ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's lacrosse team is set to kick off its 30th season of varsity play this weekend. The Soaring Eagles begin the historic campaign on Saturday, March 3, with a road non-conference bout against Keuka College at 3:00 p.m.

In his 21st season at the helm of EC men's lacrosse, Head Coach Preston Chapman believes that this year's roster has quickly gelled together, which will give them a leg up on previous teams he has coached.

"This team has been a cohesive unit since we started up in the third week of January," Chapman said. "The guys are pushing each other. They are all on the same page trying to start the season on a high note. They are all doing the extra things that we as coaches have been asking them to do, which makes me optimistic."

Chapman stressed the importance of having a united roster with the tough schedule ahead. In addition to competing in the always challenging Empire 8 Conference, which includes nationally-ranked Stevens and 2017 NCAA Tournament participant Nazareth, Elmira will challenge itself with a tough non-league slate. The Soaring Eagles' non-conference schedule features Keuka, who reached the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) semifinals last year, and Kean, who qualified for the 2017 Skyline Conference Championships.

"We have a very competitive schedule this year, as it is every year in the E8," Chapman stated. "Our non-conference slate is not much better, as we will face a couple of teams that had good years in 2017. Overall, it will be a daunting challenge for us and we will have to be ready to respond to that."
 
Attack
The attacking core of the Soaring Eagles has seen quite a transformation since the graduations of Wyatt Katsos '17 and Anthony LaRusso '17. Senior Nevin Olney '18 returns coming off his best collegiate season as a junior. The Rochester, New York, native led the Purple and Gold with 22 points (18g-4a) last year, in addition to recording a career-high in ground balls (43). Olney paces all returners with 47 career points on 38 goals and nine assists. Olney's success this season will have a drastic effect on Elmira's overall performance.

"Nevin Olney is everything you want in a student-athlete," Chapman stated. "He leads by example on and off the field. He's one of the first guys at practice and one of the last to leave. If the guys follow his lead, they will be better for it and the team will be better for it as well."

Among the remaining returners at the position, Seth Amstein '19 has the most experience with 20 games over two seasons, which included two starts. Amstein has tallied two points in his career with one goal and one assist. Joining Amstein will be fellow attackmen Kenny Powell '19 and Spencer MacLean '20. The 6-foot-5-inch MacLean played 10 games as a rookie last season, while the 2018 season will be Powell's first.
 
Midfield
EC possess a good amount of experience at the midfield position. Seniors Colby Runk '18 and Jacob Magnoli '18 will be tasked with providing some much-needed leadership. Runk appeared in all 13 games in 2017, starting 12 of them, and tallied five points on three goals and two assists. It stood as Runk's strongest collegiate campaign, as he came into the year with zero career points. Magnoli also broke out last year, as he tallied his first career points as a junior. His season highlight came in the Purple and Gold's 16-5 win over Houghton College on March 29, when he posted his first two goals as a Soaring Eagle.

As far as underclassmen, sophomores David Keisler '20 and Kevin DiMagno '20 lead the returners. Keisler made nine starts in 2017 and tallied two points (1g-1a) as a rookie. DiMagno, on the other hand, made one start in four appearances and tallied an assist. Both Keisler and DiMagno will be staples of EC's faceoff strategy, as Keisler led the team with 43 wins in the circle last season and DiMagno has impressed the coaches at practice.

First-year players Jake Zlinsky '21 and Taylor Patterson '21 are in line to see significant playing time as rookies. Patterson, a graduate of Saint Maria Goretti High School in Hagerstown, Maryland, earned Washington All-County Second-Team accolades in his senior season. Most of his playing time this season will be as a long-stick middie, in addition to taking some faceoffs. Jeff Ahlgrim '18, James Mayer '20, and Lincoln Hall '21will also provide valuable depth this year.
 
Defense
Similar to attack, EC's defensive core has seen a vast transformation from a year ago. Junior Cam Brickey '19 leads the group, as he paces all returning defenders with eight caused turnovers in 2017. Sophomore Austin Spiridilozzi '20 will also be a staple on defense this season, as he appeared in all 13 games in 2017 and recorded 12 groundballs and six caused turnovers. Junior Cam Brickey '19 comes off his first collegiate campaign, when he appeared in all 13 contests and registered 11 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.

Peter Prescott '19 and Spencer Carter '20 will also be critical to Elmira's performance on the defensive end of the field. Prescott played 11 games as a sophomore and scooped up seven ground balls, while Carter posted 13 ground balls and caused four turnovers in 10 contests as a rookie.    
 
Goalie
With the departure of Elmira great Cameron Prior '17, Chapman has four players to choose from to fill the void in goal. Junior Mike Chaderjian '19 enters the season with the most experience, as he played nine games last year and made 51 saves in 198:54 minutes. Junior Matt Marchal '19 is the only other goalie with experience, having appeared in one game as a rookie in 2016.

Freshmen Jacob Mattice '21 and Richie Cameron '21 have garnered positive reviews in preseason practice. Mattice, a goaltender for the EC men's soccer team, will look to translate his success on the pitch to his first season on the lacrosse team. In the fall, he led Elmira keepers with a 0.84 goals-against average and a .821 save percentage. Cameron, a local product from nearby Elmira High School, played both lacrosse and football for the Express.

"We will have to see after the first game or two how the battle at the goalie position is going," Chapman said. "It has been a heated competition. All four guys have a shot to become our starter, it has been that close in the preseason. They all bring different skills to the table."
 
Season Opener
The Soaring Eagles and Wolves have quite a storied history, as the two programs have played each other on 21 previous occasions. EC holds a slim 11-10 advantage over its long-time foe. The Wolves, who went 8-6 overall last season and made an appearance in the 2017 NEAC Tournament semifinals, return reigning NEAC Rookie of the Year Craig Gerhardt (63p-39g-24a), All-Conference First-Team defender Dillon Springer, and starting goalie Ryan Mavretish. Keuka enters Saturday's bout with a 1-0 record after defeating Alfred State by a 15-10 margin in its season opener on Saturday, February 24.

"We are all excited for Saturday's game," Chapman stated. "The Wolves are coming off a successful season, making an appearance in their conference playoffs. They return a veteran attack unit, and their defense is solid as well. They will be a good test for us on Saturday."