It is February so that means that lacrosse season is stalking right around the corner.
Head coach Steve Colfer is back and ready to lead the men’s lacrosse team for his 16th consecutive season.
Last year, the team finished 13-6 while continuing its dominance over the Colonial States Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record. The Cav’s went on to win the 15th consecutive CSAC championship for the program. After advancing to the NCAA tournament, they were defeated by Ursinus College 7-8 in their first game of the tournament.
Coach Colfer is ready for the start of the season to roll around after adding to the strong foundation the team has built last season.
“We had really good players, they were strong offensively. We just struggled with winning some close games,” Colfer said. “The games we did lose were by a very close margin so as they say we were a couple goals here, a couple shots there from having a really special season.”
“Unfortunately, sports does not work that way, you have to win them,” Colfer said. “Whether you lose by one or lose by 20, it is still a loss.”
Even though they were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament early last season, sophomore mid-fielder Ethan Trusty is using the loss as a growing experience.
“Last season was really good,” Trusty said. “We had some positive things happen last year, but we also had some negatives that we wish could have turned out better.”
“Now we can use that to build and to keep improving.” Ethan Trusty also believes that chemistry is essential to improving as well.
“I think we have good team chemistry, but you can never have enough. I think it is a big part of it, along with just the little things,” Trusty said. “Fundamentals, getting really good at the basic stuff so you can keep mistakes at an all time low.”
Trusty’s idea on what the team needs to improve goes hand-in-hand with coach Colfer’s.
“From day one we have been working on our chemistry, working on us as a group,” Trusty said. “I think it is that trust that we developed especially what we learned last year in close games when we needed to make plays and were not able to do it.”
Colfer, who started playing lacrosse in about the sixth grade, first came to Cabrini as an assistant coach in 1997.
Colfer is very confident in the freshman class as some have already demonstrated that they are ready to contribute now.
“We have about 12 or 13 new student-athletes that came in. They are all working hard and doing good. There were around three to four of them that really stuck out in the Fall when they were given the opportunity,” Colfer said. “Now that we are back practicing for a couple weeks getting ready for spring season those guys are continuing to get better and increase their chance of getting an opportunity on the team this year.”
One of those freshman is mid-fielder Nick Labanca.
“I feel I bring a pretty good amount of speed, a good lefty dodger down the alley, and I can make transition plays. Ultimately where ever I’m needed on the field that is where I’ll go,” Labanca said. “I think I can improve more on my off hand, and just keeping my head up and to keep shooting after missing shots.”
Last season, the Cavalier’s had six players named to the all-CSAC first team, five players name to the second-team, one player tabbed as rookie of the year and coach Colfer was named Coach of the Year for the 10th time, fifth consecutive.
At the end of the year, coach Colfer hopes to be in the tournament and see improvement from his players.
“I just hope we are better than we are right now today,” Colfer said.
When you have a young team like we do this year, everyday we are trying to advance ourselves and learn something about ourselves,” Colfer said. “I like how we interact with each other, how we practice, and how we are trusting one another. Those are key ingredients.”
Trusty and Labanca are not shy about where they want to finish.
“National championship, we are trying to go all the way,” Trusty said.
“Definitely going all the way to the National Championship,” Labanca said.
