Roster | Schedule

HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 17, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse program will open its 2015 season at the DeBaun Athletic Complex Wednesday afternoon when the Ducks welcome FDU-Florham to Hoboken.
 
Stevens has a chance to open on its home field after FDU deemed its turf unplayable Monday afternoon, giving the Ducks an opportunity to host the game at 1 p.m. in Hoboken.       
 
As is the case every year since 2010 when Head Coach Gene Peluso took over the program, the Ducks will have a challenging schedule, squaring off with five teams ranked in the USILA Top 20 Preseason Poll and playing in the very competitive Empire 8. The Ducks will face six teams that made the NCAA Tournament in 2014, a place Stevens hopes to find itself come May.
 
Leading the team through the tough schedule will be a group of five captains in senior midfielder Michael Maroon, junior defender Tim Fair, junior attack Andrew Scrutchfield, junior goalie Austin Boyd and senior midfielder Logan Bagarozy.
 
"We are confident in the group of captains we have this year," said Peluso. "Each one brings different strengths and leadership qualities to the table, and we think they will provide the type of guidance and example our team needs to be successful."
 
The Ducks are coming off a year in which they went 8-8, reaching the semifinals of the Empire 8 Championship. Stevens did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2010 season after making back-to-back-to-back trips to the dance in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
 
"We feel we have what it takes to do some good things this year, but it is all about poise, purpose and execution," added Peluso. "We need to make sure we are ready to go each time out, and understand that we want to win each game individually."
 
Attack
Scrutchfield will lead the Stevens attack a year after recording 45 points on 28 goals and 17 assists, along with one game-winner and seven man-up tallies. An experienced player with a great sense of the game, Scrutchfield looks healthy and ready for a big season after claiming honorable mention all-conference honors from the E8 a year ago.
 
Senior JP Giroux saw the field in all 16 contests for the Ducks last year, scoring two goals and handing out 10 assists for 12 points. Giroux has steadily improved since arriving on Castle Point in the fall of 2011 and is a player that should see career-high numbers across the board.
 
Sophomore Tim Leahey, junior Connor O'Shea and sophomore Ryan Giordano have all been solid for the Ducks this preseason, as has junior Anthony Raposo in what has developed into a strong competition for playing time. Leahey has made big strides since joining the team as a rookie, as has Giordano. O'Shea is eyeing improved numbers in 2015 after posting five points in 10 games played as a sophomore, with Raposo hoping for similar results in increased action after seven goals and six assists resulted in a 13-point season.
 
Rounding out the Ducks' attack and providing the coaching staff with much-needed depth will be freshman Tommy Dawson, freshman Bryan Rogers, freshman Alex Gaydos, first-year senior Alex Belgard and freshman JP Southern.
 
Midfield
Leading the midfield will be the captain Maroon who was a first-team All-Empire 8 selection in 2014 after leading the Ducks with 59 points on the back of 28 goals and 31 assists. Maroon has led the squad in assists each of the last two campaigns, and is both a two-time all-conference performer and two-time team captain. An all-around contributor, Maroon added six caused turnovers and 25 ground balls to his line as a junior.
 
Sophomore Connor McKeon took the field in 14 games for Stevens, recording three goals and three assists for six points in a solid freshman season. The second-year player should see an increased role in '15 after demonstrating improvements to all aspects of his game throughout the offseason and preseason.
 
Junior Matt Ferentini was an all-conference performer in 2014 after recording 46 points and 34 goals which were third and second, respectively, on the Ducks. A player with great size and a nose for the goal, Ferrentini tallied eight man-up scores and one game-winner in addition to 19 ground balls.
 
Junior Colin Sawula is another player that is eyeing an increased role this year after a solid sophomore campaign as is classmate Michael Serrante. Sawula scored nine times last year with Serrante netting an even 20 scores in a combined 30 appearances as both seem primed for impact seasons.
 
Additionally, sophomore Connor Towne – who took the field 15 times for the Ducks with nine points on six goals and three assists – should play a major role in the midfield unit as the season moves along.
 
Rounding out the midfield will be sophomore Nick Hammell and freshman John Boutureira who have both demonstrated the ability to get the job done throughout the preseason, consistently pushing for more time on the field. Hammell had three points his rookie season.
 
Juniors James Rudolph-Shabinsky and Ryan O'Connor return in 2015 looking to make an impact, while freshmen Luke Castellano, Chris Gaydos and Christian Werlau are looking to work their way into the rotation.
 
Long-Stick Midfielders:
Sophomore Jake Krantz will lead this group along with sophomore Billy Baker, freshman Sam Esposito and sophomore Kevin Atwell.
 
Krantz was solid as a freshman, playing in 14 games and making one start as the East Brunswick, N.J. native notched 20 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. After seeing the field twice last year, Baker looks primed for an increased role after a solid fall, offseason and preseason, while Atwell is looking for a  major role in the rotation after fighting injury as a freshman. Esposito will provide depth for the group, and should work his way into the rotation with continued hard work and experience after a successful start to his career.
 
Short-Stick Defensive Midfielders:
Veterans Bagarozy and senior Geoff Cancro will lead this group into the season. Bagarozy is an incredibly hard worker that has demonstrated consistent and steady growth throughout his career – growth the coaching staff hopes results in his finest season to date. Cancro is coming off his best season as a Duck, playing in 15 games and recording 13 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls.
 
Additionally, sophomore Jake Gargiulo will be a factor after playing in 13 games as a freshman and showing improvements across the board to add with his excellent athleticism.  Sophomore Kevin Louie, junior Jeff Wyckoff, freshman Alex Terenik and freshman Matt Proodian will also be in the mix for playing time and large roles for the Ducks. Wyckoff played in 15-of-16 contests for Stevens a year ago, picking up 35 ground balls, while Louie has the ability to be a key contributor after seeing limited action as a freshman.
 
 
Face-Off 'X'
Junior Brett Incolingo is the top returning face-off man for the Ducks after winning a strong 59.1 percent a season ago. The three-year veteran went 162-for-274, totaling a team-high 106 ground balls and two points in 16 games played.
 
Sophomore Matt Levine will get his work in the 'X' as well after performing well in limited work as a freshman, with sophomore Scott Smullen rounding out that unit for the Ducks.
 
As a group, the Ducks will look to remain strong in the face-off as the team was 246-of-424 on the season which was good for a .580 winning percentage and one of the top marks in the nation.
 
Defense
The Stevens defense this year will be paced by Fair, a preseason honorable mention All-American and two-time All-Empire 8 performer. Fair played in and started all 16 games for the Ducks in 2014, leading the team in caused turnovers with 28 and scooping up 42 ground balls in addition to notching a pair of tallies. Freshman Dallas Creamer played well in the fall and has continued to do so throughout the preseason and should be an immediate contributor, while senior Paul Romens brings a great deal of experience to the back line. Romens played in 14 games in 2014, causing seven turnovers and picking up 12 ground balls.
 
Sophomore Chris Contino played in nine games as a rookie and has been developing rapidly for the Ducks after taking the field for nine contests, while sophomore Jan Schoonen seems primed to take on a larger role after getting the call in three outings last year.
 
Junior Troy Gassaway, sophomore Andrew Butkus, and freshmen Robert Williams and Mike Wynne should also figure into the 2015 defensive puzzle. Returners Gassaway and Butkus combined to make 17 appearances in 2014, with Gassaway tallying 13 caused turnovers and 22 ground balls for the Ducks.
 
Goalies
The staff has assembled a deep and talented group of goalkeepers, including two returners with a wealth of experience and two newcomers with the talent and ability to succeed.
 
Austin Boyd and sophomore Kevin Rafferty earned the majority of playing time in 2014 and were solid, combining for 157 saves in a shade under 900 minutes. After starting the year on the shelf with injury, Boyd came on to make five starts (six appearances) and tallying 48 saves. He had a team-high .578 save percentage with 48 stops on 150 shots faced, finishing with a record of 3-2. Rafferty made 11 starts and 12 appearances, making 114 denials in 631 minutes between the pipes. He was 5-6 overall, facing 395 shots on the season.
 
Freshmen Alexander Kennedy and Kieran McCullough both have shown good things throughout the preseason, and with continued growth and development, will prove valuable for the Ducks.
  
2015 Schedule
 
Stevens will broadcast all of its home games via www.stevensducks.com and will also provide live stats. On game day, visit the website for up-to-date links and more.
 
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