2018 Men’s Lacrosse Year in Review: #32 Bryant Bulldogs

With the 2018 college lacrosse season complete, it’s time to start looking back at how all 71 teams did during the season, as well as what to expect from each squad for 2019. These are not end of season rankings, as some people might think.

We’ve already begun looking back to 2018 with some team recaps thus far and continued our series this week with North Carolina, Towson, Penn, and UMass Lowell.

So with that, let’s continue the recaps!

#32 Bryant Bulldogs

Conference: NEC
2018 Record: 8-7 (5-1 in NEC play)
Postseason: Lost to Robert Morris in NEC semifinals
Head coach: Mike Pressler (12th Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Marc O’Rourke (33)
Assists: Cam Ziegler (17)
Points: Marc O’Rourke (48)
Faceoffs: Kenny Massa (247-of-360; 68.6%)
Ground balls: Kenny Massa (170)
Caused turnovers: Zach Coffey (12)
Goals against average: Kevin Beimfohr (9.60 GAA)
Save percentage: Kevin Beimfohr (48.1%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: A Cam Ziegler (29 Gs, 17 As, 25 GBs), M Tom Kennedy (20 Gs, 11 As, 27 GBs), FOGO Kenny Massa (68.6% faceoff draws, 170 GBs, 4 Gs, 1 A), D Chas South (20 GBs, 11 CTs, 1 A), D Jake Chandler (22 GBs, 8 CTs, 1 A), D Anthony Johnson (12 GBs, 11 CTs), G James Werner (10.16 GAA, 44.4% SV %), M Kyle Cornell (6 Gs, 7 As, 19 GBs), M Tommy Vailas (3 Gs)
Senior scoring departing: 100 of 246 points (40.7%)
Senior starts lost: 88 of 150 (58.7%)

Season Summary

It feels like it takes Bryant time every year to warm up and be a quality team. And 2018 was no exception.

Before NEC conference play started, the Bulldogs defeated Manhattan and Hartford in their first seven games. But their losses for the most part weren’t that bad. They had a tough overtime loss to BU, fell to Bucknell by two goals, and went toe-to-toe with the eventual national champion Yale Bulldogs in a three-goal defeat. They did have some bad losses to Drexel and Providence mixed in their as well.

But Bryant took control of the NEC as they have done for the majority of the last six seasons. They won four straight games, including a big road win against Robert Morris to end the month of March. The Bulldogs suffered only one loss, a 14-7 drubbing against Saint Joseph’s, but did get the second seed in the conference tournament after wins over Wagner and Hobart to end their conference schedule. But the rematch against the Colonials was not pretty, as the Bulldog offense couldn’t match the consistency Robert Morris brought in a 12-5 season ending defeat.

Freshman attackman Marc O’Rourke led Bryant with a team-high 33 goals and 48 points, which was good enough for a spot as a third team attackman on our All-Freshman selections. Senior attackman Cam Ziegler dished out a team-high 29 assists and 46 points for second on the team. Redshirt-sophomore Jake Buonaiuto complemented the other two as the third attackman with 30 points. At midfield, seniors Tom Kennedy and Kyle Cornell, as well as sophomore Trevor Weingarten, all recorded at least 10 points as the primary starters. They also got help from juniors Matt Heldberg and Kevin Quigley as well as freshman Austin Kent.

Bryant’s starting close defense was an all-senior squad in Anthony Johnson, Jake Chandler, and graduate student Chas South. Johnson and South each had 11 caused turnovers while South and Chandler each had at least 20 ground balls. The Bulldog LSMs, Zach Coffey and Jake Fiske, were both sophomores and recorded at least 10 caused turnovers and at least 15 ground balls. Junior Will Hamernick, sophomore Joe Peroni, and freshman Emmet Kemble were short stick defensive midfielders, along with Cornell and Quigley. With Kenny Massa taking care of faceoffs at 68.6%, junior Kevin Beimfohr took over for senior James Werner between the pipes three games into the season and finished with a 9.60 goals against average.

Looking Ahead

Two of their three top scorers depart, but the biggest holes to fill are on the defensive side of the ball. All three starters are gone, but the returning guys are relatively young with Fiske and junior Jack Horan each starting one game last season. Fiske and Horan could be replacements, as well as sophomore Jack Callahan and freshman Taggart Eymer.

Replacing Kenny Massa will be difficult. It’ll be the first time since 2011 Bryant won’t have a Massa on their roster. Jake Fiske took five faceoffs and lost them all, and sophomore James Stoler took one faceoff in the opening game against Manhattan and lost that.

Here’s who the Bulldogs will be adding to their roster for next year.*

*Compiled from a multitude of websites. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.