• Program Overview
• Schedule
• Meet the Coaching Staff

The Program at a Glance

Coinciding with the completion of Sweeney Field in 1996, the men’s lacrosse team was elevated to varsity status and began its first intercollegiate season in the spring of 1997.  During that inaugural season, the team finished with a 4-4 record and suffered some of the growing pains of a first-year program.  With a solid group of returning players and many new freshman faces, the Leopards hoped to build on their first season foundation. 

Following a disappointing 1998 season, 1999 brought good fortune to the Leopards in the form of the program’s most successful season record to date, 9-5, with two of the losses coming by single goals.  The Leopards have earned a playoff berth each year since the CCC began sponsoring lacrosse in 1998.

In 2003 and 2004, the lacrosse team earned it first two berths in the ECAC Division III Tournament and tied the school record for wins in 2004.

While the 2005 and 2006 teams finished with sub-.500 records, The 2007 season was one that clearly had its ups and downs. For the first time in school history, Wentworth began 3-0, but suffered through a five-game losing streak to dip below .500.  A three-game win streak—by a combined five goals—gave the Leopards a 6-5 record and after splitting the final two games of the season, Wentworth was 7-6 heading into the playoffs.  A loss to Salve Regina in the opening round closed out the season at 7-7, marking the fifth time in 11 seasons Wentworth has had a .500 or better record.

Looking Back

After opening the season with a two-goal loss at MIT, the Leopard lacrosse team rolled off three consecutive wins to stand at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. That streak was snapped and the team's record dropped to 3-3 with to back-t0-back losses at Salve Regina and Roger Williams.

Three days after losing to Roger Williams Wentworth knocked off Gordon, 10-9, in overtime after scoring the game-tying goal with 54 seconds left and capitalizing on a Fighting Scot turnover with less than two minutes in overtime. Two nights later Wentworth trailed UMass Boston, 7-2, with 9:26 left in the first half but would outscore the Beacons 11-0 over the next 39 minutes, en route to a 13-10 win.

The season's second three-game win streak continued with an 8-6 win over the University of New England but that would be the last win of the season for the Leopards as two of the final four losses came to nationally ranked teams and one was by one goal. Wentworth's 12th consecutive trip to the conference tournament saw the Leopards face-off against Roger Williams - marking the fourth time in five years the two teams have met in the opening round, but a 20-4 loss ended the season with a 6-7 record.

Senior Chris Wesche (Holden, Mass.) paced the team's offensive attack with a team-high 26 goals, nine of which were man-up tallies. His 32 points tied him for the team lead, while his 47 ground balls were third on the team. He earned Second Team All-The Commonwealth Coast Conference honors as well as being named TCCC Co-Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Junior Chris Guilherme (Derry, N.H.) scored 20 goals and assisted on 12 others for 32 points, while sophomore Matt Cox (Granger, Ind.) scored 28 points coming on 16 goals and 12 assists.

Sophomore Bill Ainslie (Hanover, Mass.) and junior Jeff Ryan (Shrewsbury, Mass.) led the team in ground balls with 59 and 55, respctively, while junior Sean Tobin (Silver Spring, Md.) had a 9.88 goals against average, logging 93 percent of the total minutes.

Looking Ahead

Six seniors graduate from the 2009 team, including two of the team's top five scorers. A strong group of players return to the Leopards for the 2010 season in hopes of finishing in the upper half of TCCC.

Distinguished Players

Since 1998, 22 lacrosse players have earned all-conference honors including Andy Sbordone, who was also named the 1999 CCC Rookie of the Year and Dan Turcott ’05, a four-time All-CCC selection and the 2005 CCC Defensive Player of the Year.  Mark Castela ’99, whose all-time points record (167) was broken by Mike Wood '05 (174), played in both the 1999 New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association East/West Senior All-Star game and the 1999 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association North/South Senior All-Star game.  He and four-time all-conference goalie D.J. McBain '01were inducted into the Wentworth Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

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Schedule

The Leopards play a nine-game The Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule that includes games against such teams as Western New England, Roger Williams, Gordon, and Endicott. The non-league schedule is highlighted with games against Babson, Becker, and Mass. Maritime.

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Meet the Coaching Staff

Paul Murphy (UMass Boston '86) enters his 10th season as the Wentworth lacrosse coach. He has an extensive coaching background at both the high school and collegiate level, including serving as the head men's lacrosse coach at Merrimack College for five seasons. He is assisted by Dan Russo (Lasell '07), a former lacross player at Lasell and Bill Beroza (Roanoke '77), a former All-American and a member of his alma mater's hall of fame as well as a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Virgina State Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

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