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Message: [QUOTE="OrangeXtreme, post: 1046971, member: 41"] [B][URL='http://www.syracuse.com/orangelacrosse/index.ssf/2014/05/syracuse_mens_lacrosse_should_bring_back_loaded_roster_next_season.html#incart_river_default']Syracuse men's lacrosse will bring back loaded roster next season (PS; Carlson)[/URL] [/B] Here's a position-by-position and player-by-player breakdown of what the Orange return in 2015. It does not factor in the presence of recruits like faceoff specialist Max Parker, goaltender Nolan Callahan or SU's two Inside Lacrosse Top 50 commitments Bradley Voigt and Bradley McKinney. [B] Attack:[/B] The Orange returns its starting unit. The group will likely be the country's best. Gone Derek Maltz: Syracuse loses its fourth option at the position. Maltz was good around the cage but his 14 goals and nine assists won't be difficult to replace. Returning Kevin Rice: Syracuse's playmaker from behind the cage and around the crease. He'll be the country's second-leading returning point scorer. Dylan Donahue: Finished fourth in the country in shooting percentage, burying 52.9 percent of his shots. An ideal complement for Rice's feeding. Randy Staats: The most exciting player on the field for Syracuse. The only question is how much better he can make this unit as a full-time starter and with a second-year together. Dylan Maltz: Saw some playing time as a true freshman and could slide into the fourth spot for his older brother. [B]Midfield:[/B] Syracuse faces the most departures in the midfield. It's also the area where the Orange was deepest. Gone Billy Ward: Syracuse's top scoring midfielder and most versatile option, he also showed an ability to lead and deliver clutch goals. Scott Loy: Loy provided a physical presence on the top line but his numbers were underwhelming for a player picked in the MLL Draft. Returning Nicky Galasso: Syracuse's top shooter from distance, Galasso got better as the season went on. He's likely the team's top invert threat and an ideal candidate to replace Ward. Hakeem Lecky: The tantalizing Lecky gets open at will but struggles to finish (28.3 shooting percentage) or find open teammates (15 goals, two assists). The redshirt junior will have one more season to correct his weaknesses. Henry Schoonmaker: Athletic enough that he did shifts on the wing to solve Syracuse's faceoff issues. He'll likely replace Loy's size and physicality. Jordan Evans, Nick Weston, Hayes McGinley: The core of this season's recruiting class, which was ranked No. 2 in the country by Inside Lacrosse. Evans and Weston saw playing time as true freshmen and McGinley might have been just as good if he hadn't missed the year due to injury. [B]Defense:[/B] Returns two of three starters and options with experience in the third spot. Gone Matt Harris: Solidified the backline by moving to close defense after Syracuse rotated through a number of options at its third spot. Returning Brandon Mullins: Emerged as a shut-down defender who limited many of the country's top players over the course of the season. He was first team All-ACC. Sean Young: Steady force, especially around the cage, returns as a senior and is a strong No. 2. Jay McDermott: Filled in for Harris multiple times when the senior struggled.That puts him a small step ahead in the competition to be the No. 3 starter. Ryan Palasek, Bobby Tait, Josh Pulver: Palasek and Tait weren't ready to start this season and Pulver redshirted. All should compete for the No. 3 job. [B]Long-stick midfield[/B]: Desko thought it was his deepest position this year. The key ones return. Returning Peter Macartney: Solidified Syracuse's wing play once he was given the freedom to attack the ball on faceoffs. Scott Firman: Syracuse's most impressive true freshman. He had a pair of critical groundballs in big games. [B]Defensive midfielders[/B]: This group could use an upgrade. At times Syracuse opted for Jordan Evans, a player known for his offense, at this spot. Gone Drew Jenkins: Third among the defensive short sticks with seven groundballs. Returning Tom Grimm: Led defensive midfielders with 18 groundballs. Mike Messina: Finished with 13 groundballs. [B]Goalkeeper[/B]: Desko said he "wasn't unhappy" with his goaltender play this season. Statistically, though, it wasn't a great year. Gone Dom Lamolinara: A calming presence and solid leader but Lamolinara stopped just 48.6 percent of opposing shots. Returning Bobby Wardwell: Wardwell led Syracuse in save percentage (51.3 percent) while taking the second half of games in a timeshare situation. He's the heavy favorite to take the job next year. Parker Ferrigan: Desko raved about him before the season started but Ferrigan wasn't quite good enough to stay in the competition when it was pared down to two. [B]Faceoff specialist:[/B] After being criticized for much of the season, Chris Daddio now becomes the most difficult player to replace. Gone Chris Daddio: Despite all the doubt, Daddio's departure does leave Syracuse with some concerns. He finished the year winning a respectable 50.4 percent. Back Joe DeMarco: His 38.5 percent was second to Daddio on the team this season. He'll return as a sophomore Cal Paduda: Considered a potential to challenger to Daddio entering the season, he'll be back after missing this year due to injury. He won 42.3 percent in 2013. [/QUOTE]

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