Coming off a season in which the squad earned its first bid to the NCAA tournament, the Ohio State men’s lacrosse team is setting loftier goals in 2004 – aiming for another league title and a long stay in the tournament.
“Our expectations are a little higher this season,” goalie Tony Russo said. “We reached our goal of making the tournament last year, but this season we want to go further into the tournament. That is our main goal.”
Although the Buckeyes lost five of their top seven scorers from a season ago, returning are a solid group of players that include nine seniors. Seventh-year head coach Joe Breschi said this year’s group, including the five captains, has been together long enough where it shouldn’t be difficult to get everyone on the same page.
“We’re losing a very talented group of players,” Breschi said. “We’ll miss their experience and leadership, but the nine seniors we have now are terrific.
“I always tell them that you are only as good as the leaders you have, and our seniors and our captains are giving us some high expectations.”
OSU returns two players, in Russo and defenseman Greg Bice, who received All-American status last season. Both team captains. Russo earned honorable mention All-American in 2003, as well as the Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Year and first team All-GWLL.
Russo said being a captain is like being a different type of leader.
“I have more responsibilities now as a captain,” he said. “I’ve always felt like a leader, but as a captain I have to talk to the guys more. I can’t just let my play do the talking.”
Bice is a two-time All-GWLL honoree and was an honorable mention on the 2003 team of All-Americans. Also returning in the defensive backfield is captain Matthew Cafarelli. Cafarelli returns after missing the 2003 season after an injury in the opener against Navy.
In the midfield, the Buckeyes welcome back Tom Randisi, who started all 14 games and is the second-leading returning scorer on the team. Randisi received second-team All-GWLL honors in 2003 and returns as a captain in 2004.
On the attack, OSU lost school-leading scorers in Curtis Smith and Mike Norton but returns captain Anthony Gilardi, whom Breschi calls the quarterback of the team.
“I view myself as the quarterback in some ways; I can see that,” Gilardi said. “I just try to distribute the ball as much as I can because everyone around me is so unbelievable.”
Breschi said this team has experience playing together, and the players have great leadership skills.
“What is nice with this team, is that we have a leader at every position,” he said. “These guys have raised the bar for our program – it is their time to shine.”
Breschi said other than the returning seniors and captains, there are a number of other players that are ready to contribute to the team’s efforts.
Freshmen Jeff Schneider and Jason Lutz are two newcomers Breschi said can make an immediate impact.
“Schneider is a local boy from Dublin-Scioto who will get some looks at long pole,” Breschi said. “He can flat-out fly.”
Breschi also said there are a “number of guys that have been here that will get playing time, as well.”
The Buckeyes’ schedule consists of eight teams in the Top 20, which Breschi and the squad see as an advantage.
“You have to play good teams to prepare for the tournament,” he said. “I like to challenge these guys, and we have one heck of a challenge ahead of us.”
Russo said the schedule presents a great opportunity for the team.
“To start with more competition at the beginning is good to help us prepare for the league schedule, which we need to win to get the automatic bid for the tournament,” he said.
The Buckeyes open their season at 1 p.m. tomorrow on the North Turf Field against Penn State. Gilardi said the game will be a test to see where the team is early in the season.
“Penn State is a great team; they are tough,” he said. “They beat us in the last game of the season last year, so this game has sort of a revenge factor for us.”
