PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM ATHLETICS
UVM men’s lacrosse opens 2015 ranked second to last in the pre-season America East poll. The Catamounts are returning most of their offense from last season. The Cats open their seasons Feb. 14 against Colgate University.

After ending 2014 with a 5-8 record, the men’s lacrosse team looks to rebound this spring.

Vermont was ranked second to last in the America East preseason poll. Bryan Capone, a junior defenseman and  co-captain of the team, said he wasn’t worried about the low rating.

“I really try not to let ranks get to my head too much, but the way I look at the rankings is that it is mostly based on the stats and numbers of how we performed last season, and who is returning,” Capone said.

“So I think that being ranked sixth is a sign that we are being underestimated and absolutely motivates me and the rest of the team to prove a lot of people wrong about our abilities,” he said.

Head Coach Ryan Curtis, who is entering his ninth season with the team, was clear about the changes the Cats need to make.

“First and foremost, our consistency needs to improve,” Curtis said. “Consistency in all aspects of the game from stickwork, to focus, to how we approach practice everyday. We also need to improve our possession differential.”

Limiting unforced turnovers, not giving other teams second-chance opportunities and improving faceoff unit will even up possessions, Curtis said.

The more our offense has the ball and the less defense we play, the better we will be, Curtis said.

The Catamounts have brought back most of their offense, including reigning America East Rookie of the Year Ian MacKay. The sophomore midfielder said he was optimistic about the team’s outlook this season.

“We lost Graham Horvath and Patrick Clark on the offense this year and have been able to fill their spots in quite well I think,” Mackay said.

“So things are looking good for us offensively, and I’m excited for this weekend to see all of our hard work put into action,” he said.

The team lost its first pre-season exhibition 15-8 at Penn State Feb. 7. Their home opener is against Colgate University Feb. 14.