NHIAA Boys Div 1 Preseason Predictions: 2015 is a year of change in NHIAA D1 Boys lacrosse. We have lost some legendary coaches, and excellent players this season, but we have added plenty of new faces on the coaching scene, as well as adding a few new teams to the D1 ranks. I will go into what this means for out of state scheduling and the in state player of the year battle. As with the start of every new year, questions arise on who the next man up is for some programs and who will emerge to take the next step forward as a program. This year will be fun to watch as so many storylines unfold. You may find that faceoff men determine this years state championship. NH boasts some of the best in the country. Teams looking for a place: Any school in Manchester Dover Merrimack I wont spend much time on these schools as they are slated to really struggle this season. Merrimack and Dover have some players, and I am quite hopeful that they can make it competitive, but I think they are just a little too thin to get too many wins. Dover steps up to D1 this year, but have lost their coach. He always had them ready to battle, but I just dont think there is enough to make the leap this year. They start w a solid player in net, in Chris Beardsworth, only problem is I think he will see way too much rubber to turn away enough to keep them in the big games. Dovers future is bright though and they should be excited about competing with the big boys. Merrimack is the class of this group, they have some good players in Matt Brewster, who is headed to Sacred Heart to play, Conor Cyr M/A and they have a solid keeper in Chris Norwalk. Next teir: Salem, Concord, Nashua North, Hanover and Nashua South This is a group of teams which we have been waiting to take that next step for a few years now (except Hanover) I expect the team who wins the close games this season from this group to make that next step. This group of teams has very dedicated and capable Coaching staffs led by Coach Smith, Coach Monson, Coach Hailey, and Coach Bertrand, they will know what to expect from their competition. It wouldnt be surprising to see the fruits of their labor come in this season. Salem: This team took a big step last year, being competitive for the first time in quite a while. Coach Hailey has the culture going in the right direction, they have some very good young players in Gore and Hailey, as well as few players who have played summer ball for the HGR team, but there isnt enough to battle the big boys, at least not yet. Concord: Coach Smith always seems to have athletic kids who just dont do enough to translate that into becoming great lacrosse players, his program always seems to lose 1 or 2 kids to the Tiltons, brewsters and New Hamptons of the world. Not to mention St Pauls is right in their back yard. This makes it hard to keep those excellent players at home. With that said, could this be the season that they put it together and bring back the glory days to our Capital. The youth program has rebounded and has started to produce quality talent every year. Attackman Max Foisey has worked hard in the off season and I see it translating on the field, but do they have enough? Thats always the question. Hanover is in a different catagory, they have lost a lot including a great Coach in Coach Reed. I expect them to be in a rebuilding year. They do have talent though, Connor Austin A/M Sr and George Geraghty A Jr, both of those players are very fundamental and will score their points. Hanover always has athletes, so expect them to keep getting better as the season goes on, problem is they will give up a lot, as the shoes in the cage will prove too big to fill. Nashua North: This is a team that is always in shape. It sounds weird to say in a sport like lacrosse, but Coach Bertrand has his boys in the best shape in the state. Unfortunately, the reason they are competitive is primarily that, they grind hard, win individual battles and always surprise a team or two due to this fact. The bigger issue is that they have athletes, but their lineup is rarely full of high Lax IQ guys who are able to compete with the states best. It is literally a dozen unforced errors a game that keeps them out of the discussion. If they can handle the ball and protect it more this season they will be the team in this group who makes that step, if not, we will be saying the same thing next year. The one fact that always remains, is if you play Nashua North, you are in for a dogfight, that starts at the top w Coach. Nashua South: This team is the one in my opinion which has the best chance to make the leap this season. Lets start in net, they have a top 3 goalie in the division in Brian Mckinley. This kid can play. If he plays like he is capable he is the kind of goalie who can heat up and spark offense on outlets. If Nashua South gets to the final 8 look for Coach Monson to be COY Candidate and McKinley to be discussed for Def POY. Time will tell, but I will def watch this team a couple times this year. Teams battling for the final 4: Exeter, Souhegan, Londonderry, Pinkerton, Bedford and Bishop Guertin Bedford: Lets start with the new kid on the block. Bedford will not be sneaking up on anyone in this division, they carry the longest winning streak and have won numerous state title in Div 2. Add that to the fact that they beat Hanover, Pinkerton and Exeter over the last couple of years, I would say that they are finally home. They have been a top 5 team in the state for the last 4 years. Bedford is loaded, many feel they will come into the Div and win it in year one. The reason for this is they are loaded at all positions and have lots of senior leadership across the board. Coach Gerrard has forgotten how to lose and so have his players, they def dont want to remember this year. Their players are very committed to the game and many will play at the next level. The defense and midfields are filled with college commits and dynamic players. Lead by Vaillas, my pick for Def POY and maybe the most athletic player from NH Lax, he disrupts everything and even through thorough game planning he will disrupt the game throughout. He is a monster between the boxes and helps spark transition for the Bulldogs. Its easy to see why Bryant University wants him. But he is just the beginning of what Bedford brings for defense. An example of that is that Cormac McCarthy is a soph committed to BU and due to the solid Sr returners down low, coach Gerrard may use him to complement Vaillas. This a player who would start at every other school. Bedford has more Dpoles then they know what to do with. Gendron, Flynn are both underclassmen and they are studs, add these two to the incoming freshman class which may be the best in the state and you can see why the Bedford fans expect greatness week in and week out. Midfield is another spot that Bedford is solid as a rock. They are visually intimidating with numerous players over 64. Stanton is an Offensive POY candidate, as is Jr Dakota Clark (Air Force). These players are flanked by Whittenberg, Collela, Colby Gendron, all excellent players in their own right. Another example of Bedfords depth is a player like Duncan Kirkpatrick, he would be a 1st line offensive player at most schools, at Bedford he is scrapping to get offensive shifts. They have solid D middies and every player plays their role. In the net they return Tierney, who although he is trying to fill the shoes of All American Matt Howe, can play some solid net as well. He has enough in front of him to help his job become easier. Attack: I keep hearing this is a spot of development for Bedford, I dont see it that way, they have Sullivan a lefty who can fill it up, a right handed soph in Colin Hendrickson who can play on ball and off. He is a big body and he can rip as well. How he develops this year will determine some of the offensive production for the aforementioned middies who love to step down. And there are 3 guys I know of battling for the final spot, all of which can play. One is a converted middie in Brandon Howe, but he has great vision and can finish inside, another is a wildcard in Jr Matt Robinson who has transferred from Governors and is being homeschooled in Bedford. If eligible he would be a nice piece to add. The faceoff X, is a place where we may see the freshman of the year in Tucci who will be at the very least platooning with Sr and excellent face off man Colin Cashin. This two headed monster may be just enough to win it all for the Bulldogs. Bedford is a force to be reckoned with this season and the next 5. They are a lock for the final 4. Exeter: a perennial contender, but one which lost a lot this season. What they do have is strength at the two most important positions to build around. Faceoff X and Goalie. Jr Sean Penna (Denver) may lay claim to the best drawman in the state, but could also be the 5th best on any given day, thats how deep the FOGOs in NH are. With that said he will get Exeter the ball routinely and this helps get the ball down to a solid attack. They have a couple of Jrs in Lorenz and Carr that know what to do with the ball when they get it. where they will struggle is at midfield and defense. I personally dont feel this team is a final four team, not this season anyway. They do have the top goalie in the state right now with Sr Cole Finerty and when you have power in those two positions, you tend to be there at the end. Most years they would be in, but not with this years faceoff men and depth of talent. Souhegan: Coach Bishop has started to develop this team in his own mold. They are smart and athletic. He has them committed year round, and has followed up his COY season two years ago with a sustained effort and that is hard to do. There are a lot of 1 hit wonders, Coach Bishop is no lou bega, he is here to stay. They will always compete and I expect them to be in every game. How they perform in the close ones will dictate their seeding and how they progress in the playoffs. Lets start in the cage Soph Alex Burnley, is solid and can handle the ball. He got some invaluable time as a freshman. He is vocal in the cage and he is ready to take a big step this season. Defensively Souhegan is very good in front of him, they return Faro, Burnley and Morgan and very good trio. Foster Burnley will be on the wing quite a bit on faceoffs, so that will help Tim Vinton win his fair share. Many years Vinton would be a top two drawguy, but not with this group of players. With that said it isnt a one man game and Burnley has an endless motor from the wing, he will help him get some additional wins. Midfield is a place of concern for Souhegan, Zach Bossi and Trevor Barrett return and they are a good start, but how their other players step up will determine the season. If two or three other middies emerge from the huge group of players in the Souhegan pool, they will be final 4 if not they will struggle against the other teams in this group. I will end it with the attack group. They have two of the best in Jrs Nutting (Umass Lowell) and Cray. You could literally put a bag of skittles at the 3rd attack position and have a top 3 group in the state. Fortunately for the Sabres they will have better options then that in Amherst. Still expect a lot of 2 man game and individual highlights from those two. One of the biggest pieces to the puzzle will be their ability to handle the ball and control a game. Londonderry: This team was an absolute disappointment last season. I had the opportunity to watch 4 games of theirs, each was more uninspired then the last. They lost a lot of seniors including in the net, as well as their Coach. Normally this is a recipe for missing the playoffs completely in 2015, but there is a new sheriff in town. Coach Sean LeBlanc is one of the top young minds in New England Lacrosse and teaches the game the way it should be played. I think a change in culture is exactly what the Lancers needed. The shelves arent empty in Londonderry, they have some talent, expect LeBlanc to get the most out of these players and to develop some of the younger guys, if he doesnt it will be a very long season. Lets start in the cage, they have 3 goalies, none of which has claimed the starting role right now, but that battle is expected to go until a week before the season. Defensively they have Matt Rimol (Lehigh) returning as well as Beedham, who swings at LSM. They will need him to be a monster to keep up with the other great LSMs in the Div. Young players will be asked to fill in the remaining spots. At the midfield, they have talent Lew Carroll is a throwback type of two way middie and will be asked to carry a big load, but with Derhak and Mitchell returning next to him, this is an area of strength for Londonderry. A couple of other upperclassmen will round out the offensive and defensive midfield. Attack is another area of strength, Jr David Weidenfeld leads the way, Soph Snyder and seniors hastings, kellog and hussy will battle for time here. surely one will emerge and get it done. If this team buys in to the new system, expect success and expect Leblanc to be in the convo for coach of the year, but that is always a challenge in year one. especially with the number of holes in important places. This will be a fun team to watch this season, at the very least they will give an effort, that is a step in the right direction. Pinkerton: For a long time Pinkerton, was the name in NH Lax. In recent years, they have come up with an uncharacteristic drought in championships. They are always in the discussion, 2015 will be no different. They have a solid goalie in Nick Richard, watching him in indoor has shown me he can play. and if you can play in the indoor environment thats saying something. The defense in front of him is quite good. This team reloads their defense every year. They return Burke (Merrimack) POY Candidate Cam Richard (Fairfield) and Albrect. That may be the tops in the state, add in Tettler at LSM and they are set at Pole. They have other to fill in if there are any injuries. That part of their game is rock solid. At attack, they return a lot of goals. Billeter, sweeney, Bouchard, and left hander Tully will get plenty of goals if the ball get to them enough. The big concern is at the midfield! They have in my opinion the #1 draw guy in the state in Brett Dattilo, the only issue is they ask him to do everything, thus taking him to the breaking point of exhaustion. He is not strictly a fogo, but if he was able to focus there, he would be more effective. He is up to the task and is a left hander on man up that can let it fly. He will excel at the next level. Other then Dattilo, they have Jack hanaway who can play, he is by no means a slouch, he is a solid between the boxes player. They may have to roll up Bouchard for the betterment of the team, but even with that they will need a couple more of their 4000 enrollment to turn into a talented middie before June comes. Pinkerton has a lot of banners and they always feel they should bring that trophy back to its proper resting place for the summer in Derry. Bishop Guertin: Whats to say? BG is always in the finals right? They are woking off of a couple of measly state titles. They are at the point where, the seniors are going for their 4th. Meaning every year they are there they walk off with the hardware, that is impressive. Coach Cameron, is a Savant in terms of game-planning and in game adjustments. The team is always prepared and he knows exactly what to say to each player to get the most out of them. Haters gonna hate, but the guy has built a dynasty. One of the challenges this season is, normally BG is by far the most battle tested of all the D1 schools as they travel to RI, NY, NJ and Mass for huge games against nationally ranked opponents. this year with the expansion of Div 1 they have had to replace the likes of Lincoln Sudbury with NH teams new to D1 like Dover. Could this bring them back to the pack? This year, as with most they are having to backfill a great graduating class. This one may be harder, and Coach Cameron will need to develop some players in key positions to get another championship. Lets start in the cage, Colin Casey very well could be the last man standing in that battle. He is solid and can outlet at the college level already. Like Burnley at Souhegan he got some much needed reps last season and he is ready for the jump to full time starter. His defense is good, but not the great close defense that we have been accustomed to, the one which has produced an endless flow of college players. They will have some seniors, in Fenn, Lyskawa, Macabe (UMASS) and Wittier, and two Jrs in Will Lewis and Cam Holt. those 5 will make up a more than serviceable defense, and should develop as the season progresses. At attack they return Offensive POY candidate Alex Astarita (Conn College) and Nick Prunier (Holy Cross) Both of these players are studs and not only excel at finishing, and distributing, but also at riding and getting the ball back. what they do at the 3rd attack position is still a mystery, could be one of a number of guys all solid (Bozek, Barrett, Bruno, OReilly, Allen) but there are capable bodies to fill that role. Replacing Connor Donehue and Hurley, is a challenge, but they will be able too. Moving to the midfield, lets start with the two headed monster at the faceoff X Jack McNallen (Towson) and Hayes (Umass Lowell) this is an obvious strength for this team that only 4 other teams will be able to come close to competing with. The other midfielders are studs Led by senior Carluccio who can do it all and will give you the effort every shift, and senior Gage Sevigney (Umass Lowell) a left handed speed demon who possesses great vision and finishing skills. Then you have 2 Jrs in Charlie Obrien (UMASS) and Tim Hinrichs (Providence) who seem to score at will. The midfield is an area that will differentiate BG from the other contenders. This years BG team will have its work cut out for them, and as with any year a hiccup at the wrong time will send them packing. Anything short of a State Championship has become a disappointment in Nashua! So with all of that written....who the heck do you pick? Final 4: Pinkerton, Bedford, BG and Souhegan Finals: Bedford/BG in the best game in 10 years! State Champion for 2015: BG.....again Hey what can I say, its hard to pick against the Defending Champion. The great Ric Flair once said To be the man you have to beat the man Until someone does, my pick remains there, but I will say this is by far the most competitive year in D1 in the last 5. Bedford shakes things up, and is home in D1. Can they extend the streak through this season, you bet, will they....I guess we will find out. Will Pinkerton, embrace the underdog role and run the table to a championship? Lots of questions, only the players and coaches have the answers, I cant wait to watch the 3 month long movie. See you all at the games. 603 Lax.....out! Player of the year to follow in next week!
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 01:46:02 +0000
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