2011 Men's Lacrosse Preview

For the first time in a few years, Franklin & Marshall's men's lacrosse team enters the season with more answers than questions. The questions, however, are rather important. The Diplomats play-by-play voice, Phil Soto-Ortiz, sat down with Head Coach Todd Cavallaro to get answers about the not-so-new look 2011 Diplomats.

F&M has been a largely young team for the last two seasons, and will remain so in 2011. starters in 2010.

The Diplomats return eight starters from last year's team, including the defense in its entirety. Junior Freddy Schweizer, and sophomores Jimmy King and Scott Beury, will anchor a defensive unit that allowed 8.58 goals per game in 2010. Jake Litke, a starter in 2008 and 2009 will provide additional experience for a defense that will be bolstered by the addition of Carlos Pelaez and Henry Richardson. Long pole middie, Yazin Elrabie, started every game last year, and will help out in front of a new keeper, prompting the first big question: who will fill the void left by three-year starter, Chris Marcozzi?

Marcozzi, a three-year starter, owned solid career credentials with an 8.72 GAa and a .543 save percentage. Cameron Setian, Ben Feldberg, Connor Reymann and Masis Parseghian have battled it out in the preseason. The Diplomats may opt to go keeper by committee in the early season with Setian, Feldberg and Reymann in the mix. Setian is an outstanding technical goalie who sees the ball and positions himself well. Feldberg is a vocal director for the defense with exceptionally quick hands, while Reymann is similar to Marcozzi in his calm, cool demeanor in the cage.

It is not only the net that will sport a new look for F&M in 2011. The midfield was hit hard by graduation. The Diplomats graduated two-time all-conference midfielder and team MVP, Justin Rayman, Rayman scored 41 goals, assisted on 18 more, and recovered 87 ground balls over his career. He rarely left the field, working man-up and man-down situations. Sean Oliver (Career - 11g, 6a) and Shane Brennan (Career - 29g, 17a) also depart, taking some scoring punch from the unit. Sean Murphy, who held down the wing on F&M's faceoffs, graduated too. He was the Centennial's fourth most proficient ballhawk in 2010.

The All-Centennial First Team Faceoff Specialist, Andrew Setian won 111-of-166 (.669) of his faceoffs in league play and was 133-of-210 (.633) on the season. He returns for his sophomore season. Junior, Jimmy Wenk also returns. Wenk started seven games last year, scoring 10 goals and assisting on five more. He had 14 ground balls on the year.

Added depth up front will allow the midfield to poach Kevin Kilpatrick (22g, 4a) from the attack. With Kilpatrick moving back, Cavallaro feels he has the depth to run three midfield lines, which should translate into playing time for Kier Blevins, Sean Kenny, Jason Polansky, A.J. Reichart and Ryan Whooley.

One of the Diplomats top-feeding attacks in 2010, Colin McKew (6g, 18a, 16 GB), returns along with Tristan Miller (12g, 2a). Billy Kempner and Matty Gillan will fill the void left by Kilpatrick's switch to the midfield.

The Diplomats got on track on the extra-man under Cavallaro last year. F&M scored an extra-man goal in each of the final six games of the season, including three against Haverford. It is the first time F&M has scored on the extra man in six-consecutive games in the Coach Cav era and the longest stretch of games with an EMO game since the Diplomats scored man-up in the first eight of the 2006 season. Graduation losses raise questions here. Oliver departed with three man-up goals in 2010, but Keith Murray returns with three, including two game-winners, to provide stability to the unit.

Man-down is another question mark for F&M. Last year, the Diplomats allowed opponents to score on 18-of-55 (.327) extra-man opportunities. That ranked dead-last in the Centennial Conference, a huge factor considering the final outstanding question: How do the Diplomats turn the tight ones in their favor?

F&M has played 14 one-goal games under Cavallaro with a record of 5-9. The Diplomats played in five one-goal games in 2010, a season that saw the Diplomats break off one of the nation's toughest schedules according to LaxPower. F&M played five one-goal games in 2009 and four one-goal games in Cav's first season. No team that didn't make the Centennial playoffs was quite as close as finding themselves on the inside as F&M. The Diplomats dropped four conference games by a single goal, including three consecutive road losses down the stretch at Haverford (OT), McDaniel, and Washington. The total differential in the Diplomats six league losses was 13 goals. The two league wins were by a total of three goals.

The 2011 Diplomats open the season on Wednesday when Immaculata visits Tylus Field at Ken Gramas '88 Pavilion. The opening faceoff is set for 4:00 p.m. If you can't make it to Lancaster, you can watch the game for free. See GoDiplomats.com for details.

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