New York, N.Y. – After winning a program-record 16 games and its sixth consecutive league title, Montclair State has been tabbed to win the 2015 Skyline men's lacrosse championship in voting conducted by the league's seven head coaches.
The Rams were ranked fourth by the head coaches and will look to shake up the Conference with new faces on the sidelines. Head Coach Sean Chamberlain brings a fresh set of ideas to the team and has a multitude of experience beside him. Assistant Coach Matt Messina, a 2009 graduate of NYIT, was selected in the 10th round of the MLL draft as the 73rd pick by the Ohio Machine. A two-time All-American at NYIT, Messina helped the Bears to the 2008 National Championship and ranks seventh all-time in single-season points (78). Three volunteer coaches will also be helping out this season, including Brendan Chamberlain (Shenandoah '97), George Breres (Cortland '00) and Cory Cronin (UMass '92).
Last season, Farmingdale State finished 8-6 overall and claimed the #3 seed for the Skyline Playoffs, falling to Kean in the semifinals, 15-7. This year's team features alot of young players competing for starting spots.
Ranked 16th in the USILA Preseason Top 20 poll, the Red Hawks earned five first-place votes and 35 overall points, while 2014 runner-up Kean received 30 total points and garnered one first-place vote.
MSU welcomes back two of its top three leading scorers from a year ago in junior All-Conference honorees Brett Mangan (55 points) and Don Finn (50 points). Mangan finished fourth in the conference with 38 goals, while Finn registered a team-best 24 assists and added 24 ground balls.
Kean tied a program record with 15 victories last season and has advanced to the Skyline finals in each of the last three seasons. Junior attack Matt Speciale led the Cougars in assists (25) and added 41 goals in 2014, while junior midfielder Anthony Perrotta and sophomore defender Tyler Randolph garnered second-team All-Conference distinction a year ago.
Richard Stockton also received a first-place vote and finished third in the preseason poll with 28 total points. The Ospreys welcome back three-time All-Conference attack Nick Bologno, who enters his senior campaign with 117 career goals.
Farmingdale State placed fourth in the voting with 21 points, followed by Mount Saint Mary (15), Maritime (11) and Mount Saint Vincent (7).
The semifinals of the four-team 2015 Skyline Men's Lacrosse Championship will be held on Wednesday, Apr. 29, with the finals scheduled for Saturday, May 2. The champion will receive the league's automatic berth to the 2015 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship.
2015 Preseason Coaches Poll - Points
1. Montclair State (5) - 35
2. Kean (1) - 30
3. Richard Stockton (1) - 28
4. Farmingdale State - 21
5. Mount Saint Mary - 15
6. Maritime - 11
7. Mount Saint Vincent - 7
(First-place votes in parentheses)
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