POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 28, 2014) – Whenever a team has a tough previous season, fans hope for the best. The Vassar College head men's lacrosse coach Marc Graham has brought in pieces that when put together, should turn things around for the Brewers in the 2014 season.

    Coach Graham has returned nine starters from last season but has a freshman class whose numbers are almost that of the entire roster in 2013. Vassar had 18 players from all four classes last year and now has a freshman class of 14, totaling 30 student-athletes. Vassar is also joined by new assistant coach, Mike Miano. Miano joined the Poughkeepsie group just this semester.

    The Brewers finished last season with a 3-11 overall and 0-6 Liberty League record.

    Welcoming back to Gordon Field (more recently Walker Field House due to recent snow storms) are senior captains Andrew Nicol (Carmel, NY/Brewster) and Max Herman (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central Regional). Nicol started all 14 games last season with a save percentage of 53.4 percent from 618 shots faced (429 on goal) and 207 stops. Herman was second on the team with 12 assists and added 14 goals (fourth best) that accumulated a team-second best 26 points.

    Other returning starters are juniors Scott Brekne (Stony Brook, NY/Ward Melville), Jesse Hartman (Boulder, CO/Boulder) and Ben Rung (North Tonawanda, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) along with sophomores Noah Parson (Cary, NC/Panther Creek), Colin Cederna (Milan, MI/Saline), Matthew Schwartz (Stamford, CT/Westhill) and John Loree (Buffalo, NY/Nichols School).

    Other returning key players this season are juniors Sean Brazier (Stony Brook, NY/Ward Melville) and Dylan Staub (Valley Cottage, NY/Nyack). In the sophomore division, Shane Flattery (Brewster, NY/Brewster) and Ben Lehr (Englewood, CO/Kent Denver) saw valuable playtime while the Brewers were also supplemented by second-year players T.J. Morrow (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) and Nick Page (Brookline, MA/Brookline). Jeff Berg (Horsham, PA/Holy Ghost Preparatory) is also a returning player as a sophomore.

    The new-face division is made up of Eric Prezioso (Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen Ridge), Brian Kube (Randolph, NJ/Randolph), Brandon Klein (Merrick, NY/John F. Kennedy), Brandon DeStasio (West Hempstead, NY/Chaminade), Samuel S. Every (Rhinebeck, NY/Rhinebeck Central), Austin Haymes (Palm Beach Gardens, FL/William T. Dwyer), Matthew Altman (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield), Liam Moriarty (New Fairfield, CT/New Fairfield), Sam Houston-Read (Waban, MA/Newton South), Gianni Gelormino (Matamoras, PA/Delaware Valley), Steven Mages (Deerfield, IL/Deerfield), Patrick Hood (San Francisco, CA/Archbishop Riordan), Brandon Crecco (Carmel, NY/Mahopac) and Chris Billups (Watchung, NJ/Oratory Preparatory).

    Parson was the 2013 Liberty League Rookie of the Year, having led the Brewers with 31 goals, 13 assists and 44 points. In his 14 starts, he took 81 shots with 54 being on target (66.7 percent). Eight of his goals were in man-up situations. He also recorded 23 ground balls and six caused turnovers as an attack.

    Brekne was coach Graham's go-to guy for faceoffs, winning 149-of-307 (48.5 percent). High school classmate Brazier led Vassar with 11 caused turnovers while also placing in the third most goals with 16. Brekne was second best with 18 behind Parson and also the top ground ball recovery player.

    Morrow was the only Brewer to score a man-down goal in the Brewers' 15-9 win over SUNY Maritime College in the season opener.

    Vassar will have five non-league contests before starting Liberty League play on Saturday, March 22 at 1:00 pm at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Brewers' first two games are on the road at Mahattanville College tomorrow at 3:00 pm and then on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm at Montclair State University.

    The first home game will be on Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 pm versus Swarthmore College. The Brewers hope the weather holds off so Weinberg Field can be cleared or another site will have to be the designated play spot.