Riverdale, N.Y. – Under the direction of fifth year head coach Dan Mulholland, the College of Mount Saint Vincent Men's Lacrosse team will open the 2012 season on Saturday afternoon at Manhattanville. Face-off with the Valiants is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Mount Saint Vincent will open the season looking to replace a strong core of graduated seniors that combined for 87 goals, 110 points and 107 face-off victories in 2011.
Mike Shea led the offensive attack for the Dolphins after totaling a single season record 48 goals and 62 points. He also sits atop of the career list in both categories with an even 100 markers and 144 points. Over the course of his career at the Mount, Shea earned four Skyline Conference Weekly Awards, Three ECAC Metro Division Weekly Awards and was named Second Team All-League in 2009 and 2011.
Also gone from lasts season's squad is
Cavan Valance who rounded out his career with 76 tallies and 98 points.
Derek Valance rounded out his second year with the Dolphins with seven goals and eight points and
Chris Guastamacchia won 107 of the team's 164 face-offs last season. He is the career leader in face-off wins with 382 and face-offs taken with 809 and sit second in face-off win percentage at .482.
Although graduating the class with the most wins in program history, the Dolphins current squad returns a talented core of players that includes captains
Larry Caputo (Hicksville, N.Y.),
Dan Cohen (Ardsley, N.Y.) and
Bruce Pappas (Montrose, N.Y.).
Caputo anchors the Mount Saint Vincent defense and rounded out the 2011 season appearing in all 14 games and finishing second on the team with 51 groundballs. He also led the Mount with 27 caused turnovers.
Cohen enters the season after playing in eight games as a junior and finished with four goals and 10 points. He also totaled 12 groundballs. Pappas had a strong rookie season in 2011 and led the team with 68 groundballs to go along with 15 goals and 20 points. He was named the Skyline Rookie of the Year on April 11.
The Dolphins also return the program's career leader in assists in
Rowan Frederick (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who has handed out 52 helpers. He assisted on 10 goals last season and set the program's single season record in the category in 2010 with 27. Heading into the 2012 season, Frederick sits fourth all-time in points with 90.
The Mount also returns a pair of talented goaltenders in 2012 with each playing significant minutes last season.
Kyle Kalibat (Oceanside, N.Y.) played in and started 11 games and played 545 minutes between the pipes. He made 109 saves on the season and posted a 5-6 record.
Dom Scipioni (Yonkers, N.Y.) saw time in 10 games and got the starting nod three times in his rookie season. He played just under 300 minutes on the season and made 64 stops and posted a 1-2 record.
John Petito (Staten Island, N.Y.) and
Derek Wilson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) combined to win 55 face-offs last season, each in their first with the Dolphins. Mount Saint Vincent will also look for strong contributions from
Matt Desimone (Congers, N.Y.),
Miller Celestin (Brooklyn, N.Y.),
Adrian Go (Fairlawn, N.J.),
Bryan Stein (Larchmont, N.Y.),
Mike Gibbons (Floral Park, N.Y.),
Ryan Dupointe (Brookhaven, N.Y.),
Mike Visintin (Yonkers, N.Y.) and
Ahmed Ajao (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who returns in 2012 after missing 2011 due to injury.
Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattanville have met four previous times prior to Saturday's tilt, with the Valiants picking up wins in each game. The last meeting between the two programs came on March 26, 2008 with Manhattanville scoring a 14-3 victory.
2011 saw the Dolphins post a 6-8 overall record and a 1-5 mark in Skyline Conference games. Following Saturday's road game, the Mount will open the home schedule on March 3 when it plays host to Cobleskill.
