Here is the seventh installment of a series that checks in with the eight Division III programs in the state to give a glimpse into the past and the future. Teams are scheduled to appear according to the chronological order in which their seasons ended. Wednesday's visit was with McDaniel. Thursday's visit is with Stevenson.
REVIEW
The good: After a lackluster start of four losses in seven games, the Mustangs rebounded, ripping off 12 consecutive wins en route to a 15-5 overall and an 8-0 mark in the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth that included the program's fourth straight tournament championship. The team's success featured victories over four ranked opponents.
"I thought we were competitive for most of the season," coach Paul Cantabene said. "We started out a little slow, but I thought we got better as the year went on. We got a lot of great wins, and I thought the guys gave a good effort. We just had a bad day on defense on the last day of the year, unfortunately. But I think overall, we played pretty well, and we hung in there. We beat a lot of quality teams, and we're a pretty young team for the most part. So I think the future is bright."
**Stevenson's 3-4 opening did not look especially promising with top-ranked and three-time reigning NCAA Division III champion Tufts coming to town. But the team outscored the Jumbos, 5-3, in the second half and held on for an 11-10 decision at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills. The victory kick-started the program's 12-game win streak and raised the players' morale.
"I certainly think it gave them the confidence to beat anybody they played against," Cantabene said. "I think early on, sometimes after losing those close games against good teams, your confidence is a little shaken, but us getting some really quality wins over some good teams like Cabrini and Tufts really gave us some confidence going forward."
**The defense was supposed to tumble after graduating first-team All-American defenseman Callum Robinson and a pair of third-team selections in long-stick midfielder Josh Rufolo and short-stick defensive midfielder Connor Curro. But the Mustangs surrendered a shade under eight goals per game. The unit ranked 33rd in the nation in scoring and 24th in caused turnovers per game (11.2).
"I think we were a better defensive team than most people gave us credit for," Cantabene said. "With the teams that we played and the offenses that we played against, to end up where we were is pretty good. I think our guys had a lot of confidence. Our younger guys are going to hopefully be able to step in and do some really good things. Having [sophomore] Lito Flanagan back at the pole, who is one of the best long-poles in the country, is really going to help us at the defensive end of the field."
The bad: As enjoyable as the 12-game win streak was, the good vibes quickly dissipated in a 15-10 loss to Cabrini in the first round of the NCAA tournament, marking the Stevenson's earliest exit from the postseason. The Cavaliers avenged a 7-4 deficit by collecting eight more ground balls, taking eight more shots, and converting 3-of-5 extra-man opportunities. For the Mustangs, it was perhaps the worst time for the offense and defense to disappear in the same game.
"It was pretty disappointing for us not to be able to go further because at the end of the year, we were probably playing some of our best lacrosse during that win streak against teams like York and Lynchburg and Tufts," Cantabene said. "We thought we had played pretty well, but we hurt ourselves a little bit with some untimely penalties, and I thought Cabrini just shot the ball so well in that game."
**The first-round matchup between Stevenson and Cabrini was only one of two pitting ranked opponents against each other in the opening round. It may have been a frustrating pairing, but the Mustangs could have avoided the early meeting if they had not dropped contests to Western New England on March 5 and Dickinson on March 19. Those setbacks likely influenced the NCAA selection committee, and Cantabene said that the losses reflected back on a level of inconsistency from the team.
"Those were games we thought we should have won," he said. "Those were two that we were disappointed in because we didn't get them done. That was the thing about us early in the season. What day were we going to play great on? We just didn't get that consistent effort game in and game out until about six or seven games into the season. So those were two very disappointing losses. We thought those really hurt us. If we get those, maybe we get a better seed. But you've got to win the games you play, and Western New England had a great year and Dickinson did a really good job as well. So we've got to understand that we've got to play every game, and those are two games we obviously didn't show up to."
**The offense scored 13.1 goals per game, ranking 29th in the country. But the output did not come easily as Stevenson converted just 25.5 percent of its shots, ranking 167th of 223 in that department. The unit shot 30 percent or better in just three contests, and only three of the team's offensive starters shot over 25 percent. Cantabene acknowledged that the returning players must refine their shooting touch.
"We have to understand that we need to shoot the ball better," he said. "I think in the second half of the season, we shot the ball pretty well. It was the first half of the season when we struggled shooting the ball at times."
PREVIEW
Personnel changes: The offense graduated a pair of starting attackmen in Stephen Banick (35 goals and 36 assists) and Matt Tompkins (48 G, 14 A) and a fourth attackman in Pat Candon (14 G, 17 A). Cantabene is hopeful that freshman Wesley Reid (4 G, 3 A) and Jonathon Thelen (9 G, 5 A in 2015) will be able to join junior Wade Korvin (35 G, 19 A) on attack. But the key may be finding someone to succeed Banick as the offensive facilitator. Cantabene said junior Kyle D'Onofrio (26 G, 19 A as a midfielder) may shift to that role.
"Kyle D'Onofrio may play a little attack for us," Cantabene said. "We have to find that guy, but I think we have enough pieces on the offensive end that we'll find somebody who can handle that."
**Graduation also took a toll on the defense, which lost two starting defensemen in Chad Williams (51 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers) and Taylor Morgan (48 GB, 29 CT). But the cupboard is not bare as Cantabene is expecting freshman Chazz Collison (13 GB, 6 CT), sophomores Joe Candon (4 GB, 1 CT), Mike Adams (3 GB, 1 CT) and Donald Colegrove and junior Ethan McMillan to compete for playing time and join sophomore Dom DeFazio (66 GB, 42 CT) as a starter.
"We have a lot of guys who can step in and really help out," Cantabene said. "All of those guys are young, they'll be more seasoned and a year better. So we think we have some pieces that we think we can fit in there to really help us out."
**He was not a starter by label, but Dylan Muti was a do-it-all option for the Mustangs. The short-stick defensive midfielder collected 40 ground balls as a wing player on faceoffs, caused 12 turnovers on defense, and scored four goals in transition. But Cantabene pointed out that the next four short-stick defensive midfielders on the depth chart are expected to return next spring.
"Dylan was great for us, but we have four of our top five D-middies coming back," he said. "[Juniors] John Berthcsi and Jacob Brown and [sophomore] Tyler Russo and [junior] Jeremy Goltz, all of those guys are really good players who played D-middie for us all year. Obviously, we can't replace him, but I think we have some guys that are big and athletic and can step in for him."
Forecast for 2017: Partly sunny. Facing one of the toughest schedules in Division III, Stevenson has proven that it belongs in the national conversation regarding contenders for the NCAA title. And as long as it continues to dominate the MAC Commonwealth, the team should have a relatively simple path to the postseason. But there are questions. The offense returns its starting midfield, but losing Banick as a quarterback and Tompkins as a reliable interior threat could hurt. And the defense must replace two close defensemen and a short-stick defensive midfielder. But the Mustangs must overcome the memory of back-to-back early exits from the NCAA tournament – a second-round loss to Salisbury in 2015 and the first-round eviction this past spring. It's a troubling trend for the 2013 national champion.