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
COMPARING 2014 AND 2015 IN NUMBERS
| 2014 Record | 11-6 |
| 2014 Conference Record | 6-0 (1st in MAAC) |
| 2014 Scoring Offense | 10.18 Goals Per Game (29th in DI) |
| 2014 Scoring Defense | 9.82 Goals Against Per Game (31st in DI) |
| 2014 Goals Leader | #12 Richie Hurley – R-Junior (34 Gs) |
| 2014 Assists Leader | #12 Richie Hurley – R-Junior (48 As) |
| 2014 Points Leader | #12 Richie Hurley – R-Junior (82 Pts) |
| 2014 Goaltending Leader | #24 Tommy Cordts – R-Sophomore (.529 FO %) |
| 2014 Face-Off Leader | #38 Casey Dowd – Junior (.588 FO %) |
| 2014 Ground Balls Leaders | #38 Casey Dowd – Junior (151 GBs) |
| 2014 Caused Turnovers Leader | #28 Adam Hall – Senior (12 CTs) |
| 2014 Quality Wins | Hartford (11-10 4OT), Detroit (9-8 OT) |
| 2014 Bad Losses | Robert Morris (10-9 OT), Bryant (9-8 – NCAA Play-In) |
| 2015 Record | 5-9 |
| 2015 Conference Record | 2-4 (6th in MAAC) |
| 2015 Scoring Offense | 9.29 Goals Per Game (46th in DI) |
| 2015 Scoring Defense | 11.57 Goals Against Per Game (55th in DI) |
| 2015 Goals Leader | #30 Conor Prunty – Senior (20 Gs) |
| 2015 Assists Leader | #12 Richie Hurley – R-Senior (22 As) |
| 2015 Points Leader | #12 Richie Hurley – R-Senior (40 Pts) |
| 2015 Goaltending Leader | #9 Nick Capalbo – Senior (.500 SO %) |
| 2015 Face-Off Leader | #38 Casey Dowd – Senior (.502 FO %) |
| 2015 Ground Balls Leader | #38 Casey Dowd – Senior (113 GBs) |
| 2015 Caused Turnovers Leader | #19 Joe Arcarese – Sophomore (12 CTs) |
| 2015 Quality Wins | Mercer (9-8), St. John’s (8-7), Quinnipiac (9-6) |
| 2015 Bad Losses | Robert Morris (12-10), Monmouth (5-4), Canisius (10-9 OT) |
YEAR IN REVIEW
After a MAAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Saints could not work off of that 2014 campaign into 2015. Siena didn’t even make it to the MAAC Tournament with a 2-4 conference record, although star players such as Casey Dowd and Richie Hurley returned for their final seasons. Siena’s offense and defense was worse in 2015, and Hurley wasn’t the same as he was in 2014.
The season began in upstate New York against Syracuse and Hobart, both of which were losses. The Saints then had their only winning streak of the season at three games, notching victories against UMass Lowell, Mercer, and St. John’s. The team alternated a loss and a win, the loss coming against Robert Morris while the win came against Quinnipiac in their MAAC conference opener, before the wheels started to fall off. The team lost six of their final seven games of the season, which began with a low scoring 5-4 defeat against Monmouth, followed by a 10-9 overtime loss to Canisius. The Saints fell to Hartford before getting back to the win column against Manhattan. Siena had a very tough Senior Day loss to Detroit, as the Saints surrendered four straight goals, including the game winner with 33 seconds to play, which ended any chances of the Saints repeating as MAAC Champions. The team lost to Albany and Marist to end their disappointing season.
Although much of the season was negative, there were a couple of positives. One of which was sophomore attackman Jordan Barlow, who recorded 27 points on 51 shots this season. Another bright spot was freshman attackman Chris Robertson. Robertson made his impact to the Siena team early, as in the first game of the season against Syracuse. The Hill Academy grad scored a hat-trick in his first ever game against the Orange in the Carrier Dome and eventually recorded 17 total goals and three assists in his freshman campaign, which looks like a very promising future for what might be the cornerstone of this Siena team.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Scott Bruner | Attack | Howard (MD) |
| Mike McCarthy | Midfield | Half Hollow Hills West (NY) |
| Grant Clark | Defense | Archbishop Moeller (OH) |
| Jack Twohig | Defense | West Chester Henderson (PA) |
| Michael Reilly | Attack | Bergen Catholic (NJ) |
| Cameron Brosh | Goalie | North Harford (MD) |
The Saints will lose 16 seniors next season, including Dowd and Hurley, and only bring in six recruits for 2016. The team brought in a large freshman class last season, so it looks like some of those players will be used more next season. The team will get a top player in Bergen Catholic’s Michael Reilly. Reilly set the school’s all-time assist record as a senior this season, and the NJ.com’s First Team All-State selection helped the Crusaders to the NJ Tournament of Champions title game. I think Reilly will play a big role for the Saints come 2016, complementing Robertson immediately.
