PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – During Head Coach
Tom Mariano's three-year tenure at Pace University, the men's lacrosse team has been in an upward trend. The Setters went 11-6 in 2016, and earned their second-straight berth into the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament. Now entering his fourth season at the helm, Mariano says that the focus immediately turns to the next season after the last.
"We don't spend a lot of time reflecting on last year during the current year," said Mariano. "Something we talked about at the end of the year was that last year was important for us to take the next step. I think our goal every year is to win more games, to be more competitive, to continue to improve in the NE10, continue to improve within our schedule, and I think we made those steps last year."
The NE10 automatically brings about a tough schedule each year. Four teams currently represent the NE10 in the Nike/United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II Coaches Poll, including the 16th-ranked Setters. At the top stands defending National Champion Le Moyne College, No. 3 is Merrimack College, and Adelphi University stands at No. 10. Saint Anselm College, Bentley University and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) are all also receiving votes in the poll.
Even without its non-conference schedule, the Setters are always looking at a challenging slate. The Setters also have a matchup against No. 5 New York Institute of Technology coming up next week, just adding to a difficult strength of schedule for the Setters. This has been the plan for the Setters each of the past few seasons, though, and stand to prove that the Setters belong among the Top 20 in all of Division II.
Pace qualified as the No. 5-seed in the NE10 Championship last year, and took on SNHU on the road in the First Round. A highly-competitive game went the way of the home team, eliminating the Setters from making a run at their second-ever NE10 Title. Still, the Setters finished the season with the most wins the team has had since winning 11 in 2003.
"It stems back to my freshman year, ever since Coach Mariano came here, we've seen so much growth in the program," said senior
Brandon Donnellan (Chester, NY/Warwick Valley). "Now, the expectations are so much higher. I think we have to just set the bar for everyone that's coming in over the next couple of years."
The Setters will put that notion to the test this season after bringing in an eye-popping 21 newcomers for the 2017 season, including 15 freshmen and six transfers. Mariano mentions a number of new players who he feels will make an immediate impact in their first season with the team.
"I think for us we've got some contributors returning, but also we have some new guys we're excited about," said Mariano. "We've got some transfers, some freshmen, who I think can help us they've shown so far this year.
"Facing off,
Steven Weindler (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham Wading River). In the midfield,
Matthew Simone (Seaford, NY/Seaford) will be a nice addition as a transfer.
Peter Bashar (Stratford, CT/St. Joseph) is a transfer who has really done some good things.
Sam Christman (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) is really stepping up his game as a freshman and I think he can contribute and help us. Attack-wise,
Daniel Keenan (Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai) has been a nice addition as a transfer as well. And then defensively,
Dom Albi (Bellmore, NY/Bellmore JFK), you know, has done a nice job this year so far.
Mitchell Johnson (Manorville, NY/Eastport South Manor),
Daniel Lewis (Bohemia, NY/Connetquot),
Spencer DeRosa (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman),
Matthew Wright (Brownfield, ME/Toms River North).
"We've got a good nucleus of new guys and returners to mix in and now it's just a matter of kind of putting those guys together."
Adding a strong class of new players to a fortified group of returners can only mean good things for the Setters, who bring back four NE10 All-Conference student-athletes from 2016. Donnellan, junior
Liam Brennan (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman), junior goalkeeper
Robert Beshlian (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) and sophomore
Bradley Paterson (Caldwell, NJ/Depaul Catholic) were all selected to the NE10 All-Conference Team after strong seasons, and will only look to improve with more experience under their belts.
"One of the keys is you want to be good up the middle, and those guys give us a good foundation to be strong up the middle," said Mariano of his returning All-Conference players.
Donnellan scooped up 62 ground balls and caused 25 turnovers as the Setters' best defenseman last year, earning him First-Team honors, as well as an ECAC All-Star Second-Team selection. Brennan was a Second-Team All-Conference pick, and joined Donnellan on the ECAC All-Star Second Team after leading Pace with 72 points, 36 goals and 36 assists. Beshlian was also picked to the NE10 Second Team, and his stellar play earned him a spot on the 2017 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Third Team. Paterson made the All-Rookie Team after contributing 34 points on 17 goals and 17 assists in his freshman season.
The Setters will also see the return of sophomore
Wyatt Barfoot (Georgian Bluffs, Ontario/St. Mary's) to the lineup after missing all of 2016 with an injury. In his only season so far for the Setters in 2015, the rookie midfielder led the team with 29 goals and 51 points after adding 22 assists. Barfoot also picked up 47 ground balls and caused 20 turnovers. These numbers were good enough to not only land him on the NE10 All-Rookie Team, but earned him the distinction of NE10 Rookie of the Year. Barfoot said that while it was hard to sit and watch all season, the experience will still help him grow as a player.
"I started seeing things different parts of the game that I wouldn't see while I was playing, and I tried to help teammates out with things that I saw that they could do better," said Barfoot. "It's really just helped me be really motivated coming into this year. I am appreciating every practice, every rep. I've never been more excited to play."
While reaching the postseason and winning a championship are always the goal for the Setters, they measure their success on much more than just wins and losses throughout the season.
"I think something we measure ourselves on every day is effort we're making every day. What's our focus? What's our effort? Are we trying to get better every day?" said Mariano. "We don't talk a lot about the end result. We really try to focus on what's taking place today. How we can get better. How we can improve."
Mariano believes the sky is the limit for the Setters each and every game and each and every season, as long as they are putting in the work to reach that level.
"I think what we've talked to this team about, we truly believe this team can go as far as it wants to," said Mariano. "[As far] as its willing to put the effort to go."
The Setters will open 2017 against Georgian Court University at the game's newly scheduled date and time of Friday, March 3, at 3:30 p.m. at Pace Stadium. The game was pushed up from Saturday to Friday due to the frigid temperatures expected at game time. The Setters will then host No. 5 NYIT on Wednesday, March 8, at 4 p.m. at Pace Stadium.
For all information regarding Pace University men's lacrosse, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com, follow Pace Athletics on Facebook (
T-Bone, Official Mascot of Pace University Athletics), and follow the men's lacrosse team on Twitter (
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