Aug. 1, 2005

PHILADELPHIA - A fresh energy permeated the Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse program in 2005, as new head coach Pat Cullinan instilled a new level of structure, discipline and commitment in his charges. With a veteran group of seniors buying into the new philosophy and a talented group of underclassmen around whom to build the Hawks made significant strides and laid the foundation for a return to the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings.

Seniors Marc Reynolds and Dan Morrissey, anchored one of the nation's stingiest defenses. The trio helped limit opponents to just 9.96 goals per game during the season, but that total shrank to just 7.45 once conference play began.

One of the Hawks' tri-captains, Reynolds became the first SJU player to capture All-MAAC honors three times after being named to the All-Conference Second Team. The rugged defenseman placed second on the team in groundballs.

Morrissey, meanwhile, quietly posted another strong season between the pipes. The team's Most Valuable Player finished the season with a 9.86 GAA and a .509 save percentage. He closed out his SJU career ranked third all-time in saves at SJU and second in career goals against average.

Besides Reynolds and Morrissey, fellow seniors Matt Reynolds and Mike Behrmann, juniors Mike Kirlin and B.J. Fritts, sophomore Joe McNeill and freshman Patrick Maxey held down key slots in the team's defensive rotation.

The Hawk offense was paced juniors Keegan Wilkinson and Andrew Four. One of the nation's top playmakers as a sophomore, Wilkinson moved into the attack and showed a nose for finding the back of the net. He doubled his career total with 19 goals, while adding 14 helpers, to finish with a team-high 33 points.

Already a proven goal scorer, Four dropped back into the offensive midfield and looked to get his teammates more involved posting a career and team-high 14 assists.

Several other Hawks added depth up front, including senior Kevin McGrann, junior Brian Ponne and sophomores Alex McColough and Mike O'Neill. All posted double figures in goals during the season. Freshman Steve Varga showed perhaps the most improvement as the season progressed.

Midfielders Ben Kinch, Frank Abruzzini, Zach Charles, Kyle Manchin, Colin Malone and Sante Faustini served as key cogs in SJU's transition game. Kinch was particularly effective as the team's primary face-off specialist winning an even 50 percent of his draws.

The 2005 season will be remembered as one of transition for the Hawk lacrosse team. Despite a disappointing 3-11 overall record, the team remained focused and competitive, dropping five games by three goals or less. With a new coach and a young nucleus, this season's club laid the groundwork for SJU to contend for the MAAC title in the near future.