Junior defender Jack Crowley celebrates with freshman midfielder Ryan Dorney after a goal is scored in a game against SUNY Morrisville on Feb. 28. The men prepare to have similar results against St. John Fisher College on Monday April 9. (Keith Walters/Director of Multimedia)
The Geneseo men’s lacrosse team is preparing to bounce back after losing their game against SUNY Oneonta on Saturday March 31. Oneonta finished the game with a 6-4 victory over the Knights.
Staying positive after losses and reflecting on what they did well helps keep the team motivated for future games. While acknowledging different strengths will help the team develop, it is equally important to evaluate weaknesses. An aspect that the whole team can improve on is confidence, according to head coach Nick Fiorentino.
“Confidence is the weakest aspect of the team as of right now,” Fiorentino said. “Sometimes our guys don’t know or believe how good they actually are, and how great they can be as a unit.”
Another area that Fiorentino would like to improve upon is playing at a high pace.
“One of the great things about playing fast is that it is hard to defend a fast-paced team,” Fiorentino said. “At the same time, you need to have great stick skills and strong athletes who can maintain that pace throughout the entirety of a game.”
The transition from non-conference to conference play can prove to be difficult for a team. Approaching these highly competitive games with the same mentality is important for future success.
“Our game day philosophy is to be prepared. Everything from game day stems from practices leading up to games,” Fiorentino said.
Fiorentino attributes the men’s overall strength to their chemistry. This year’s team is full of energy, and they enjoy each other’s company. The Knights have spent a great amount of time together over the course of their spring break trip and seven away games in a row. These experiences only help the men grow closer.
The culture of the team will have a lasting impression amongst future members. Senior midfielder Andrew Cummings believes there is a bright future for this team.
“The culture the seniors want to display is to put in the work outside of practice so the younger members of the team will see and take after that,” Cummings said. “The younger guys have done a great job of that so far, as they have worked very hard in fall ball and pre-season to be the best players they can be”.
Once people start buying into the team atmosphere and putting in the work outside of practice, Cummings said that great things will come with time.
Since this is Fiorentino’s second season coaching the Knights, he hopes to push a competitive culture in the future. He believes that he has a strong group of seniors who are just as passionate about the program as he and his coaching staff are.
Fiorentino places the administration and academics at Geneseo in high regard.
“This speaks volumes to the type of young men who are here at Geneseo, and the focus they have to receive an outstanding degree, all while playing high end lacrosse,” Fiorentino said.
Fiorentino is very proud of his team both on and off the field.
“We have a lot of great young men here who are going to be tremendous leaders when they are done with their four years at Geneseo,” Fiorentino said. “It is very exciting to know that Geneseo is the type of community, place, program and atmosphere that make young men into men.”