At Oneonta, our philosophy is simple – do everything you do the right way. Whether it’s a technical skill on the playing field, writing an important research paper or conducting yourself with high moral character on campus, we expect our players to do it the right way every time, every day. On the day of your graduation from Oneonta, we want you to feel like your time here was the greatest four years of your life. Our goal is for our alumni to welcome you into their fraternity with pride not only in your performance on the lacrosse field but also the way you have and will continue to represent the Oneonta Men’s Lacrosse program. To become and remain a member of our team you must possess all 5 of the key traits below that we look for in players:
1. Players who have a great attitude and a natural enthusiasm for lacrosse. We’re proud of being an NCAA varsity program and not a club team. You must love daily competition. Our games and practices are often very hard work and these elements are critical to success at this level. Becoming a champion requires work inside and outside of practice during the regular season, preseason and offseason.
2. Individuals who possess a high level of personal accountability. Sports are the ultimate bottom-line business; teams either win or lose. Every spot in the starting line-up is on the line every day, every year and at every position. The players that “produce” in practice and on game day are the ones who put our team in the best position to succeed, and those are the players who earn the most playing time. Though our depth-chart is always fluid and every member of our team gets opportunities to perform in practice, there are no guarantees for playing time on game day.
3. Players who have a willingness to set aside personal goals for the good of the team. Victories are what make college lacrosse fun but they do not come without sacrifice. Whether it is accepting a lesser role, little or no playing time, or playing within an unfamiliar framework, our success is directly related to a team-first mentality.
4. Gifted athletes that will peak during their college years. Our annual goal is to compete for championships at the conference and national level. We need players whose athleticism will help us elevate our program to prominence on the largest of stages. Although we absolutely value the “intangibles” in a player’s ability, in the end we are an athletic team and we will always search for the best pure athletes.
5. Players who make academics and personal conduct their top priorities. Ultimately, you are here to graduate with a valuable degree that will provide opportunities for a successful career. You are also a role model and representative of your teammates, coaches, alumni and athletic department and therefore held to the highest standards of moral character.
Our style of play is all about high –tempo and pace. We are a speed-oriented team that loves to attack at both ends of the field and can push transition. We believe that the best teacher of the game is the game itself, and our practice environment promotes high repetition and a variety of drills that model game-like scenarios and almost always include an element of competition. We work with our athletes to develop a skill set that complements this style including attackmen who ride tenaciously and move well with and without the ball, midfielders with the speed to both create and take away fast breaks and defensemen who can pressure the ball and score goals in transition. We promote good sportsmanship; we respect our opponents at all times; and we are humble in victory and gracious in defeat. At Oneonta, the team will always face a competitive schedule, competing against top-ranked opponents. We are consistently among the top programs in our conference, and we are striving to gain prominence on the national stage. Our athletes have the platform to impress at the highest level against some of the toughest regional and national competition.
Academically our expectation for our athletes is that they will have two choices at graduation. If they are not progressing to a recognized graduate school to continue their studies, then they should be positioned as an attractive candidate for a Fortune 500 company. This is the ambition that we expect from our team members and every player must live up to these expectations or he will not be prepared for life after college. We provide year round support with weekly study halls, class selection, pre-registration, advisement and tutoring. The team enjoys the privilege of a Team Faculty Mentor, Jeff Weinell, who offers additional advice and guidance to the athletes and has a genuine care & concern for their overall well-being. In addition, the team features a "team mentor policy" where the team leaders and upperclassman counsel the younger players on life at Oneonta.
On a personal level, I am a Central New York native and proud Oneonta Lacrosse alum. I was a three-sport letter winner at Fulton High School in football, wrestling and lacrosse. As a member of the wrestling team I was a four-year starter on four straight New York State Championship teams. In lacrosse, I was named team MVP, All CNY and selected to the regional North-South All-Star game. I was recruited to wrestle in college at St. Lawrence University where I was the starter for two years on a top-20 program and played one year of lacrosse before transferring to Oneonta. As a player here at Oneonta I was a three-year starter, two-year captain, All-Conference Selection and USILA North-South alternate as a senior in 1997, leading the program to what had been their most wins all-time and first ever postseason appearance while earning the G. Hal Chase Leadership Award.
I remained here at Oneonta for four seasons as an Assistant Coach during the greatest four-year success in program history including the 1999 season where we earned our first ever NCAA Tournament at-large bid and was a part of the USILA Division III Coaching Staff of the Year. I then spent two years at New England powerhouse Endicott College as an Assistant Coach under current Boston Cannons (MLL) Head Coach Sean Quirk. While at Endicott, I served as both the offensive and defensive coordinator and earning my master’s degree in Education in May 2003. I later spent two years as an Assistant Coach at Hartwick College and another three years as a member of our Admissions Office here at Oneonta before accepting my current role as Head Coach. I’ve served as a member of the USILA All-American Committee, the All-American Sub Committee as well as the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee.
I currently reside in Oneonta along with my wife and three children. I’m an avid NFL fan and typically make at least one trip per year to Philadelphia to watch the Eagles and maybe make a quick visit to family friend and fellow Oneonta alum Sal Paolantonio of ESPN. I spend the majority of my spare time visiting my nine siblings who reside mainly in the Syracuse area or at home with my family.
