Preseason Video

Staten Island, NY - On the eve of the 2014 season, third-year head coach Matt Poskay took a moment from his busy schedule to share his thoughts on the program. He also offered a breakdown of each position group and gave an overall assessment on a team that played a competitive brand of lacrosse in 2013, earned a resounding win over VMI, and one looking to reverse the three tough one-goal losses endured a year ago.

With the postponement of today's season opener vs. Lafayette, the Seahawks' 2014 season opener will now take place at home on Tuesday,  February 18 vs. Rutgers.
 
Poskay on the 2014 Captains
 "We have five captains this year, three of them who are seniors. All three are very deserving of of the title and the vote amongst the team  showed overwhelming support of goalie Nicholas Gibaldi, Matt Shute, who we're moving from defense to midfield, and  David Szilezy, a fifth-year senior who's seen it all. Then you have the McMenamins, Patrick and Billy, who are real leaders out there despite being just redshirt freshmen. All five are doing a great job so far, and showing why they were voted captains, with their leadership and their poise, on and off the field. Basically, in helping us in any way in trying to get us where want to go as a program."
 
Poskay on .Entering Year Three.
"Obviously the guys want to win and so do we as a staff. We understand that it's not going to happen overnight. We're doing the right things and we added some guys who we think are going to help us right away and in the areas we need to improve one, especially in the faceoff department, clearing the ball, doing the little things that gets us the extra possessions,  helping us get more goals."
 
"Having a full-time assistant in Ryan Browning helps us tremendously as a program. It bolsters our staff. It's a great opportunity too for Ryan. He's a young guy who can really grab hold and run the defense, per se and guys are adapting well to him as a coach and his style. I think we're really improved as a program, because of him, especially on the recruiting side He was just a great addition  and adding him as a full-time coach definitely shows what we're trying to do here which is trying to bolster every facet of the program."
 
Attack
14           Billy Battaglia                      So.          Attack                    5-9         170         Madison, NJ / Madison
3             Pat Charles                         Fr.          Attack                    5-10       185         Wantagh, NY / The Fourman School
7             David DeCirce                     Jr.          Attack                    6-0         160         Clarence, NY / Clarence
22           Griffen Leclaire                    So.          Attack                   6-1         180          White Rock, British Columbia / Toronto, Hill Academy
20           Reed Leclaire                       So.          Attack                   6-1         190         White Rock, British Columbia / Toronto, Hill Academy
27           Spencer Macquarrie              Jr.           Attack                    5-9         140         Doylestown, PA /Central Bucks West
35           Christian McCormick             Fr.           Attack                  5-10        185         Royersford, PA / Spring-Ford
2              Ryan Zurawski                    Fr.           Attack                  5-10        195         Medford, NJ / St. Augustine Prep
 
Poskay on the Seahawk Attack:
"Griffen LeClaire (All-NEC Rookie Team member in 2013) is only a sophomore but is a guy we count on maybe more than you normally would a second-year player. He comes to work hard every day and is trying to improve his game. He's going to be a marked man and I think he's going to realize that and I think he's ready for the challenge. David DeCirce comes back and he's a smart player  who comes from a family of lacrosse players. Dave's always making the right decisions, always doing the little things right. I expect him to make that turn too. Dave's only a junior, but he's our oldest guy on the attack and I look for him to lead us a bit down there."
 
"Reed Leclaire saw some action last season and is someone who is starting to turn the corner and starting to show some signs and we're excited about that. Billy Battaglia is another guy who found himself in there last year and we expect some things to come out of his game as well. Spencer Maquerrie was in and out of the lineup last season. He runs in the midfield too, he runs all over and brings great energy. As for freshmen, Christian McCormick has really shown signs and you may see him out there early on this year. He has a great first step and some quickness to his game which helps. Ryan Zarawski, he's a finisher guy who comes from a great program and he's going to find himself in a finishing role out there."
 
"Pat Charles has only been with us a few weeks but he shows signs of added depth at that spot and someone we feel can help us. He's fast and I think he's really going to help us out."
 
Midfield
21           Shawn Barnes                      So.          Midfield                 6-3         195         Long Valley, NJ / West Morris Central
11           Geoff Bradley                      Jr.           Midfield                 5-7         155         Brookfield, CT / Canterbury School
36            Gus Colonna                       Fr.          Midfield                 6-0          185         Northfield, MA / Northfield Mount Hermon
16           Paul DeVita                          So.         Midfield                 5-10        165         Westfield, NJ / Westfield
30            Anthony Labetti                   Fr.          Midfield                 5-9          175         Moorestown, NJ / Moorestown
10           Matthew Shute                      Sr.          Midfield                 6-1          190         Suffield, CT / Suffield
26           Patrick McMenamin               R-Fr.       Midfield                 5-6          160         Longport, NJ / St. Augustine Prep
25           William McMenamin               R-Fr.       Midfield                 5-5          155         Longport, NJ / St. Augustine Prep
28           Michael McMenamin               Jr.          Midfield                 5-8          160         Longport, NJ / St. Augustine Prep
18            Jacob Orvidas                     Fr.          Midfield                 6-2          190         Rochester, MN / Mayo Senior
23           Cory Santor                         Jr.           Midfield                 6-1          190         Glastonbury, CT / Glastonbury
24           Andrew Tirelli                        Fr.           Midfield                5-11         185         East Setauket, NY / Ward Melville
 
Poskay on the Seahawk Midfield:
 "Corey Santor is a two-year starter and a guy who we expect to do some big things for us. As a young team, Corey is one of those guys that we look in terms of putting a little extra on his shoulders. Paul DeVita is a guy who might run with him, a player who saw a lot of time as a freshman. It was nice to see, about halfway through the year last year, that light come on and I expect to see number 16 all over the place out there. Billyand Pat McMenamin are two guys who really stand out. They're all over the field. You might see them at attack, you might see them at midfield. Billy obviously helps us tremendously in the faceoff game. They're just guys that you wish you had 40 of them out there. They'll run through a wall if you tell them to, diving all over the place, picking up loose balls, doing the little things and working so hard to get open and put the ball in the back of the net. Iit's great to see those guys healthy again."
 
"Mike McMenamin is a defensive middle, a transfer who we kind of threw out there last year. He was behind since he hadn't picked up a stick for a year. Andrew Tirelli is a freshman who comes from a great high school program. He's bought into being on the field as a defensive-middie. As is the case with Mike McMenamin, he gets out there in transition and makes things happen on both ends. Geoff Bradley is another guy who's starting to come along and a guy who should find himself in a good role. Matt Shute is running in the midfield, as we converted him back from defense. He's coming off an ACL injury but is a big body and a great athlete. We're expecting big things out of him as a captain here in his senior year."
 
"A couple of young guys to mention - Gus Colonna, who showed signs of pushing guys in the fall and sophomore Shawn Barnes, a guy who has the body to play and he'll add depth . Anthony Labettii is someone we use on faceoffs but who can also run in the midfield as well. Jacon Orvidas is a freshman who's focusing on faceoffs and doing a great job there and we'll need him to spell Billy(McMenamin) a bit in that role."
 
Defense
17            Mark Beyer                           Jr.            Defense                 6-0          170         Carlsbad, CA / Carlsbad
4              Matt Bunting                         Jr.             Defense                 6-3          190         Wyckoff, NJ / Ramapo
15            Tyler Cropley                        Fr.            Defense                 6-1          195         Hillsborough, NJ / Hillsborough
33            Evan Clark                           Fr.            Defense                  6-0          180         Vaughan, Ontario / The Hill Academy
8              Adam Geiger                        Jr.             Defense                 5-9           165        Colts Neck, NJ / Colts Neck
31            Sean Gray                           So.            Defense                 5-11          210        Tabernacle, NJ / Seneca
37            David Szilezy                       5th            Defense                  6-2           200        Apex, NC / Cardinal Gibbons
19            Daniel Valencia                     So.            Defense                 6-2            200        Gaithersburg, MD / Gaithersburg
40            Noah Wolthausen                 Fr.             LSM                       5-9           175         Las Vegas, NV / Palo Verde
 
 Poskay on the Seahawk Defense:
"Adam Geiger is a guy we're going to look to use a lot. He's got the athleticism to get up and down the field as well as the energy and we're going to need that. He has two years of experience now and we expect him to have a major role in our defense. Matt Bunting is a big body and we expect him to continue a great career and to get better, as we do all of our guys. A guy who emerged out of the pack in the summer and in the fall is Dan Valenica, another big body who does good things out there. He makes smart plays with his stick and just might find himself in the starting lineup. Dave Szilezy is coming off some injuries. He's a captain who we'll rely on heavily at that end of the field."
 
"A young guy who's really emerging is freshman Evan Clark, number 33. He's going to find himself out there either in the midfield or in a defensive role. He's got great stick, comes from a great program and really understands the game. A guy who is pushing everybody on the defense is Sean Gray. He's close to breaking that lineup and is starting to sense his time is at hand. Another young guy, Tyler Cropley, is a smart kid, always in right position making the right plays and we're expecting him to be a contributor early.  Noah Wolthausen  doesn't come from a hotbed of lacrosse talent in Las Vegas but is one of hardest workers in the team and is excited to be out there."
 
Goalie
9              Nicholas Gibaldi                  Sr.           Goalie                     5-9           170         Rocky Point, NY / Rocky Point
6              Anthony Peruso                  So.           Goalie                    5-9           170          Warwick, NY / John S. Burke Catholic
12            Frank DeLuca                     R-Fr.        Goalie                     6-2           215         Farmingdale, NY / Farmingdale
13            Nesbitt Nicholas                  Fr.            Goalie                    5-8          150          Burlington, Ontario / Salisbury School (CT)

Poskay on the Seahawk Goalies:
"Nicholas Gibaldi is on the verge of starting for a fourth year here in the Wagner program. He's been really good for us in the fall and into the spring, He's a leader, he's our guy in the defense that  we count on – we count on him to make saves, we count on him to take charge down there and we're excited about his senior go as a Seahawk. Freshman Nesbitt Nicholas is pushing Nick and so are Anthony Peruso and Frank DeLuca. All four guys have been challenging each other. That's something we've been looklng for down there on that end, and all four goalies are pushing each other to get better as a group."