Experience gained in 2019 foundation for 2020 success
The Bryant University men's lacrosse team opens its 21st NCAA season when the Bulldogs face off with Bucknell Sunday at Beirne Stadium.
The 2020 campaign – the 14th under head coach Mike Pressler – features a Bulldog squad returning a host of talent from last year's squad, while welcoming back contributors whose 2019 were cut short by injury and a group of promising freshmen.
A 2019 season in which numerous Bulldogs were limited led to 26 different players starting at least one of Bryant's 14 games. The Bulldogs welcome back 21 of them for 2020, including six who earned All-Northeast Conference recognition.
The attack is led by junior captain Marc O'Rourke (Hingham, Mass.), whose 53-point season in 2019 made him the fastest to 100 career points in Bryant's Division I era. O'Rourke was named a first-team All-NEC selection for the second consecutive season.
O'Rourke is joined on attack by a group that includes redshirt-senior Jake Buonaiuto (Miller Place, N.Y.), who will move back from the midfield to attack in 2020, junior Pat Brosnan (South San Francisco, Calif.), redshirt-junior Alex Parent (Seabrook, N.H.) and redshirt-freshman Logan McGovern (Darien, Conn.). McGovern had a promising freshman season cut short due to injury in the third game of 2019.
Senior captain Trevor Weingarten (Allendale, N.J.) highlights a deep group of midfielders in 2020. Weingarten was a second-team All-NEC honoree for the second straight season and ranked second on the Bulldogs in goals, assists and points.
Junior Austin Kent (Franklin, Mass.) appeared in all 14 games for Bryant in 2019 and returns in the midfield along with a group that includes redshirt-junior Andre Gomez (Melville, N.Y.), junior Sam Goforth (Chester Springs, Pa.), redshirt-sophomore Nick Beeson (Poway, Calif.), sophomore Mason Balch (Westfield, Mass.) - who was an NEC All-Rookie Team member in 2019 - and a pair of impact freshmen in Kevin Groeninger (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) and Matt Prochaska (Danville, Calif.).
Bryant's short-stick defensive midfielders are headlined by four players looking to contribute in 2020: junior Emmet Kemble (Clifton, Va.) and sophomore Keaton Jones (Austin, Texas), who both appeared in all 14 games a year ago, and sophomores Ryan Ramirez (San Diego, Calif.) and CJ Sweitzer (Hatfield, Pa.).
A deep group of LSMs gives Coach Pressler plenty of options in 2020. Senior Zach Coffey (West Newbury, Mass.) has been an All-NEC selection in each of the last two seasons and is re-joined by senior captain Jake Fiske (Poway, Calif.), who led the Bulldogs in caused turnovers in February but missed the majority of his junior year due to injury.
Senior Jack Callahan (Victor, N.Y.), sophomore Dy-Jae Pearson (New York, N.Y.) and freshman LaJhon Jones (North Smithfield, R.I.) also look to contribute among the group.
Redshirt-senior captain Jack Horan (San Rafael, Calif.) was one of two Bulldogs to start all 14 games in 2019 and led Bryant in caused turnovers while adding 23 ground balls. The second-team All-NEC honoree leads a defensive group with a wealth of upperclassmen.
Junior Ryan Baker (Draper, Utah) and redshirt-sophomore Dante Pasqualoni (South Windsor, Conn.) return on defense after injuries limited their 2019 seasons and are joined by junior Austin Larabee (South Glastonbury, Conn.) and freshman Brody Rule (Lone Tree, Colo.).
Senior James Stoler (Penfield, N.Y.) and redshirt-sophomore Jack Aigner (Brighton, Mich.) both ranked in the top 40 in the nation in face-off percentage in 2019 and both return for the spring. Freshman Jacob Alexander (Franklin, Mass.) provides an additional option at the X for Coach Pressler.
Sophomore Luke Caracciolo (Centreville, Va.) ranked in the top 10 nationally in save percentage and goals-against average in his first season in Black & Gold, earning NEC and College Crosse All-Rookie Team honors, and leads a group in the cage that is backed up by junior Easton Gormican (Coronado, Calif.) and freshman Ean Patry (Saco, Maine.)
The Bryant University men's lacrosse team begins its 2020 season – its 21st NCAA campaign and 40 years of men's lacrosse in Smithfield – when the Bulldogs host Bucknell Sunday at noon at Beirne Stadium.
Tickets for the 2020 season at Beirne Stadium are available HERE.
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