Men’s lacrosse improving

The UVM men’s lacrosse team has high hopes heading into the 2010 season, being ranked fifth in the recently released 2010 America East Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The Catamounts will have some experience on their side this year as 25 players, including eight of the top 10 scorers, return to attempt to improve upon the 2009 season in which the team finished 4-10 overall and tied for last place in the America East Conference.

The play of the midfield will be a focus this season.

“That’s where we brought most of our new guys in and that’s where our weakest point was,” junior Derek Lichtfuss said.

To assist in achieving this, Vermont added 16 new players to the roster.

“Cal Case transferred in. He’s going to be one of our better players this year, and then

Drew Philie, we expect to do really big things this year,” sophomore Geoff Worley said.

Case, a sophomore who transferred from Stevens Tech in Hoboken, N.J. and freshmen

Philie attended Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass.

“Our obvious goal is to make it to the America East playoffs. We haven’t been there since 2003,” Lichtfuss said.

The Catamounts will have to battle in conference this season with games on the road against Albany and Stony Brook and at home against UMBC.

Worley said that that the team will be looking to avenge previous losses against Albany and Stony Brook this season.

“We felt like we let Stony Brook kind of sneak away with a win, and we were beating

Albany the whole game and let them sneak away with a win,” Worley said.

Another highlight on this season’s schedule is a March 16 game in Charlottesville, Va., against the third ranked team in the country.

“We always look forward to Virginia because it’s just the chance to go down and play someone who’s a national powerhouse year in and year out,” Lichtfuss said.