WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 15, 2019) – Saturday afternoon marks the start of another men's lacrosse season at King's College under the direction of 17^th year head coach Andy Orlowski. King's is coming off a 6-9 overall season, while doing enough to earn a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) Tournament berth.

The goal of getting back to the MAC Freedom Tournament is on the table, but early on Orlowski is happy with the initial growth that he has seen out of a group that will be without its leading point scorer and face-off specialist. "The guys have bought in, they're working hard and playing to the edge of their ability," said Orlowski. "There's been a lot of growth over the last three weeks…and guys have really grown because they're putting in the work in practice and not just going through the motions."

Losing both Brock Johnson and his 40 points along with Nick Foley and his 57 percent win percentage on face-offs will be a blow, but Orlowski is excited about seeing the next wave of players getting an opportunity to take a step forward. "There are guys that are ready to step in and emerge," said Orlowski. "Our thing has been building to April, so it may take a little time, but we're optimistic."

The optimism for Orlowski and his coaching staff comes from an inherent mindset for the squad that mimics that of the head coach. During preseason workouts and even back to the fall, the team has been preaching a toughness and blue-collar mentality. "I found that having kids that believe in the way we want to play goes a long way, it's easier to build that culture of team and selflessness," said Orlowski.

That mentality will be on display early and often this season, as King's has another strong out-of-conference schedule leading into MAC Freedom play. In fact, the Monarchs play two games Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend, which will test both their durability and depth. "We've never this before, playing back-to-back games on the first weekend…it's definitely going to be a bit of a challenge."

The challenges continue from there for the Monarchs, playing three consecutive Saturdays, though King's does play all three games at McCarthy Stadium including Saturday's opener against Arcadia University. With all that though, Orlowski and his team is ready to get it going and see where they are and where they could be come April. Below is a look at each position group.

ATTACK
The Monarchs attack last season had a strong year, thanks to the contributions of many. Looking into 2019, King's will look to make up for the loss of leading scorer Brock Johnson with a talented group with the balanced focus.

Seniors Brett O'Neill and Brian Steiger are back after solid junior campaigns, and look to anchor the attack that is full of promise. O'Neill posted 21 goals and 10 assists last year, scoring three man-up tallies, while Steiger finished with 17 goals and 67 shots.

Junior Jared Gambino is another player that was a full-time starter last year, as he finished with 14 points on nine goals and five shots. Gambino started all 15 games for the Monarchs, and will look to see his offensive output skyrocket this year with more opportunities.

Junior Jack Camp is back after missing the 2018 season with injury, and the Monarchs are excited to see what he can do when healthy. Camp is a strong finisher around the net, and posted 17 points on nine goals and eight assists as a freshman. Look for those numbers to climb as well as he is a focal point for King's.

Sophomores Gabe Vansuch and Charlie Alessi saw sporadic playing time last year, but the two will look to work into a rotation on attack that Orlowski said he'd like to expand on. Vansuch played in four games as a freshman, recording one shot, while Alessi picked up one ground ball in three contests.

Sophomore Zach Anderson and freshman Brandon Gambino are both in their first year, but will also battle for playing time this season. Gambino joins his brother on attack, and should make an immediate impact this season.

MIDFIELD
The middle of the field is always a hugely important part of the game in lacrosse, and King's has some experience and youth returning to the fold this season. King's returns three seniors at middie, led by Omar Nijmeh and his 15 points last season in 14 games. Nijmeh chalked up 13 goals, which was the fifth-most on the team while scoring on 31 percent of his shots.

Senior Ryan Matusiewicz is a two-way standout, as he led the team in caused turnovers as a short-stick midfielder, but also tallied seven goals and four assists as a junior. Nick Maher has been working hard as well, and comes back looking to up his point total from last year when he finished with a goal and three assists.

Sophomore Michael O'Brien played in all 15 games as a freshman last season, scoring once, while Alec Martin also tallied three goals in 12 games of action. Senior Holden Schooley played in all but one contest last year as a junior, tallying three goals, and sophomores Duncan Breig and Trevor Douenias each also finished once for the Monarchs. Junior Sean Morrissey also played in nine games last season, causing a turnover and picking up once ground ball. Sophomore Ethan Kates did not see action last year, but will also look to earn some time in the midfield.  

Freshmen Evan Smith, Jake Miller and Paul Trabucco each will look to carve out some playing time this season as newcomers. In the face-off dot, King's will look to both Douenias and junior Ryan Lalli to pick up the slack after the graduation of Foley. Douenias won 20 of his 41 face-off attempts last year, and will be relied on along with Lalli to excel in one of the most important facets of the game.

DEFENSE
Possibly the deepest spot on the team for the Monarchs may be on the backend, as King's returns their starting defensive unit along with a strong group of long-stick midfielders. King's allowed just 151 goals on the season, which was the fourth-lowest total of any team in the MAC Freedom last year. Though only three close defenders start, King's has the luxury of having four players that can and will start on the field.

Seniors Tanner Hale and Mike McDougal both had strong seasons last year, as Hale started all 12 games he played in while posting 11 ground balls and six caused turnovers. McDougal earned time in all 15 contests in 2018, starting 12 times while adding 10 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Both will be hugely important once again in 2019.

They will be joined by juniors Jacob Wrede and Seamus Boyle, as Wrede started all 15 games while posting 17 ground balls. Boyle played in 12 games with eight starts and posted seven caused turnovers and 14 loose ball pickups. Look for this group of four to once again anchor the defensive unit.

At LSM, the Monarchs will once again have some experience thanks to the return of Chris Surina. The sophomore played in all 15 games as a freshman, posting eight caused turnovers along with 17 ground balls. Freshman Aaron Olsovsky has also showed very well in the preseason, and will look to get some reps immediately at the long-stick midfield position.

Fellow freshman John Shaffer is also another talented LSM who will look to make an impact early in his career. Also, at close defense, freshman Brent Cassium is a big, tall, physical player who has impressed thus far, and fellow newcomers Austin Leone and Andrew Trainer also will look to earn an opportunity this season for King's.

Sophomores Patrick Burnham and Sam Moyer are also back for their second season with the Monarchs. Moyer did not play last season as a freshman, but Burnham get into four games for King's. Both will look to work into the defensive unit this year for the Monarchs.

GOALIES
The Monarchs will have three goalkeepers on the roster in 2019, returning their two from 2018 including starter Matt Basile. Basile posted starts in all 14 games he played last year, chalking up a solid save percentage of 55 percent while making 162 saves.

Fellow senior Codey Prindle started once and played in four games in 2018, and has been working hard after making 11 saves as a junior. Freshman Ryan Candelori has shown some promise early this season, and will look to earn an opportunity for the Monarchs this season. "The goalkeeping position is one where they compete daily for that spot. Our guys have done a great job at that, and I expect that to continue throughout the season," said Orlowski.

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The Monarchs open their season this Saturday at 1 p.m. against Arcadia University, with live stats and video available at kingscollegeathletics.com.