, which they usually play, and Mercy Hurst. And Walsh and St. Rose on the N E 10 are not going to be pushovers from. So they've got to push over.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

And they got Mercy in conference. So they're going to be facing four at least four ranked teams this year in their conference, in their schedule. And that bodes well for Spurg State and Coach Gardelman and the boys out there.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Yeah, now what's also interesting is Coach Gardelman reminded me that uh reminded us that this is the first year that they are officially eligible for NCAA playoffs as a Division II institution. Because they've got that three-year probations over with.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

So they get to they get to reap the benefits of the N plays now.

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Which what does that tell you? That gives them more incentive.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yep. They got to get there first. It's not easy to anymore. No. It's not easy anymore. It's not the same old schools anymore. You know, last year's championship had two first-time teams going to the championship. That was great. So that was great. Yep. So it's not the same anymore. So Frostburg State, they have they have a schedule to get in the conversation.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Right. Well, and I like I said, I think that gives a little extra motivation for the players. Now they're not just playing for the ECC championship. If they can stack up wins, they have a chance. It's probably still an uphill battle with them this year, but they've got a chance, they string things together to be in the conversation, which is where they want to be. But let's let's move on to Roberts Wesleyan. Now, Roberts Wesley last year, I loved watching them last year. They really brought it last year. 10-5 in 2022.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Red Hawks.

SPEAKER_03 17:10

Yeah. You know, they they lost to Lemoyne, uh, Mercy Hurst, and Mercy, and then they lost to Malloy, which was a tough team to lose to, but Malloy was stepping it up by the end of the year with Coach Dunn. Now, the the key for for Roberts Wesleyan is Hunter Lemieux was a senior last year. I don't think he's coming back.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Doesn't look like it.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

He had 147 points. The next player had 92. And 92 is great. 92 is unbelievable. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? How can you get 147 points? That guy was a stud.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

All American Hunt O'Meal was last year, so we don't know if he's coming back because Roberts Wesleyan has not updated their website as of DJ.

SPEAKER_03 18:01

We haven't seen it yet. They they should be bringing back Reed Jukowski and Jordan Deets, um, which will be great. They had somewhat of a small roster last year. It looks, and I'm just going off of what I'm seeing on Instagram, you know, that the recruiting has gone well for them, so maybe they're going to be able to get a little more depth. Um which would be good. And they've got some D returners, too.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

You mentioned you mentioned Jordan Dietz, all right. Last year as a sophomore, he put up 42 points. Guess what? Midfielder, six foot four, two hundred and pound. Imagine that coming at you, good man. Now he's got two years under his belt. He's gonna be he's gonna be a much strong player. You watch your weights this year. I think it's this might be his breakout year. Yep. He's a big boy, he's gonna be tough to stop, man.

SPEAKER_03 18:58

Yeah. Yeah. And then on D, they've got uh Parker Brossard, Riley Schmier, and Garrett Marsh coming back on the defensive side. So they've got, once again, they've got players. I think they need some depth. Remember last year they were playing with just one goalie. So I'm I'm interested to see if they've got a backup coming in this year. That's because that's tough too. If you get an injury or anything like that. Now they're good, and their goalie played pretty well.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

They went four and two in conference and ten and five overall. Yeah. All right. That's a good season. That's a good season. You know what? They can be a little bit better on man up. I think if they tighten up their man up squad and their situation on man up, they'd like to get a little bit more biscuits in the basket, you know, on man up. I think if they can change that and turn that around, they might be a formidable team in the in the ECC this year.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Oh, yeah. I I I definitely believe it. I I loved watching them last year. They fought and fought and fought, and I don't see that changing.

unknown 20:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Scrappy, well coached, you know, fundamentals. They didn't, they just play good a good brand of, you know, not crazy fast team, just kind of methodical and and and and and B, and they they just play a good brand of LaCroix, and and they're gonna be another, like I said, they're gonna be a formidable opponent for anybody in the ECC or anybody that plays them for that matter. They're a good they're a good squad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

I I I would even say that probably out of conference they they will scare some teams because I'm not sure teams will be ready for them all the time. They may think that they're it will be an easier game than it really will be. I think they're gonna they're gonna come.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

Yeah, but two two out of their five losses came to runner-up. Yeah. Yeah. So goes to tell you they're pretty damn. Yep. Yep, they're a solid team.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

All right, let's move on. Let's let's talk about Malloy. The Lions. So last year, seven and ten, but Bill Dunn had his team, he increased their wins by four last year. And so if you look at their stats, I don't think you look at what the stats show, it's the improvement they made in all those team stats. They increased the number of goals by a lot and doubled their number of shots. They improved goals per game up to ten and decreased their goals against down to twelve. You know, so there's a lot of things that they do it's it's all about, and we talked to Coach Dunn about this when we had him on for the coaching changes. He's got a build, and he's really improved that team.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Oh, he has 100%. I mean, they're a much better squad. Just having him there. Yeah. He himself won four of those things. You understand what I'm saying? Yep. Because of what he knows and and and how he coaches and and they were a pretty good squad last year. They weren't a team that you could sneeze at. Yeah. You know? They weren't a team to sneeze at.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Maybe at the very beginning of the year, but they just improved every game. And you look at it, they had some really wild games. They beat Roberts Wesleyan in double overtime, and they lost earlier in the season to St. Rose in double overtime. And that is one of the best games I saw last year of the season. That had me. I was like flipping out. I was, I remember I was on travel. I got into the hotel. I flipped the game on, and I'm every other thing, I'm like, because it was runs. It was one of the best games last year. And credit to both St. Rose and Malloy, but you know, that we're talking about Malloy right now. So and the other thing is, he's built the roster up. It's gone from 30 to 39 now.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

I I don't expect anything left, Coach Dunn. First of all, he's right in the hotbed of one of the best hotbeds in the country. Or right here. So the kids that don't want to go away or don't want to go far, they have an opportunity to play for a legend in Division D lacrosse. A legend. Not just a coach, legend. I'm just playing a year in. Imagine a senior that graduated last year, played one year with Coach Dunn. Imagine what he got from just one year with Coach. Yeah. So now you're building. He knew that he knew Coach Dunn told us, he said, you know, we they they went into the transfer per uh transfer portal last year to get a couple of kids in some spots. They were thin, and that's to be expected. And I don't hit Walnut wouldn't do that and and you know what? Then he's got his year of recruiting under just his guys. Now that freshman class is guys. Yeah. So it's all gonna get better at Malloy. It's it's gonna get better.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Yeah, and then you know they're bringing back some some they lost their top score, Nick Del Delgirno, but he's now an assistant coach. They're bringing back Chris Delaney and Ryan Downey, the number two, number three scores. You know, their mid-year transfer on defense, you're talking about, something came from St. Bonaventure, Liam Linden, and he really helped out on defense. And the other other guys on D that stepped up were Edward Mc Edward McCann, who had 39 ground balls and 23 cost turnovers. It's a good season. Yeah, and Jordan Araway, 33 ground balls and 25 cost turnovers. So, you know, he he's got that that team going. Now their out of conference is pretty damn strong, too. I think it's stronger than what he had last year. Franklin Pierce, Walsh, Pace, Southern New Hampshire, Georgian Court, Chestnut Hill, Adelphi. And then they've also got Bridgeport and Assumption in there. So it's a tough out of conference, which I think is only going to bode them well for going into the ECC.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Yeah, man. Pace, Georgian Court seat Adelphi. You know? That's squad. That's a that's a schedule right there, man. Yeah. Yep. You know what, Coach Dunn, again, he's a legend. I I have all the uh respect in the world for him. I just knew that Malloy was just gonna be better last year just by him being. And I just think that they're going to improve on their record. I don't see them being seven and ten this year. No, no, I no.

SPEAKER_03 25:42

I I think the word for them is dangerous.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah, because you know what, because Coach Dunn is building, and he's got his boys coming in, and he's got them in the direction he wants them to go. And all all things are pointing upward for Malloy, if you ask me. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 25:59

Yep. Okay, let's move on. Let's talk about St. Thomas Aquinas. Now they were only 2 and 12 last year. However, that's still an improvement. They didn't win a game in 2021.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

The Spartans, Larry Ayer, you know, he uh he's got a tough thing going on in St. Thomas, man. There's only 22 on the roster, Kev. Yeah. That's that's that's tough. And when you get, you know, one or two kids, you know, a little hooked up, you know, tweak a hand, you know, missed a knee or something like that, that could do him early for St. Thomas. So their their schedule includes AIC, report, our one of our new team coming in, Felician, and they have post. So, yeah, they won two games last year, which improved from the year before, but they need some cow.

SPEAKER_03 26:52

Yeah, they're gonna need a little more depth. You know, they did show some improvements to some of their team stats, which they still need to improve on, like clear clear percentage, which was an improvement as at 75%, but you want to see that higher. They are they are bringing back their top score in Braden Struss again. So you know, this this is a team that's on a slow build, I think. Uh they're showing some improvements. Hopefully they'll get better this year. I think I think they will. Um, we're gonna have coach on later on in the podcast in this episode and talk about it. But it's an interesting story that they've got, and and I I hope to see them improve this year. It's still gonna be a little bit tough. They're still gonna have a little bit small of a roster, but uh let's see what they can build upon this year. All right, so let's move on to Deuville, the Saints.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

The Dewville Saints, okay. Poor poor Saints were they were like the expansion club of Division II last year. Being a first-year program all the way the hell up in Buffalo. Cold, cold Buffalo. Um, they went 0-6 and then went 0-11. All right, big goose eggs in the categories there for wins. But you know what? Brand new program, brand new coach. What kind of me a little bit that they brought in another new coach, and it's only his second year. Yeah. So it's almost like starting over. It is.

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Coach, we we talked to Coach Wilson about that, and the players seem to be taking it as year two and not starting all over. I I know that by the end of last season, they were down a lot of players. They were in the teens, and I want to say like 14, 15 players that were healthy that could play. So that's just brutal. This year they're still gonna have a small roster, but I think Coach Wilson is trying to build. He's taken the foundation that Coach Prince had, which was strong, and he's just trying to improve upon that. Now, I don't think they're gonna you know crack even 500 probably for wins, but you've got to show improvement in what you're doing, either in how you play, in the team stats, and in and then maybe stack a few wins this year and go from well the first first thing you need is players game.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Yeah, we've got to get the players out there for the Saints. We we need players. So coach is gonna have a little bit, you know, of an up battle this year, for sure. Um hopefully the kids don't get injured and can stay on the field and healthy and maybe make a run at a game or two, you know. They got blown out some some games last year. It wasn't even score in a game.

SPEAKER_03 29:37

Yeah, they did, but I I'll tell you in a lot of the games that I watched them for, and I don't think I saw the game where they didn't score, but they they were in it that first half a lot of times. And it just goes down, like you just said, depth. They need to build rot their roster for depth and then go from there. And it's we've said this a few times. You you don't build Rome in a day, it's not gonna happen up there. Coach actually thinks Coach Wilson actually thinks that it's not tough to recruit in Buffalo. He says there's a lot of good things going on, so he's got a a positive energy about bringing folks in there, and let's hope that happens and they can build this year through the next few years to get to get going. Yeah. Okay. All right. Last team. UDC Firebirds. With a Firebirds.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Yeah, like a lot, a lot of respect for them. Um UDC went two and four in conference, two and twelve overall. Small roster team again, Kev. Yep. Yep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:43

Now, you know, since they did not play in 2021 at all, at least getting, you know, those three, four wins is good. That's good news for them. They they started off a little bit slow. They had a good end of the second season. We talked to Coach beginning of the season, and he was funny. I think it was after one of the the uh they had only played a couple games, and I was we were talking about how we thought they were fighting, and and they looked at each goes, geez, I see a lot of things that need improvement, which is great, because he's he's making his his players accountable on the field. I mean, one of them is clear percentage, and that's what he talks about. They were only at 60 per 67 percent last year. So that's definitely an area of improvement, but their face-off was like at 59%. So they've just phenomenal. Yeah, it's phenomenal. Their schedule really isn't out. I looked on there, it looks like they've got mainly, you know, teams from the ECC. They don't haven't really built out what their what their out of conference is. But the one thing I will tell you is that Coach Colbert has hired in an assistant full-time, Matthew Merrick. He was been a volunteer assistant at UDC for I think the past eight years.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

But now a volunteer assistant for eight years. Wow.

SPEAKER_03 31:56

Yeah. He he comes in, knows the program, can dedicate more time because now he's obviously a paid employee in the office. Not that he wasn't dedicated to the program before, but now he can be there more. And that will really, I think, help Coach Colbert as they move forward with their team. They're they're returning their top scores with Xander Torres, who's a really good player, and Joseph Coates. Canadian. Yeah. They like you said though, they still need depth. But what they're trying to do there, and we've heard this from other coaches, Danny, you know, especially in Division II, it's not always about the wins and losses. It's about what you're trying to do with the players. And what you're trying to mold them more than into being lacrosse players, but being good citizens and good men. And and Coach Colbert talked about that last year. Um and I think you know, that's part of it. So we I I hope to see them. I'm I'm planning now this year to go to one of their games. I didn't get quite last year.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

You're in you're in the neighborhood, man. That's right. Yeah, man. Get in the car and go. We wish uh Coach Colbert all the best of luck this season. You know, uh it it that whole story of that school is just in being the only HBC school in Division II with lacrosse. It's just great. There, you know, it it makes them special. Not special, you know. Coach Colbert put that down. He was not special. Yeah, yeah, you are. Yeah, you are. You know, it's cool. Yeah, and Virginia's a good thing.

SPEAKER_03 33:29

Virginia State's coming next year, another HBCU, which will be great. We'll be great. And uh and we'll see what goes.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

But that so in the ACC Kev, I mean, it's a strong conference, as as you can plainly see. You know, but Mercy's gonna be tough again this year, you know. Coach McSpadden uh all in the world. He's got some studs already there. So that's gonna be a good thing for them. Roberts Wesleyan is uh gonna be they're gonna be tough. I think Frostburg is gonna have a better season this year. Yeah. They went they went 11 and 8, lost a few games they shouldn't have lost. Right. You know, they they and it happens. I think Lloyd is gonna be a much better, better team overall this year. That's one, two, four out of the seven teams. Seven squads in the ECC. They're gonna be tough, man. And whoever plays those four squads, you know what? Put your big boy panties on, you're gonna be you're gonna be in a game.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

That's right. That's right. But now let's sh let's ship. We get to talk to a coach, uh, like I said earlier, Coach Ayers of uh St. Thomas Aquinas, he's really trying to help bring prominence back to the division through continual improvement of his program. And like I said, he and his coaches have a unique story to tell, so how about we just bring him in and let him tell it? Let's bring him in.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

Coach Larry Ayers.

Coach Ayers if STAC

SPEAKER_03 35:03

Hey coach, how you doing?

SPEAKER_01 35:05

Good, how are you? Hey Coach Larry Ayers, St. Thomas Aquinas. Thank you so much for taking the time coming on In the Crease with us. We really appreciate it. How's it going? It's going well. I appreciate you having me.

SPEAKER_03 35:17

No, we're excited to have you, Coach. F first of all, when I contacted you uh to come on, I was, like I told you before we started recording, I was floored with your story of where you and your other coaches, uh, minus one of your assistants who was, I think, your top score at one time, come from. Can you just enlighten our listeners on your coaches and and your your dual jobs, I would say?

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Yeah, sure. Um so we have four coaches, um myself and two of my assistants are all uh police officers in the town where St. Thomas Aquinas is located. Um all three of us were New York City cops prior to that. Um and our fourth assistant was uh Tyler Senator, who was our all-time leading scorer, and then he joined us after he uh graduated from school.

SPEAKER_03 36:03

That's awesome, man. That's amazing. We had uh a coach on from uh Dominican last year, Coach Steigert, who is not a full-time coach either. He has a day job just like us, and like just like you, you have a day, a night, and and a morning all-round jobs with uh the police and then also with the team. So how do you handle all that?

SPEAKER_00 36:28

Uh it's a lot of juggling, but uh we get it done.

SPEAKER_03 36:32

I guess it's good when you have a few assistants, three other assistants to help you out with that.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yes, that's what's your day like? What's your day like, man? Like it's it must be a pretty long day.

SPEAKER_00 36:43

Yeah, well, in the fall we practice um 6 30 a.m. before their classes, and um we go to work around a little after eight, so that's um in the fall. Then in the spring we practice after we get done with work at four o'clock.

SPEAKER_03 36:56

Wow. So but you're go ahead, go. So I was gonna say, but you're not just you know passionate lacrosse coaches, dual. I mean, you've got pedigree. I mean, you played at St. Anthony's, you coach, you played D1, so you're you're not just coming like Danny and me, who never coached and never played the sport. We're just two passionate dads. You guys come with with some juice to help out the team. Isn't that correct?

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Yeah, yeah. It's it's uh it's you know, I've been playing growing up on Long Island, I got to play since I was very young. The sport is really growing up here in Rockland. It's nice to uh living close and working close to home is uh is a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

That's awesome. Um, growing up on Long Island, playing for St. Anthony's, um, playing against the best of the best in the high school in the country, you know, not lots of times St. Anthony's in the top 10 in the country. Um, and then you took that that experience to with you now at St. Thomas. What's going on on the field for you guys this year?

SPEAKER_00 37:58

Uh we are an extremely young team. We have uh one senior on the team, and we brought in um 13 freshmen and uh two transfers, one's a grad student and one transferred from uh New York Tech. So we're a very new team, which is uh it's it's promising to know that we're gonna be getting a lot better.

SPEAKER_03 38:19

Yeah, I mean, you guys were young last year. You only had one senior and I think two grad students last year. So you're continuing trying to build uh from the underclassmen. Did they get a lot of playing time last year? Can you build upon that this year?

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Yeah, you know, last year one of our big issues was um a few players weren't eligible. So we probably had seven guys that should have been starting that either left school or weren't eligible. So we were uh playing with mostly backups uh during the season, and the kids turned around and did a great job.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

Yeah, yeah. I mean, your final record doesn't really show, I think, how you guys played in some of the games that I watched that made it close. So what do you you say you have a fairly run young, you do have a very you have a young program along with young kids. I mean, it's only been around since about 2015-2016, I think. Is that correct? Yes. So what are you trying to build there from that with a young program and the young and a young team? What are you trying to do with that?

SPEAKER_00 39:22

You know, we we started recruiting a lot more outside of uh the local area where we have a player from Canada now, a player from Michigan. Um we started expanding that where a lot of kids were commuters and now a lot of them coming from outside. And you know, with the young players, it's making recruiting easier as we get better players coming from better programs.

SPEAKER_03 39:42

Yeah, I so how many players now do you have from from outside? About three or four?

SPEAKER_01 39:48

Uh yes. Okay, so the programs grow and it's uh it's in the growing stages still, kind of, isn't it, coach?

SPEAKER_00 39:55

Yeah, uh this year should be uh one of the first years where we had uh what I would say was a was a full recruiting class, but we had a couple of years to start recruiting, and these kids are starting to show this year.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

Right. How many how many are carrying on the roster this year?

SPEAKER_00 40:07

We have 28 on the roster this year.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 40:10

All right. So that's and that's that's more than what I remember you had from last year. So you're starting to build upon that. Also, I haven't your schedule obviously is not out yet on the on the website. Can you give us any uh insight into your schedule or is that still really in flux?

SPEAKER_00 40:27

Um it's it's almost uh completed, but uh, you know, we'll have we're you know playing in the ECC is one of the toughest conferences out there. Um and then our outside games, you know, we have Dominican is one of our rivals who we'll be playing then. Um we played in C A C C schools.

SPEAKER_01 40:41

Hopefully you don't have to travel to Diouville and Buffalo in like February, man, because better bringing a long time.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Yeah, no, that's a late game this year, which is nice.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Oh, that's good. That's good, man, because it it gets brick, brick cold up there in that time of year, man. But the ECC, you know, Mercy doing what they did last year. It was just a great, you know, Malloy with Coach Dunn coming back and just the ECC has just been a really good conference. Uh what do you think about the conference?

SPEAKER_00 41:14

It's very good lacrosse. Um, you know, and people that don't follow lacrosse or know much about D2, and you see some of these teams, there's some very, very good lacrosse players in this conference.

SPEAKER_01 41:24

No doubt, 100%. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

You look at obviously what Mercy did, but you add in, I mean, Roberts Wesleyan, who had a great season last year and seems to be building again. Frostburg State, I think, was a little bit down last year, but they're tough. Malloy, with, like you said, done, and then, you know, even with now young Duville coming up, UDC, and then St. Thomas Aquinas. I mean, it's a packed, packed uh conference there.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

Yeah, there's no easy games there. It's definitely a good conference.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

So what do you think, Coach, about playing the Roberts Wesleyan's the Frostburg States? They seem to obviously they're a little more established than what you are. How do you go into those games with your players to get them ready to play a team like that with a little bit more of a and mercy, with a little more of an established record and and program?

SPEAKER_00 42:17

Yeah, you know we just speak to them beforehand and let them know, listen, these, these, you're playing some good lacrosse players, but you know, that's kind of where we try to let them know where we want our future to be in the next couple of years, where we want to be one of those top teams in the ECC.

SPEAKER_03 42:30

Yeah, so is it is it more of a, you know, you take your lessons learned if you if you come, you know, on if you're on the loser, losing part of that ledger against those teams and figure out and show those get your kids how or where they can go from from where they are right now.

SPEAKER_00 42:46

Yeah, absolutely. It's a learning experience, and you know, playing better players usually makes you play better. It's uh it's good for them to learn.

SPEAKER_01 42:54

So how let's talk about recruiting. How was recruiting this year? You said you had a nice full class.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Yeah, we uh we had we have a great class. We have um you know, we have one player from Michigan, a goaltender, who's an excellent goaltender. Um we got two kids that were top players in New Jersey that uh joined us. Um and then we added another nine players, and then again we had a um grad transfer who played at Scranton, and then um another transfer from New York Tech.

SPEAKER_01 43:21

That's great. That's great. I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad to hear that St. Thomas is coming back a little bit and putting them putting players back on the field. It's a good thing for Division II. It's a great thing for the ECC, wouldn't you agree?

SPEAKER_00 43:34

Absolutely, yes. Very good thing.

SPEAKER_03 43:37

Yeah, it's it's funny. I did not even know until you told me, uh told us, that you had so many kids that were ineligible last year that would have been starting. And so you were already starting, you know, behind, as we say in naval aviation, behind the power curve there. But you're you're gonna be able to now, I think, kind of hit some stride, hopefully, this season with with your full team and what you're bringing. Is is that what you're hoping?

SPEAKER_00 44:03

Absolutely. Yeah, you you could even see with uh a few of our guys that have been around through these rough seasons, you know, they uh they they see that these new players we brought in they're saying, hey coach, we did a good job here with these young guys.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

That's good to hear. That's gotta be great to hear, man.

SPEAKER_03 44:19

Hopefully it makes them hungry. Is it is it is the competition on the field with the team good? Are they are they kind of jazzed and juiced about where where they're going? Absolutely. Yeah, having that competition in practice definitely helps a lot too.

SPEAKER_01 44:32

Now, how's fall ball gone for you?

SPEAKER_00 44:34

It's going well. We have uh, you know, we've been practicing, and then we have two scrimmages coming up, so uh the kids are pumped up for these scrimmages. Who are you scrimmaging? Uh we're scrimmaging uh Felician and then uh Mount St. Vincent's.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Oh, great, great, awesome. Get a little taste to get the boys uh knocking heads against somebody with another color uniform on. Absolutely, yep, that's what we're looking for. Yeah, yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

That's that's awesome, coach. That's awesome. Well, I'll I'll tell you what, um, we're excited to see where St. Thomas Aquinas goes this year. I know it probably wasn't what you wanted last year. It sounds like you guys are are really hitting your stride, and we really are looking forward to watching you play, not only in the ECC, but in your out-of-conference games as well. So we'll be watching it. We really appreciate you coming on tonight.

SPEAKER_00 45:22

I appreciate you having me.

SPEAKER_01 45:24

You know, the ECC coach last year Mercy was a great team to watch, and it really brought a lot of attention to that conference. And, you know, you're in a really good conference, and we wish you the best of luck this year with St. Thomas and all the boys there. And uh, we look forward to watching you play this year. We really do.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_03 45:45

Well, what do you say, Danny? That was a a a great discussion with Coach Ayers, and I think it was it was a lot of fun going to that review, that preview of what's going to happen with the ECC in 2023.

SPEAKER_01 45:57

Yeah, well Coach Ayers was great. Thank him so much for coming on. Um definitely unique situation up there, St. Thomas, but it's all it's all good, and they're playing lacrosse, man. They're out there playing the game, and that's a great thing. So the ECC, tough conference, top to bottom. You know, you got a couple of the bottom ones. Maybe could use some help with them, but just like we just said, Mercy, Roberts Wesley, and Frostburg, Malloy, they're all going to be very good squads this year. Yeah. And so with that, Danny, that's a wrap.

SPEAKER_03 46:33

That's a wrap,