MILTON, Mass. – As February dawns in New England, the thought of spring may be a long way off for some. For the men of the Curry College lacrosse team, however, the start of the spring semester goes hand-in-hand with the beginning of a new season. After the highs and lows of the 2013 campaign – in which the Colonels started with a 7-2 record, only to wind up going winless in their last seven games – the team is eager to get back on the field and prove themselves to be competitors. Coach Murphy is not shy to say that his team has a lot to prove after a tough Commonwealth Coast Conference performance in 2013: "We certainly knew it was going to be a challenge, but expected to do better in conference knowing how hard our guys worked. The beauty of athletics is that this is a brand new season, and our focus is on working even harder to get to where we want to be."
If evidence of this is necessary just ask the players, who have spent the last week wiping the sweat and snow out of their eyes during the first week of practice. The excitement level of this year's squad is palpable. Coach Murphy credits the returning players for setting the tone early on, and teaching their new teammates the right way to do things. "We only have four seniors, but many of the juniors and sophomores have a lot of experience already. These guys have made an impression on the way our freshmen practice and have adjusted to the college level." This will certainly be an important focus, as the Colonels have 16 new players in 2014. Some of these new faces will have an opportunity to make an impact right away.
Besides the return of senior Marc Fein, the defense will have a new look. New faces will surround sophomore goaltender Tim McNair, as juniors Matt DeLaney, Ian Higginbottom, Luke Kocot, and freshmen Dan Wise all stand to see action. Fein will anchor a unit that is hungry to improve on last year's foundation. At the midfield, returners Harrison Foster, Ron Jensen, and John Donahoe will look to cement their reputation as two way threats. Contributions will come from Freshmen Jack McMenomey and Brandon Flaim, who are not only new to Curry this year, but new to the midfield position as they both played attack in high school. Senior Connor Arnold will lead the attack along with juniors Connor McKeon and Sean Ahern. Freshmen Kevin Vincens and Dom Marcella are improving every day, and continuing to push their upper classmen counterparts. The faceoff unit will be a large focus again this year, with additions of junior transfer Pete Duggan and freshman Matt Boyd. "Having these two, who will compete with each other every day in practice, will be an advantage for us. We are going to put more emphasis on our wing play also, to complement these guys and really improve in this facet." Murphy said.
The goal for the 2014 season is simple and direct: Preparing for each contest as if it were the last. With this "No Tomorrow" attitude, the coaches are confident that the results will be an improvement in 2014. Coach Murphy is unwavering in that "This team has committed itself to improving each day. From top to bottom, this group has shown the hard work needed to continue moving in the positive direction we are heading."
