2019 Season Preview: Defense
This is the second of a two-part series previewing the 2019 Bryant University men's lacrosse team. For Thursday's preview of the Bulldog offense, click HERE.
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In a year in which the Bryant University men's lacrosse team has graduated all three starters on defense, one might think that experience could be a concern going into 2019.
However, the depth that was shown defensively in 2018 is encouraging going into Sunday's season opener at Bucknell.
Bryant's short-stick defensive midfielders are a group that head coach Mike Pressler says "has never been deeper in my time at Bryant."
Senior captain Will Hamernick (Darien, Conn.) is the most veteran of the group, as he and sophomore Emmet Kemble (Clifton, Va.) played in all 15 games a year ago. Freshman Keaton Jones (Austin, Texas) joins the duo of returners and looks to play a role from the start in 2019.
The Bulldogs' long-stick midfielders are led by a pair of juniors in All-NEC selection Zach Coffey (West Newbury, Mass.) and Jake Fiske (Poway, Calif.). Coffey recorded 12 caused turnovers and 19 ground balls a year ago, while Fiske tallied 11 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls. Both players added four goals on the year.
Junior Jack Callahan (Victor, N.Y.), who appeared in 11 games in 2018, will also contribute to the group. Pressler describes the LSMs as "our most veteran position."
Bryant's close defense will be led by redshirt-junior captain Jack Horan (San Rafael, Calif.), who cracked the starting lineup in the NEC semifinals in 2018. Behind Horan is a collection of underclassmen who will battle for time in February: sophomores Ryan Baker (Draper, Utah), Taggart Eymer (Scituate, Mass.) and Austin Larabee (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and redshirt-freshman Dante Pasqualoni (South Windsor, Conn.).
The Bulldogs graduated defensive starters Chas South, Anthony Johnson and Jake Chandler from 2018. South and Johnson both rank in the top 10 in Bryant's Division I era in caused turnovers, while South places in the top 10 in ground balls.
The starter in goal has "been a battle the whole preseason," according to Pressler, as a returner and a freshman vie for the spot at the start of the year.
Senior Kevin Beimfohr (Mountain Lakes, N.J.), who made 12 starts in 2018, is competing with freshman Luke Caracciolo (Centreville, Va.) for time in the cage to begin 2019.
Bryant begins its 2019 season, its 20th as an NCAA program and 11th in Division I, Sunday at Bucknell. The 1 p.m. game in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, can be seen on Patriot League Network.
Season tickets for the 2019 campaign at Beirne Stadium are available by clicking HERE.
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