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UMass Connections Off To Fast Start In Major League Lacrosse
June 23, 2008
AMHERST, Mass. - Minutemen lacrosse alums continue to make UMass proud as 16 former players, coaches, and staff have enjoyed tremendous success halfway through this, Major League Lacrosse's eighth season. In total, 12 players, two Assistant Coaches, a General Manager and league executive are making their mark on eight of the 10 MLL teams. The three best records (Denver, Rochester, and Long Island) all include UMass alums who are making significant impacts in hopes of leading their teams to an MLL championship. To go with the players and coaches, the league's Director of Operations is former UMass team manager Carl Uttaro ('06). The team with the most connections plays right down the road in Boston. Along with drafting midfielder Paul Manesis ('08) on May 28, the Cannons also acquired attackman Sean Morris ('06), bringing the former All-American and Marshfield native back to Massachusetts. "When I heard Sean was coming to Boston, I got real pumped not only for the team, but for him too," said current Cannons and former UMass midfielder Brett Garber ('07). "Being able to play in front of his home crowd must feel great. He brings a new dynamic to the attack being a lefty who can basically do it all (on the field)." "Sean was great to play with in college as a player and a leader, and to be playing with him again is a lot of fun," Garber continued. In only three games, Morris has already racked up 13 points on four goals and nine assists, good for third on the team in scoring. His play was crucial in carrying the offensive load while Mike Powell was out due to injury. Morris' best game came May 31 at Long Island when he had a hand in half of Boston's goals (2g, 6a) in a 20-16 loss to the Lizards. Garber, a recipient of a Morris assist vs. Long Island, has enjoyed success in his sophomore campaign, picking up both his first goal and first assist on May 17 vs. New Jersey.
As Garber said, that game will prove dividends for the remainder of the season. "It definitely had the feeling of an ice breaker. Having played with the team through preseason this year, I have gained a lot more confidence and after scoring that goal, it made me feel even better. The guys are great and they make you feel like you are a part of the team." Current UMass assistant coach Jake Coon has seen action in two games for the Cannons, putting up an impressive .600 save percentage and 13.33 GAA. On the other end of the spectrum, current Cannons assistant (and father of Brett) Ted Garber used to coach UMass from 1991-94. Chicago, Long Island, and Rochester all have two alums playing on their team. Even with Morris traded from Chicago, Jake Deane ('06) and Kevin Leveille ('03) have continued to excel through six games. Leveille is currently fifth in the league in scoring (and first on the Machine) with 23 points on 20 goals and three assists. The goal mark is second in the MLL, only trailing Rochester's John Grant Jr. by two tallies. Deane has five points (4g, 1a), but continues to thrive at groundballs, standing sixth in the league in that category with 29. For the Lizards, Chris Fiore ('03) has been running the midfield with 16 points (14g, 1 two-pt. g, 1a), good for third on the team. Rookie Brian Danvers ('08) has not seen any action since his fifth-round selection in May. Jack Reid ('06) and Jeff Zywicki ('05) are looking to get the Rattlers back to Championship Weekend, and this time come out on top. Zywicki is one of four 20+ point scorers with 16 goals and four assists, also good for 11th in the league in scoring. Reid has once again teamed with Brodie Merrill to form one of the best defensive duos in the game. He has picked up one assist and 18 ground balls while his aggressive style has led to 14.5 penalty minutes, tops in the MLL. At 4-2, the Rattlers currently stand in a first-place tie with Long Island in the East. Brian Jacovina ('07), acquired by Denver in the offseason, made his professional debut on May 24 and immediately pitched in with an assist. He also saw action on June 7, picking up a ground ball in a 16-13 win at Los Angeles. Jacovina has had the honor of learning from another former UMass player, Bill Edell ('93), who serves as an assistant coach. The two currently stand first in the West with the best record in the MLL at 5-1. Sean Krygier ('08) was drafted by the San Francisco Dragons in the fourth round of this May's collegiate draft and has not seen any game action. This season, Scott Hiller ('90) of Washington stepped down from head coaching duties to solely serve as General Manager. His Bayhawks stand at 3-3, only one game out of first place with six games remaining. For more information on Major League Lacrosse, check out their website. Remember to check back to umassathletics.com as the summer progresses for more updates as UMass connections look to gain a berth to Championship Weekend which will be held in Boston on Aug. 23 and 24. Complete List of UMass Connections in MLL: |
 
 
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