Stevenson received some good news and some bad news regarding some familiar faces.
Good news first: Junior attackman Pat Candon has returned and is set to join junior Stephen Banick and sophomore Tyler Fuhrman as starters.
"Pat's back, and Pat's been playing great," Mustangs coach Paul Cantabene said. "He's doing a good job. So we're really happy with where he is, and I think he's going to be a great complement to Stephen Banick and Tyler Fuhrman and [senior] Paul Danko, who is a transfer from Towson, and [junior] Matt Stangos."
Candon recorded 22 goals and 28 assists during the Mustangs' run to the 2013 NCAA championship, but he elected to sit out last season. Cantabene said Candon brings a certain level of fearlessness to the field.
"The greatest part about Pat is, he has no conscience, and he's a gamer," Cantabene said. "He's not afraid to make the big play when it matters, he's not afraid to take the big shot. That's what he is. You know he's going to make some mistakes, but he's also going to make more plays that nobody else can and score big goals. That's what he's always done, score the big goals to help us win. He wants the ball when the game is on the line, and he can make the plays."
The bad news is that senior attackman Mark Pannenton and senior midfielder Michael Crowe – both of whom started for the 2013 squad – will not rejoin the team for the upcoming season. Cantabene said that while Crowe (25 goals and 17 assists in 2013) is open to returning next spring, Pannenton (62 goals and seven assists) has decided to focus on graduating on time with a degree in business.
"Michael could come back next year maybe," Cantabene said. "But Mark has decided to concentrate on his academics. He's graduating this year. He just doesn't feel like putting his academics in any kind of harm, and he wants to make sure he finishes up strong.
"You've got to respect that from a kid who understands that getting a degree is going to send him out to the real world, and we understand that."