Catonsville and Mount St. Joseph will renew their lacrosse rivalry later than planned because of Friday's snow on the first day of spring.
The game was postponed from Friday to Thursday, March 26 at Catonsville High School at 5:15 p.m.
Here's a look at the teams as the 2015 season gets underway.
Catonsville
Comets coach Aaron Stubbs thinks the team is solid across the board after a 7-10 season.
"We have a really well-balanced team," said Stubbs, who has a mix of veterans and talented underclassmen.
That's evident in the midfield with seniors Brian Holmes, Dan Nicolaus and Connor Hurd, junior Andrew Peabody, sophomore Luke Palmisano and freshman Will Bredeck in the top two rotations. Hurd will handle the faceoffs.
Senior Patrick Cook, junior Evan Stuart-Paul and sophomore Tobias Wack are the long-stick defensive middies. Senior Liam Stewart, junior Devon Roberts and sophomores Joe Hurd and Jaiden Ruppert add midfield depth.
Anchoring the defense are seniors Jake Bredeck, and Tommy Sadler and juniors Denny Manley and Naseef Kareem.
Kareem is coming off a wrestling season in which he finished 36-9 and placed second in the regional tournament before winning one match at the state meet at 220 pounds.
"He's strong as an ox, but doesn't have a mean bone in his body," Stubbs said. "He likes to compete."
Other defensive candidates include senior Aaron Williams and junior Luke Weinkam.
They'll be supported by senior goalie Hunter Cheuvront and sophomore keeper Trenton Lazorchak.
"He's going to push Hunter for a spot," Stubbs said. "Hunter didn't hardly get any playing time last year and I think he's got something to prove this year."
Senior Tommy Garrett is the most experienced attackman and will be joined on offense by juniors Ray Rada and Colin Burk, sophomore Andrew Bateman and freshmen Sam Jaudan and Bryce Spinnato.
"This is probably the best team we've had that has really good field sense and lacrosse IQ," Stubbs said. "We are not great in any area. We are just good acrosse the board."
Mount St. Joseph
After playing 11 seasons and making six all-star teams in Major League Lacrosse, Stephen Berger retired from playing so he could coach at his alma mater.
The 2000 Mount St. Joe graduate acknowledges he'll miss playing but is eager for the challenge of coaching.
"I know I'm going to miss it, but I've been able to transition my attitude and my energy all into the coaching ranks," Berger said.
Berger takes over for Dave Slafkosky, whose Gaels were 8-10 and 1-8 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference.
"Mount St. Joe has a place in my heart and to be able to go back and give back to the school and the kids that are a part of that is the chance of a lifetime," he said. "I'm so excited that I'm able to represent as an alum and as an ambassador of lacrosse in general."
One of his goals is getting Mount St. to improve in league play.
"That's really where you are able to make a name for yourself is in your conference," he said. "The bottom line is we should dominate outside of our conference and we should expect that same dominance inside our conference.
"One of the things I'm putting out there is the belief in doing that and the confidence in doing that."
The Gaels have a veteran first midfield that includes seniors Tyler Snyder (Salisbury), tri-captain Nick Willertz (Lynchburg) and Brett Altenburg (York).
I have a heckuva midfield class," Berger said. "The second midfield is another all-star unit."
Juniors Bryan Costabile (Notre Dame), Drew Harrison (Maryland) and Ryan McHugh will be there, while junior Jake Smothers and senior longstick middie Trevor Newman will handle faceoffs.
"Long-stick middies are senior Connor Quigley (University of Tampa) and sophomore Alec Pupshis.
Seniors Shawn Carter (Mercer University,) John Norton (Wagner) and juniors Jimmy Lucas and Austin Norton are the top attackmen.
The Norton brothers are both Catonsville residents.
The most competitive position is goalie, where junior Ben Heinzman started last season as a sophomore, but senior Tom Rolando has earned the starting nod.
"The goalie position has been sort of a battle this offseason and preseason," Berger said.
Key defenders are senior tri-captain Jack Griffin (Merchant Marine Academy), seniors Cole Gable and Joey Lucas (Frostburg) and junior Charlie Davis.
"I love our senior leadership and I love my team's attitude," Berger said. "They want to get better and want to start a new tradition at the Mount and put Mount St. Joe on the map when it comes to high school lascrosse in the MIAA."
He also likes the team chemistry. "They care a lot about the game and they care a lot about each other," he said.