RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan College men's lacrosse team opens its 2010 season in front of a national audience, as the Jaspers visit fifth-ranked Johns Hopkins at 5 p.m. on Friday in a contest that will be televised live on ESPNU. The Jaspers are coming off a 10-8 season in which they reached the championship game of the MAAC Tournament, while the Blue Jays went 10-5 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2009.
The Jaspers were picked second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Coaches Poll. James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.), last season's MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the Preseason All-MAAC team, as was Steve Sternberg (Easton, Conn.). Synowiez led Manhattan with 43 goals and 55 points last season, while Sternberg corralled 51 ground balls and caused 28 turnovers. Taking over in goal this season is junior college transfer Jon Fiorillo (Painted Post, N.Y.), a teammate of Synowiez at Onondaga Community College in 2008. Fiorillo was named NJCAA Goalie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after leading Onondaga to an undefeated national championship last season.
Johns Hopkins enters the season ranked fifth in both of the major national polls (USILA, Nike/Inside Lacrosse). Michael Kimmel had 20 goals and a team-high 25 assists last season, and he enters 2010 as a National Player of the Year candidate. Kyle Wharton, an honorable mention USILA All-American last season, tallied 34 goals last season to lead the squad, while Chris Boland recorded a team-high 46 points in 2009. Michael Gvozden started all 15 games in goal last season and had a goals against average of 10.19.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Manhattan and Johns Hopkins, as well as the Jaspers' first national TV appearance in program history. Manhattan opens its home schedule on Friday, Feb. 26, when Robert Morris comes to Gaelic Park at 1 p.m.