The Moravian College men’s lacrosse team is looking to be a top competitor in the Landmark Conference this upcoming season after a 4-12 mark last year that saw the Greyhounds drop five matches by three or fewer goals. The Greyhounds, under the direction of head coach Fran Meagher, are going into only their seventh season as a varsity sport at Moravian. The squad returns 18 letterwinners and seven starters this spring.

Leading the Greyhounds will be junior midfielder Robert Devine (Mountain Lakes, NJ/Mountain Lakes HS), who was named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team. Devine contributed 21 goals and 22 assists for a team leading 43 points to go along with 43 ground balls and ten caused turnovers a year ago. Junior attack David Bennett (Easton, PA/Easton HS), pictured at right, put up 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points with ten ground balls on the year.

Junior attack Christopher Mohapp (Jamison, PA/Central Bucks South HS) added eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points while junior midfielder David Forte (Chester, NJ/West Morris Mendham HS) put in eleven goals of his own. Forte also recorded a 21-63 face-off record on the year. Sophomore midfielder Jesse Peterson (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) contributed seven goals, one assist and 35 ground balls while sophomore 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.

Sophomore attack Jacob Harris (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) had three assists on the year while sophomore 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. Sophomore midfielder Joseph Perrino (Wall, NJ/Wall HS) netted two goals in his first season as a Greyhound.

Junior defender Michael Santos (Toms River, NJ/Monsignor Donovan HS), pictured at left, grabbed 41 ground balls on the year while sophomore defender Kevin Jordan (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central HS) picked up 28 ground balls of his own.

Returning in goal for the Greyhounds will be junior Benjamin Leavy (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown HS). 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 expected to contribute this year for the Greyhounds are senior midfielder Matthew DeJesus (Westfield, NJ/Westfield HS), junior midfielders Daniel Cress (West Chester, PA/West Chester Henderson HS), Daniel Heil (Fayetteville, NY/Jamesville DeWitt HS) and Daniel Kane (Flanders, NJ/Roxbury HS), and sophomores midfielder Christopher Stanton (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat HS), defender Nelson Knudsen (Charlestown, RI/The Prout School) and midfielder/goalie Michael Birnbaum (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS).

Coach Meagher looks to return almost all of his team going into the 2010 season and is looking to make it into the Landmark Conference Tournament. Moravian will once again be making a trip to Florida during Spring Break.