By Ian Joseph
Contributing Writer
This spring, the St. Bonaventure community welcomes their first NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse program. Facing off in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Bonnies face the likes of Canisius College, University of Detroit Mercy, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Quinnipiac University and Siena College.
Lead by head coach Randy Mearns, the freshman-heavy team opens the season at High Point University against the Panthers today who, in the 2018 season, faced off against teams such as No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Maryland and No. 6 Virginia.
“This game will be a test for us to see where we’re at,” said Mearns. “We as a coaching staff feel that our guys are ready, and Saturday we will find out where we’re at, and where we need to work.”
The Bonnies find out more about their team as they travel to take on St. Joseph’s University on Feb. 9. As a member of the Northeast Conference, St. Joseph’s faces off against 2018 NCAA tournament contestant Robert Morris University. The Hawks will be a fair game for the Bonnies, as they finished first in the NEC and going 6-0 in conference play with an overall record of 11-4.
On Feb. 23, the Bonnies take on Manhattan College in its first conference game, who finished 4-10 last season. In the 2018 season, the Jaspers faced off against NCAA tournament contender and perennial powerhouse Virginia, losing by a margin of 8-5.
The second game of conference play continues on March 9, as the Bonnies take on the University of Detroit at the Marra Athletic Complex. Finishing the 2018 season 9-7, the Titans will test the strength of this young Bonnies team as well, having played NCAA tournament contender and No. 7 Notre Dame and then No. 4 Ohio State.
The true test of the strength of this Bonnies team comes on March 19 when the Bonnies face off against the perennial powerhouse Cornell University. There’s no trick here, the Bonnies’ team takes the same field as the NCAA second round program which eventually lost to the 2017 national champion, Maryland.
The Big Red’s 2018 schedule involves playing against No. 3 Yale, No. 2 Albany and No. 1 Maryland.
While Mearns knows that this will be a tough matchup for his young team, it will be used as a measuring stick for his team filled with players that have lofty goals.
“This is the level we want to be at,” said Mearns. “We have guys that have high aspirations that want to be first round draft picks in the NLL and MLL. We want to produce national championships, and we know that to get to that level, we have to play these games.”
Freshman goaltender Brett Dobson, a recruit out of Ottawa, Ontario, also admits that games against teams like Cornell will show where the program is at.
“These games are going to show us who we are as a team, but we have to play them to get where we want to be,” said Dobson.
The Bonnies take on Quinnipiac University in their next conference game on March 23. The Bobcats hold a 9-6 record from the 2018 season, holding a win over Brown University and completing a 6-0 conference record, winning the regular season. This game will be a strong test, as the Bobcats know how to win in MAAC play.
On April 6, the Bonnies play Cleveland State. This game will be one to watch, as the Vikings were in the same place as the Bonnies just two years ago, starting with a brand new program and going through the same growing pains. The Vikings finished last season 4-10 as well, facing Ohio State, Michigan, Denver and Duke.
The long-awaited game for Mearns comes on April 9, when his Bonnies squad takes on the Canisius Golden Griffins, his alma mater, where he holds the all-time scoring record and previously coached. Winning the MAAC championship and playing in the play-in round of the NCAA tournament, Mearns is excited to play in what he considers the “219 rivalry.”
“As a player at Canisius, we always tried to grow a rivalry with Hobart, but they weren’t interested, so it’s awesome to see two NCAA Division I programs in western New York,” said Mearns.
Yet another strong contest comes to the Bonnies on April 13, as they face off against Lehigh University. The Mountain Hawks completed their 2018 season with a 10-7 record, playing North Carolina, West Point, Rutgers, Hofstra, Cornell and Bucknell. Making it to the Patriot League championship, the Mountain Hawks lost to the eventual NCAA tournament contenders, Loyola Maryland.
Junior midfielder/attackman Nik Clinton knows what it takes to play in a game like this against high-level competition.
“Having played NCAA lacrosse at Adams State, I know what it takes to play at a higher level,” said Clinton.
The Bonnies cap off its regular season in Poughkeepsie, New York, ending with a game against the Marist Red Foxes. Coming off a tough season, finishing at 3-12, the Red Foxes faced the likes of No. 2/1 Maryland, No. 16/18 Georgetown and eventual national champion No. 5 Yale. This is a team that has faced some of the best and will share with the Bonnies what it takes to play at that level.
Mearns said that along with goaltending, lead by the “dynamic duo” of top Canadian prospect Brett Dobson and western New York standout Benny Mazur, the defense will be strong. He also said that his team have a strong advantage at the faceoff dot in Brandon Ramirez, Jack Almond and Mike DiSpigno. On the offensive side of the ball, Mearns says that he sees it “coming together,” and that everyone is fitting into their roles well. He specifically said that fans should watch for attack/midfielder Austin Blumbergs, along with Clinton.
Mearns’ young, optimistic and highly anticipated team will begin its first chapter on Saturday at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina.
josephi17@bonaventure.edu
