Men's Lacrosse announces captains for 2021
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University head men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler announced the Bulldogs' five captains for the upcoming 2021 season.
Veterans Jack Horan, Jake Fiske, Trevor Weingarten and Marc O'Rourke return as captains and will be joined by Emmet Kemble. The quintet holds a combined 24 years of experience.
"As we get closer to our home opener vs PC this Saturday, it is my pleasure to officially announce our five peer-elected team captains for the 2021 season," Pressler said. "Never before in the history of college athletics has leadership been more of a premium, been more important to a team's success on the field, in the classroom, and especially socially after dark. The sacrifices our players have to make just to get to the practice field, the constant pressure to follow the rules and protocol have been tremendous."
With these five young men, we have a great balance in our leadership both on offense and defense. Plus four of the five are multi-year captains. The trust, the admiration I have for Jack, Trevor, Jake, Marc, and Emmet is at an all-time high. Throughout this pandemic, the standard of excellence they have set for their teammates to follow has been nothing but outstanding. Because of the world we live in today, we are in constant communication. Their leadership has crossed over to so many new situations like never before. Like every team out there, the "new normal" has drastically changed our daily routine. As we look forward to our 11-game 2021 schedule, if our team follows our captain's lead to the letter like they have to date, I feel strongly this team could be highly successful on multiple levels this spring."
Horan returns to Smithfield for a sixth season after his fifth year was wiped out in 2020. A Second Team All-NEC and USILA Scholar All-American defender, Horan has appeared in 36 career games. He started all seven games last spring, posting five ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Fiske is back for a fifth year and is a veteran of 46 games. He appeared in all seven last spring, posting eight ground balls and four caused turnovers. Fiske has now produced 24 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers in his last 12 games.
Weingarten brings a veteran presence to Bryant's attack in 2021, having produced 76 points in 45 career games. After collecting 34 points and Second Team All-NEC honors in 2019, Weingarten was on pace for career highs in 2020, potting 12 goals and collecting eight assists in seven games. He scored in all seven games.
O'Rourke returns as one of the best offensive players in college lacrosse in 2021. Already a two-time First Team All-NEC selection, O'Rourke was named to the Tewarraton Award Watch List after ranking fourth nationally in goals (26) and 13th in points (33) last spring. He was one of two players nationally with multiple games of seven or more goals, breaking the Bryant DI single-game record with consecutive seven-goal games against Stony Brook and North Carolina. O'Rourke enters the year with 91 goals, 43 assists and 134 points in 36 career games.
Kemble has been a stalwart in the midfield for three years, appearing in 36 games and making 14 starts. He started all seven games a year ago, producing 13 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Kemble posted his lone goal of the year against North Carolina.
The Bulldogs open the 2021 season on Saturday when they host Providence College. Faceoff is set for 12:00 p.m.
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