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Mount St. Mary College is enjoying its best season in program history, and the players and coaches believe it can get even better.
The Knights were 9-2 overall entering their non-conference men’s lacrosse match with Western Connecticut State in Newburgh on April 13.
Mount St. Mary (1-1 Skyline Conference) has four conference matches remaining before the conference tournament semifinals on May 4. The Knights, who have set a program record with their nine wins this season, hope to qualify for the program’s first conference tournament, where the winner receives an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
“We’re at the point now where moral victories are behind us,’’ said Mount St. Mary coach Eric Seideman. “We’re looking to win, make the conference tournament and compete for the NCAA tournament bid.’’
Seideman and his staff changed the team’s offensive scheme in 2016, quickening the pace. Through 11 matches, the Knights have collected more goals, 160, and assists, 96, than they did in all of 2015. Mount St. Mary also is averaging 14.55 goals per game, compared with 9.13 in 2015, and is shooting 34.5 percent, compared with 27.7 percent last season.
“Changing our team style is something we wanted to do and felt we weren’t ready for it,” Seideman said. “Seven of our 10 starters were freshmen last year, and their big improvement is their maturation for this season. We felt as a coaching staff they were ready to play in a style we always wanted.’’
The new offense is bringing balance to the Knights, who have eight players with 10 or more points and five players with 20 or more goals this season. Sophomore midfielder Dylan De Meo, the 2015 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, leads Mount St. Mary with 54 points, including 30 goals and 24 assists. Sophomore midfielder Danny Kugler has a team-high 33 goals. Kugler and De Meo are first and second, respectively, in goals per match in the Skyline Conference.
“We wondered how it was going to work. After running through it, we really liked it. Our team chemistry is enabling us to run this offense as well as we are. The fast pace is what lacrosse is all about. It paid off really well,’’ said sophomore attacker Tristan Earl, who has 20 goals and 20 assists.
Mount St. Mary started its men’s lacrosse program in 2010, finishing 2-10 that season. The Knights won seven matches in 2013 before dropping to six and five victories the next two seasons.
Mount St. Mary will finish 2016 with a record of over .500 for the first time in program history after beating Mount St. Vincent on April 9.
But the Knights are hoping for more.
“We really feel if we continue to play as we are, we can make the playoffs for the first time in school history,’’ Earl said.
