The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team will be relying on strong senior leadership and exciting young talent as it works toward its goal of a third straight ECAC conference championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament this spring.
Head Coach Dave Urick is looking to the four senior captains?midfielders Steve Dusseau, Mike Harney, and Mike Kanach, and goalie Scott Schroeder?to guide the team both on and off the field.
“We can’t rely on talent as the only way of getting [to the NCAA tournament],” said Urick. “Hard work and commitment become equally big parts of the whole picture, and we need the leadership that it takes to get to that next level. The seniors are a very strong group, and the signals they have been sending out show that they are ready to lead this team.”
Urick said that the team’s strengths lie in its deep midfield and strong, experienced defensive end, led by two preseason All-American selections, Schroeder and junior Kyle Sweeney.
Dusseau, a first-team preseason All-American, has tremendous respect for Sweeney. “I think Kyle is the best long stick midfielder in the country,” he said. “I go up against him every day, and he always gives me so many new challenges. He makes me much better.”
Urick is also counting on several underclassmen to emerge as key players. This could be a breakout season for sophomore Walid Hajj, who saw playing time as a first-year. Hajj “is really ready to take his game to the next level,” said Urick.
Among the first-years, midfielder Andrew Corno could have immediate impact on the field. “Andrew will definitely help us in face-offs,” predicted Urick. “Michael Kanach has done a great job for us [facing off], but at this level its good to have a duo, especially since Michael gets a lot of additional playing time.”
Urick said that first-year midfielder Brice Queener could also find his way into the rotation.
The Hoyas will need to make use of their depth as they face grueling competition, starting with the season opener against Ohio State on Feb. 23.
“This is the first year that we’ve had a really tough schedule,” said Dusseau. “There aren’t any games that we can point to and say, ‘Okay, we’re definitely going to win that one.’”
Urick agreed. “We’re in the strongest lacrosse league in the country,” he said. “There are any number of teams who could grab one from us.”
Urick also stressed the importance of winning the ECAC conference championship and the automatic NCAA tournament berth that goes with it.
“Automatic qualifiers limit the number of teams that qualify based on performance and increase the pressure to win your conference,” he explained. “Recently, we’ve seen some good teams not make the tournament.”
Still, the team’s ultimate goal is a chance at the NCAA championship. Dusseau remembers his trip to the Final Four three years ago, when the Hoyas lost to Syracuse, 13-9. “As a freshman, I didn’t appreciate the moment as much as I should have,” he recalled. “I would love to get back to the Final Four and get to the championship. I think we’ve got a good chance of proving ourselves this year.”
