SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's lacrosse team, led by head coach Tucker Kear, looks for a return to the Liberty League playoffs as the Thoroughbreds begin the 2017 campaign. They start their season on Saturday on the road against Babson.
 
The Thoroughbreds come off a 2016 campaign in which the team registered a 5-11 record overall, and a 1-6 mark in league play in Kear's first season.
 
"Year one was about setting the tempo," said Kear. "We want to be aggressive, we want to be fast, and we had to break some bad habits. We are trying to get the guys to play aggressive, to trust each other, and to believe in themselves."
 
"One of our rules we have here is if you're looking to the sidelines for answers, you're making a mistake. We want our guys to be problem solvers."
 
Developing the Skidmore culture in the 2017 season will fall partially on captains Jack Metzler, Jack McElgunn, Jack Curry, and Ryan Warnock. Metzler is one of only three seniors on this young Thoroughbred squad, and juniors McElgunn, Curry, and Warnock led the team statistically in 2016.
 
"Metzler really epitomizes what it means to be a Skidmore student," said Kear. "He's always focused on the field and in the classroom, and he always gives us a good jolt when we need it. "McElgunn and Warnock were captains last year, and all three juniors are tough as nails, and they really epitomize the bull goose mentality we have here. Curry has one of the best shots on the run in the league and can do it all. Warnock gives us a boost on face-offs and is tough on ground balls, and McElgunn is our strongest defender, he's a great communicator and it's like having a grizzly bear down there."
 
"These are the guys you'd want to have in a foxhole and we are fortunate to have them lead this team."
 
Attack
The Thoroughbreds are young at attack, as a bevy of underclassmen look to make a splash in that area. Eric Megnia returns for his sophomore season. He was second on the team in scoring, tallying 31 points on 12 goals and nine assists. Kear looks on Megnia to make a leap in year two. Justin Csenge returns for his senior year and was sixth on the team with 15 points on five goals and 10 assists. Skidmore will also look towards freshmen Will Lukas and Elliott Graham as likely starters to fuel the Skidmore offense.
 
Midfield/Defense
The Thoroughbreds look to get a ton of production from the returning midfielders this season. Metzler was sixth on the team with 15 points on nine goals and six assists, totals that the co-captain looks to improve on in his senior season. Alex Towey comes to the Thoroughbreds from Ohio Wesleyan, and will look to break out with the Thoroughbreds as a long stick midfielder.
A key focus for the Thoroughbreds was to progress into an elite defensive unit. They will be busy, battling against the nation's best offenses this season.
 
On the defensive side, Warnock led the team with 68 ground balls as a defensive midfielder, and he is joined by McElgunn, who was second on the team with 16 caused turnovers. Will Pottow and Nick DiBlasio have also put in a ton of work in the offseason and could be in the running for postseason awards with their stellar play. Logan Hart returns for his sophomore season, and according to Kear, is a high IQ player that makes his teammates better. Hart tallied 35 ground balls and led the team with 19 caused turnovers. Chris Sibilia is a big, strong kid that looks to turn heads on the defensive end this season as a freshman.
 
"As anyone who follows lacrosse knows, you need All-American-level defensive midfielders," said Kear. "They're the ones that get dodged the most, they clear the balls, they get in ground ball scrums, if they aren't coming away with possessions for you, then you aren't a good team.
 
Goalie
Skidmore returns a capable goalkeeping corps in 2017. Chris Baughan was the starter in net in 2016. He led the league with 12.7 saves per game, and was fourth in the conference with a .540 save percentage, appearing in all but one game. Fellow junior Josh Worley comes in with six games of experience, but has pushed Baughan for playing time in the preseason. Tim Rahill and Jack Spagnoletti are two underclassmen goalies that are more than capable of competing for playing time in 2017.
 
"We're blessed with a deep unit at goal," said Kear. "Baughan has gained a lot more experience and you can see his swagger now. He can be one of the best outlet goalies in the conference. [Worley, Rahill and Spagnoletti] are all tough kids and will jockey for position in goal."
 
Season Outlook
The Thoroughbreds will embark on a challenging schedule, including seven games in Liberty League play, perhaps the toughest league in Division III. Skidmore begins the season on Saturday, Feb. 25 against Babson at 2 p.m., and return for the home opener against Clark University on March 1. The Thoroughbreds will also host Trinity College (March 7) and SUNY Geneseo (March 28) in non-league play. Skidmore will head to Tennessee in mid-March to take on Sewanee: The University of the South (March 12) and Rhodes (March 16) before coming home to begin Liberty League play against Vassar on March 25. Skidmore will face three Liberty League opponents that are ranked in the USILA/Nike top-25 polls in #2 RIT at home on Apr. 8, #13 RPI on Apr. 15 in Troy, and #8 St. Lawrence in the season finale on Apr. 29. Skidmore will travel to take on Bard, Union, Clarkson, and RPI in league play, and hosts RIT, St. Lawrence, and Vassar.