2009 Review

The 2009 Moravian College men’s lacrosse team continued to show improvement in just its sixth season as a varsity sport. The Greyhounds, under the direction of head coach Fran Meagher, had a 4-12 overall record and a 1-5 record in the Landmark Conference this season.

Leading the Greyhounds was senior attack Jason Tosches (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South HS). Tosches, pictured at right, scored 18 goals and seven assists for 25 points in his last season as a Greyhound. In the last match of the year, Tosches broke the school career goal scoring record when he netted his 92nd goal of his career. Tosches is also ranked third in career points with 116 points in his four years with the Greyhounds.

Sophomore midfielder Robert Devine (Mountain Lakes, NJ/Mountain Lakes HS), pictured below, who was named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team, contributed 21 goals and 22 assists for a team leading 43 points to go along with 43 ground balls and ten caused turnovers. Sophomore attack David Bennett (Easton, PA/Easton HS) put up 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points with ten ground balls on the year. Senior attack Christopher Danni (Macungie, PA/Emmaus HS) recorded a team leading 30 goals to go along with three assists and 15 ground balls.

Sophomore attack Christopher Mohapp (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks South HS) added eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points while sophomore midfielder David Forte (Chester, NJ/West Morris Mendham HS) put in eleven goals of his own. Forte has also recorded a 21-63 face off record on the year. Freshmen midfielder Jesse Peterson (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) contributed seven goals, one assist and 35 ground balls while freshmen defender Merrick Smith (Stonington, CT/The Williams School) netted a goal and four assists for five points to go along with 46 ground balls in his collegiate debut season.

Freshmen attack Jacob Harris (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) put up three assists on the year while freshmen midfielder Zachary Stein (Schnecksville, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) added two goals of his own. Stein also recorded 39 ground balls and a 75-186 face-off record on the season. Freshmen midfielder Joseph Perrino (Wall, NJ/Wall HS) netted two goals in his first season as a Greyhound.

Senior defender Steven Carroll (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell HS) scooped up a team leading 63 ground balls which brings his collegiate ground ball total to 200, which is second all time. Sophomore defender Michael Santos (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan HS) grabbed 41 ground balls on the year while freshmen defender Kevin Jordan (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central HS) picked up 28 ground balls of his own.

In goal for the Greyhounds was senior Benjamin Larson (Dover, DE/Dover HS) and sophomore Benjamin Leavy (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown HS). Larson, who earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team, had a 12.06 goals against average to go along with 182 saves, 41 ground balls and a 3-11 record in 795 minutes of action. Larson holds the all time records for saves in a season (219) and career saves (561). Leavy put up a 10.96 goals against average to go along with 42 saves, eight ground balls and a 1-1 record in 164 minutes of play.

Also contributing this year for the Greyhounds were senior Matthew Mariani (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick HS), junior Matthew DeJesus (Westfield, NJ/Westfield HS), sophomores Daniel Cress (West Chester, PA/West Chester Henderson HS), Daniel Heil (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville DeWitt HS) and Daniel Kane (Flanders, NJ/Roxbury HS), and freshmen Christopher Stanton (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat HS), Nelson Knudsen (Charlestown, RI/The Prout School), Michael Birnbaum (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS), and Jonathan Lilburne (Garrison, NY/Haldame HS).

Danni, Mohapp, Santos, Cress and Heil were all named to the 2009 Landmark Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll.

Coach Meagher should return most of his team for the 2010 season when the Greyhounds look to challenge for a berth in the Landmark Conference Tournament.

Story written by Nick Pepi '10.