After an impressive few years as an official Division II club lacrosse team, Marist club lacrosse seeks to achieve its long-awaited goal of winning Nationals.
For the upcoming spring season, the team was ranked this preseason 14th in the top 25 for the NCLL’s (National College Lacrosse League) preseason rankings.
The team was founded in 2019. The 2019 season started with a game against SUNY Albany, but after the calendar flipped to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. During the pandemic, play ceased and the team was left unable to bond or get to know one another.
“Obviously when you come in and you play one game and then get shut down by COVID, there is not going to be a lot of structure with this team,” said senior defender Chris Rossetti, who is the team’s vice president and a defensive captain.
A year later, the team seemed to be back on track and was set to begin their fall season. However, history once again repeated itself: after just one game, the team had to shut down for their fall and spring season due to COVID-19.
It was not until 2022 that the team began to reestablish itself. After a dominant regular season, the Red Foxes traveled to Brown University with a chance at making the national tournament on the line. The team succeeded in games against UMass Amherst and Brown, cementing their spot in the national tournament.
The team came into the national Division II tournament as the one seed. After two dominant wins against Gannon and West Chester, the team made it to the championship game against Union College. The result was unfortunately not what they wanted, as a loss ended their season.
“It’s an unbearable feeling getting so close and then losing by a few goals in the championship. Especially traveling that far. It’s just something you want to work for to get back to,” said senior attack and co-President Dan Mascola.
The team moved on from their 2022 season and came strong into their 2023 season looking to earn redemption. After winning the New York Metro Conference, the team traveled to Brown University and lost in the NCLL Division II New York Metro / New England conference championship, ending their season just short of nationals.
At the conclusion of their 2023 season, the club team dealt with the loss of ten seniors graduation, leading to some roster uncertainty heading into 2024.
The team now heads into their fifth season and third full season of play. Seniors Mascola, Rossetti, recruitment chair and midfielder Timmy Cappitelli and junior midfielder Calvin Stone all have extensive experience with club lacrosse, with each of them being members for three-plus years.
This experience, coupled with the comfort level many players feel toward one another, helps the team excel on the field.
“We just have a great group of guys. We’re all very close. We just have a good connection on and off the field. It allows us to have a good time and communicate well in games,” said Stone.
A team ethos that has stuck throughout the years has been the value of upperclassmen leadership, along with helping the underclassmen who will remain in place after the older players graduate.
“I think for a lot of us seniors, our roles have kind of shifted to more of that mentorship role for a lot of these younger guys. Trying to establish something that’s going to be here for a long time after we’ve left,” said Cappitelli.
This team knows what to expect heading into this season: they have been to not only one but two conference championships and one national championship in just two years, and with those appearances comes a sense of experience.
Marist added new pieces to their roster to help them chase a national title once again. New players include freshman midfield attack Jayden Patel and freshman goalie Tommy Jacobellis. An eight-point performance from Patel on March 3 gave a glimpse of the impact he can make.
Off the field, the team considers themselves to be more than just a club, but rather a familial group. For some players, the group dynamic has overtaken a large share of their college life.
“Once everybody starts to get to know each other, it’s more family rather than teammates,” said Mascola. “I would say I’m best friends with all of these kids. I see them all every weekend, two weekdays. I say more than sometimes, my roommates.”
With a roster chock full of motivated players, they will aim high as they try to continue their undefeated season after the upcoming spring break.
Edited by Danny Destler and Luke Sassa
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo; Photos from Niecey Kerr
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.