Men's Lacrosse

by Paul Ohanian | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff


The bar has definitely been set higher in North Andover, Mass., these days.

After setting a school record for victories during a 12-4 campaign in 2008, the Merrimack men's lacrosse team is aiming for something even bigger this season -- a road trip to nearby Foxboro in late May.

There's obviously many hurdles still to clear between a 3-0, mid-March record and an eventual appearance in the NCAA championship game, but that only emphasizes the loftier aspirations for second-year coach Mike Morgan's team.

"I do believe we have all the pieces," said Morgan, a 2000 graduate of Merrimack. "I've been preaching national championship from the first day I took over the program, and I think our guys have started to understand what we have here."

Led by the scoring of All-American attackman Greg Rogowski, the Warriors are off to a strong start. With the senior netting six goals in back-to-back victories against No. 10 Mars Hill and Wingate last week, Merrimack has climbed to No. 4 in the USILA national poll heading into Thursday's test against Adelphi.

"No one works as hard as he does," said Morgan. "Greg has earned everything that he's received."

Meanwhile, junior Cory Spinale, last year's Northeast-10 Goalie of the Year, anchors a defense that could help the Warriors mount a serious bid for the postseason. Morgan considers Spinale -- a transfer from Division III Nazareth prior to last season -- to be the best goalie in the country and an invaluable team leader.

"He's elevated our entire defense," Morgan said.

Key offseason additions, including freshman faceoff specialist Nick Maggio and versatile midfielder Gregory Fallon, have also shored up some of the holes from last season. Merrimack's record-setting 2008 campaign ended with a 9-8 overtime loss to Bryant in the Northeast-10 tournament semifinal.

"That loss has made us a hungrier team," explained Morgan. "We know that we still have to go out and win the games. But the kids understand the stakes."

It's not like the Warriors have never known success. Merrimack enjoyed consecutive 11-5 seasons in 2005 and 2006 before slipping to 6-8 the season before Morgan took over. Last year's 12-4 mark earned Morgan Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year honors and brought renewed expectations to the program.

With Bryant's departure from the NE-10, Merrimack has emerged this spring as the primary challenger to Le Moyne's league domination.

"It's hard not to look ahead to the Le Moyne game (April 11), but we know can't take any game for granted," Morgan said. "If we take care of business between now and then, that game can be enormous for us."