For the better part of four months, many of us watched some exciting college lacrosse, whether it was on TV, online, or in person. There were good games, which included all of Championship Weekend, and there were bad games, such as low scoring affairs and of course, the horrendous winter weather. I take a look back at all 69 Division I teams and how they fared this season and what to look forward to in 2016.
Check out previous recaps: NJIT Highlanders, UMass Lowell River Hawks, VMI Keydets, Manhattan Jaspers, Canisius Golden Griffins, Robert Morris Colonials, St. John’s Red Storm, Wagner Seahawks, Binghamton Bearcats, Bellarmine Knights, Jacksonville Dolphins, Furman Paladins, Lafayette Leopards, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, Siena Saints, Delaware Blue Hens, UMBC Retrievers
COMPARING 2014 AND 2015 IN NUMBERS
| 2014 Record | 2-10 |
| 2014 Conference Record | 0-6 (Last in Ivy) |
| 2014 Scoring Offense | 8.25 Goals Per Game (59th in DI) |
| 2014 Scoring Defense | 13.33 Goals Against Per Game (65th in DI) |
| 2014 Goals Leader | #13 Mike Olentine – Senior (21 Gs) |
| 2014 Assists Leader | #42 Jack McCormick – Freshman (8 As) |
| 2014 Points Leader | #13 Mike Olentine – Senior (28 Pts) |
| 2014 Goaltending Leader | #1 Blair Friedensohn – Sophomore (.481 SV %) |
| 2014 Face-Off Leader | #39 Phil Hession – Junior (.427 FO %) |
| 2014 Ground Balls Leader | #39 Phil Hession – Junior (60 GBs) |
| 2014 Caused Turnovers Leader | #32 Dennis Foster – Senior (18 CTs) |
| 2014 Quality Wins | Sacred Heart (14-10), Holy Cross (17-12) |
| 2014 Bad Losses | Vermont (13-8), Hartford (12-7) |
| 2015 Record | 5-8 |
| 2015 Conference Record | 1-5 (Last in Ivy) |
| 2015 Scoring Offense | 8.77 Goals Per Game (52nd in DI) |
| 2015 Scoring Defense | 12.38 Goals Against Per Game (64th in DI) |
| 2015 Goals Leader | #6 Adam Fishman – Senior (25 Gs) |
| 2015 Assists Leader | #3 Wiley Osborne – Sophomore (21 As) |
| 2015 Points Leader | #3 Wiley Osborne – Sophomore (33 Pts) |
| 2015 Goaltending Leader | #1 Blair Friedensohn – Junior (.462 SV %) |
| 2015 Face-Off Leader | #39 Phil Hession – Senior (.625 FO %) |
| 2015 Ground Balls Leader | #39 Phil Hession – Senior (101 GBs) |
| 2015 Caused Turnovers Leader | #28 Max Randall – Junior (17 CTs) |
| 2015 Quality Wins | Harvard (12-11 2 OT), Vermont (16-15) |
| 2015 Bad Losses | Sacred Heart (10-9), Penn (15-12) |
YEAR IN REVIEW
The Big Green still are not the big team in the Ivy League. Last place again in league play and barely getting a win against Harvard in 2OT, the team went 5-8 on the season, two of those wins being recorded against first year programs NJIT and UMass Lowell. Numbers on offense and defense remained consistent with very little change from 2014. Wiley Osborne was a bright spot on the team’s offense, while Phil Hession had an outstanding final season in draws and groundballs.
Dartmouth began the season losing three straight to Ohio State, Notre Dame, and a last second defeat to Sacred Heart. The team then had their best part of their season with a three-game win streak against Wagner, Harvard in a 2OT thriller, and Vermont, each game decided by a goal. But the Ivy League play picked up yet again, and it only got tougher. First, Cornell beat the Big Green by six, followed by another six-goal loss, this time to Yale, followed by an 11-goal loss to Princeton. The team got a short break with a tight 7-5 victory over NJIT before falling to Penn by three. After a nine goal win over UMass Lowell, the Big Green lost to Brown in their season finale 17-8 to end yet another disappointing season.
Brendan Callahan’s first season as Head Coach can be deemed as a success, if you want to look at his overall record and also winning an Ivy League game. But another lackluster season for the Ivy school should be unacceptable. Every other team in the conference is very good, with Cornell, Yale, Princeton, and Brown ranked at the end of the season, and Penn and Harvard being ranked in some part of the regular season in 2015. Hopefully, the culture changes soon for Dartmouth, so that another horse can enter the already competitive race for the Ivy Tournament and at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL |
| David Marshall | Attack | Tabor Academy (NY) |
| Bo Forsen | LSM/Defense | Apex (AB) |
| Armin Mortazavi | Midfield | St. Alban’s (DC) |
| Griffin Miller | Goalie | Calhoun (NY) |
| Landon McKenzie | Defense | Landon (DC) |
| Will Randell | Midfield | Fordham Prep (NY) |
| Harrison Lane | Attack | Deerfield (MA) |
| Austin Meacham | Defense | Brunswick (CT) |
| Cam Nolting | Attack/Midfield | South Burlington (VT) |
| Jack Auteri | Midfield/FO | Central Bucks East (PA) |
Dartmouth loses eight players to graduation in 2016 and will bring in ten new kids to the team. The Big Green brings in a couple of players at attack, midfield, and defense, and one goalie, LSM, and face-off specialist. Jack Auteri is an underrated face-off kid coming from Pennsylvania. He helped La Salle win a PIAA State Championship with a stacked squad that included Maryland’s Matt Rambo and Harvard’s Sean Coleman and was an important part of the Explorers winning extra possessions in game such as Garden City. He continued to dominate the face-off game when he decided to transfer to Central Bucks East and kept continuing taking on top FOGOs. Sophomore Krieg Greco went 36-of-94 on draws for Dartmouth in 2015, a win percentage of .383. Auteri and Greco will more than likely duke it out to be the starting FOGO in 2016. Austin Meacham from the Brunswick School and is on Ty Xanders’s senior watchlist, and will more than likely get playing time to help boost the Big Green defense in 2016.
