Wilkes-Barre, PA (February 26, 2022) – The King's College men's lacrosse team is roaring and ready. After finishing last season 1-10 during a shortened season, the team is ready to bounce back this year and take the conference by storm.
 
Looking ahead at this season, head coach Andy Orlowski is excited to watch his guys compete in a gritty, no-nonsense defense and a formulaic offense. Orlowski adds 12 newcomers to the squad this season. His down to earth playing style will look to be filled with tough, hardworking guys that aren't afraid to push through anything. Orlowski enters his 20^thseason as head coach of the Monarchs and is just 11 wins away from 100.
 
This season, Orlowski will be joined at the helm by familiar face Steve Matusiewicz. Matusiewicz will continue his duties as goalie coach and offensive coordinator after finishing up a great career as a goalie for the Monarchs in 2005. Orlowski also brings back Peter Grenot. Grenot rejoins the staff for his third overall season after serving 2 brief stints prior to this year and finishing up his career as a player in 2010.
 
The team returns leading scorer Gabe Vansuch who wrapped up his 2021 season with 25 points on 19 goals and 6 assists. Vansuch also led the team in shots on goal and was runner up in total shots. Also returning is points runner up Brendan Gambino. The attackman put up 15 points on 10 goals and 5 assists while scooping up 18 groundballs.
 
A full positional breakdown is below:
 
Attack
The Monarchs will utilize a mix of veterans and fresh faces to push their offense forward. Graduate student Gabe Vansuch will resume his duties as quarterback of the King's offense. Vansuch started all 11 games for the Monarhcs last season and has been a leader on the offensive end since the team's incredible, yet short, 2020 season. Vansuch spends a lot of his time on the crease, as he's well known throughout the conference as an inside finishing specialist. The grad student is just 29 points short of 100. 
 
Senior Brendan Gambino will look to continue his role behind the net. The slick x-dodger uses a mix of bursts of speed and quick steps to snake his way in front of the net for easy dunks on unsuspecting goalies. Gambino anchors the offense behind the net as most of King's offense is designed to run through him.
 
The rest of the Monarch attack group is made up of 3 first years. Matthew Kimberlin, Jake Cierech, and Jack Wall will look to earn their keep for the Monarch offense. Kimberlin has quick feet and a knack for finishing the ball in some tougher situations. Cierech will look to provide some balance to the heavily right-handed Monarch offense. Cierech is a left-handed weapon that can use a variety of shot styles to put the ball in the net. Jack Wall is the tallest of the newcomers and will look to use that size to bully his way in front of the net. 
 
Midfield
The largest positional group for King's, the midfield will look to provide steady control on both the offensive and defensive ends. Left-handed senior Alec Martin is well known for his uncanny ability to get out of some very unfortunate circumstances and come out with another goal in his stat line. Martin's Canadian-esque playing style is fantastic to watch as he rarely uses his right hand, simply because he can do it all with his left. Martin unfortunately sat out last season due to injury, so expect a large bounce back from the talented veteran. Fellow senior Paul Trabucco got steady runs a season ago. Trabucco was not one for padding the stats but he knows his position well and helps to carry the transition game. The senior ended last season with 1 goal on 8 shots while nabbing 6 groundballs and causing 3 turnovers.
 
Sophomore Ryan Barnes was a steady contributor a season ago for the Monarchs. The speedy dodger notched 9 goals and 2 assists while picking up 15 ground balls. His downhill dodging works very well in the Monarch offense, often leading to a goal in a subsequent sequence. Fellow sophomore Joe Gianella led the team in shots last season, tallying 52 shots, 9 of which hit the back of the net. Gianella has an incredible ability to sting corners from distance, all while outpacing opposing defenders.
 
Sophomore Geno Casciello will look to take over the faceoff duties for the Monarchs. Casciello saw time in 3 games last season, picking up 3 groundballs along the way. Sophomore Redmond Cahill will make is debut in the red and gold for the team. The newcomer will look to compete with the other faceoff specialists to earn the top spot.
 
Alex Tristan was an absolute workhorse for the Monarch defense last season. The sophomore was second in groundballs for the Monarchs as he spent a lot of time on the faceoff wing. The dual sport athlete in football and lacrosse utilizes his exceptionally quick feet to lock down opposing offenses as a short-stick defensive midfielder. Not on the stat sheet is his ability to put his head down and carry the ball coast to coast. Tristan nabbed 39 groundballs and caused 11 turnovers. Fellow defensive midfielder is Andrew Trainer. The senior made the transition from long stick to short stick during his career here at King's. Trainer is a tough nosed defender for the Monarchs, shutting down opposing offenses with his size and field awareness. Trainer picked up 12 ground balls will causing 1 turnover. 
 
The rest of the midfield group is made up of 7 first years. Ben Spencer is fast and elusive. The youngster will look to outpace opposing defenses and utilize his size and strength to get downhill and shoot on the run. Evan Azary will look to do similar. The first year is possibly the biggest of all the midfielders, so expect him to bully opposing defenders on his way to cranking shots from the outside. Dual sport athlete Luke Babilon is a recent addition to the Monarch roster. The Virginia native just wrapped up his inaugural ice hockey season with the Monarchs and now looks to continue a stunning debut with the men's lacrosse team. Babilon will look to use carry his athleticism from the ice to the field as he cuts his way through defenses on his way to lighting up the scoreboard.
 
Zach Webb and Nate Hullinger have very similar playing styles. The 2 first years find themselves in open space consistently, finding the alley for the skip pass from their teammates. Expect the duo to exploit the soft spots in opposing defenses while finding the back of the net with their shots. Local product out of Delaware Valley, Nick Kaylani, will look to shut out opposing offenses as a defensive midfielder. The hardnosed first year has a gritty playing style that fits right into Orlowski's game plan.
 
The last of the group is Matt Dellapi. The newcomer was a standout for Highlanders of West Milford High School in New Jersey. Dellapi was a faceoff specialist in high school, finishing his career with 525 wins. Dellapi looks to continue his winning ways in his debut season.
 
Defense
The Monarchs return several of their key defenders from last season. After a season off, Aaron Olsovsky makes his return to the field. The senior has been a steady member of the core defense for the Monarchs since his first season. Olsovsky will look to help lead the defense while locking down the x attackman. Fellow senior Brent Cassium saw time in all 11 of the Monarch's contests a season ago. The tallest member of the men's lacrosse team will look to use his size and defensive knowledge to anchor the core.
 
Senior John Shaffer and sophomore Junior Ardila will likely split reps at the LSM position. Shaffer started in all 8 games he played in before succumbing to the injury bug. In his 8 games, Shaffer picked up 10 groundballs while causing 5 turnovers. Shaffer's speed and stick skills make him a force to be reckoned with. Ardila saw time in 10 of the Monarch's contests last season, starting in 5 of them. Ardila has great field awareness and is a commanding presence at the top of the Monarch defense. The sophomore picked up 7 groundballs and caused 1 turnover last year.
 
Sophomore Jon Wiedow was a lockdown force last season. The sophomore started all 11 games last season for King's while leading the team in caused turnovers (17) along the way. Wiedow's knack for stick checks led to a multitude of opportunities for the Monarchs to snag the ball away. Wiedow was third on the team last year in groundballs (25) as well. Fellow sophomore Nick Anderson saw time in 9 games, starting in 8 of them. Anderson was a key member of the Monarch defense, using his size to keep opposing offenses at bay. Anderson caused 10 takeaways and snagged 9 groundballs on his way to shutting down the front of the net. 
 
Senior Austin Leone will look to earn his keep this year. Leone saw time in 5 games last season, starting in 1 of them. Leone has battled back from injury and now looks to get in the way of some opposing offenses. The senior has played exceptionally anytime he steps on the field. He picked up 4 groundballs and caused 1 turnover a season ago. Sophomore Richard Deary will look to earn a spot on the defense this season. The sophomore has looked fantastic in practice, using the time between this season and the last to get a firm grasp on the defensive concepts. The hard hitting defender saw time in 2 games last season, picking up 1 groundball.
 
The lone newcomer to the defense is another dual sport athlete. Ryan Dolphin finished up a great season of football for the Monarchs last semester and now looks to bring his size and strength back to McCarthy Stadium for this upcoming lacrosse season. Dolphin's athletic prowess and ability to shut down offenses will prove incredibly valuable this season.
 
Goalies
The only juniors on the squad all stand between the pipes. All three of the Monarch netminders so fairly equal time a season ago. Matt Wall played in 8 games, starting 4 of them. Wall stared down 200 shots last season, stuffing 63 of them on his way to posting a team best save percentage of .481. Jackson Campbell saw time in 6 games, starting in 4 of them. Campbell faced 140 shots while saving 41 of them for a .406 save percentage. Campbell is credited with the lone Monarch victory last season. Joe Plachcinski posted a team high 65 saves while facing 224 shots. Plachcinski ended the season with a .478 save percentage while playing in 6 games, 3 of which he started.
 
Schedule
The Monarchs will open their season this afternoon as they play host to the Riverhawks of Suquehanna. The Monarchs will begin conference play at the end of March and wrap up their regular season a month later at the end of April before MAC championships start in early May.