Season In Review
One of Wentworth’s more consistent sports since its elevation to varsity status, the Leopard lacrosse team looked to improve on its 2007 final record of 7-7 and hoped to qualify for The Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament for the 11th consecutive season.
The season opened with an immediate challenge for Wentworth, as the Leopards began play with nationally ranked and four-time defending conference champion Endicott. The Gulls, who were picked to win the league in the coaches’ pre-season poll, dealt Wentworth a 22-5 loss. Wentworth would fall to 0-2 on the year with a 10-7 loss at Mass. Maritime.
Two days later the Leopards doubled up New England College, 10-5, in what would start a school record six-game winning streak. During the streak Wentworth would win a pair of one-goal games, including a 9-8 win over Salve Regina that snapped a three-game losing streak to the Seahawks.
Standing at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in TCCC play, Wentworth saw its record dip to 6-4 after suffering back-to-back losses to Gordon and Roger Williams, respectively. The Leopards dropped their third straight tilt with a 5-4, overtime loss at UMass Boston in a game where Wentworth surrendered the game-tying goal with 1:16 remaining and allowed the Beacons to prevail with 17 ticks left in the first overtime.
The Leopards got back on the winning track and improved to 7-5 with a 13-7 win at the University of New England. However, that would be the last win of the 2008 season as Wentworth lost at nationally ranked Western New England – the team that would dethrone Endicott as TCCC Champions – and Plymouth State to close out the regular season with a 7-7 overall record and a 5-4 record in conference play.
As the fifth seed for the conference tournament, the Leopards had to travel to fourth-seeded Roger Williams an opening round game, marking the fourth time in five seasons the two teams faced off against each other in the playoffs. The Hawks had already defeated the Leopards by a 16-11 score two weeks earlier and would race out to an 11-0 halftime lead in the contest, en route to a 17-4 win, ending Wentworth’s season at 7-8.
Offensively for the Leopards, junior Chris Wesche (Holden, Mass.) tallied 20 goals and added 11 assists for 31 points. He also collected 68 ground balls and as the team’s primary face-off specialist, won two-thirds of the number of face-offs won by the team. He was rewarded for his efforts by being named Honorable Mention All-TCCC.
Junior Cory Benulis (Victor, N.Y.) tied Wesche for the team lead with 31 points, with his coming on 16 goals and 15 assists. Freshman Stephen Biszko (Tiverton, R.I.) chipped in with 24 goals and three assists for 27 points, while classmate Matt Cox scored 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points. Senior Nick Lambros (Forestdale, Mass.) played in 13 of the team’s 15 games, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points. He was the recipient of the 2008 Carl A. Swanson Scholar-Athlete Award.
In goal, senior Nick Murphy (Cohasset, Mass.) was 7-8 with a 10.46 goals against average and a .561 save percentage. He ends his career ranking second in school history with 18 wins and an 8.87 goals against average, while his 508 career saves and .619 save percentage rank him third.
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Looking Ahead
The Leopards return their top four scorers, but lose a total of nine players to graduation. Wentworth's will need to fill holes on defense and in goal, but should remain competitive within The Commonwealth Coast Conference, [back to top]
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 UMass Boston, MIT, Clark, and Mass. Maritime. In addition, there is a limited,
non-traditional schedule in the fall semester. [back to top]
History
The men's lacrosse team was elevated to varsity status beginning with
the 1997 season. In the 12 seasons of varsity play, Wentworth has
posted a 77-82 record and had its most successful season in 1999,
when it went 9-5, and in 2004 the nine-win record was equalled. The 2003 squad made the program's first appearance
in the ECAC Tournament, with the 2004 squad making a repeat appearance. All home games are played on Sweeney Field,
which has an artificial surface and lights.
After going through three coaches in the first four years of the program, stability has remained as the Leopards have been under the tutelage of the same head coach since the fall of 2000. [back to top]
Meet the Coaching Staff
Paul
Murphy (UMass Boston '86) enters his ninth 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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Head Coach
Paul Murphy |
Assistant Coach
Dan Russo |
Assistant Coach
Bill Beroza |
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