2008 Woodie Awards
RSSThe Hawks are coming off a successful performance last Saturday, February 9, against the Towson University Tigers.
According to Inside Lacrosse magazine, the Tigers traveled to the Lehigh campus with a pre-season rank of 13th, tied with the University of Delaware.
The Hawks, ranked 37th by Inside Lacrosse, were set for a great test, and they held their own.
In a five-period scrimmage, the Hawks outscored the Tigers in both the first and second quarters.
Junior goalie Dan Kaufman said the scrimmage will definitely help the team prepare for its season opener.
"We were able to put everything into practice in our scrimmage last Saturday and could see what we had to work on from the game film," he said.
Unlike most teams, St. Joe's heads into this weekend with a game under their belt.
On Saturday, St. Joe's hosted the University of Delaware Blue Hens.
St. Joe's fell to the Hens 18-10 despite holding a 3-2 lead after one quarter and a 6-6 tie at halftime.
Played a week before most teams open their season, the game between St. Joe's and Blue Hens has become a yearly season-opener for all of div. 1 lacrosse.
The Naval Academy, Presbyterian College, Robert Morris College and the Virginia Military Institute are the only other teams to have played this season.
The Hawks will look to their defense, led by seniors Dan Honeywell and Tom Allen, on Saturday.
The two defensemen will try to contain St. Joe's leading scorers this season, attackmen Steve Varga and Scott Cullinan.
Varga, a senior, had three goals and three assists against Delaware, while Cullinan, a freshman from West Chester, PA, tallied four goals and one assist for St. Joe's.
Last season, Varga tallied 24 goals and five assists. He finished second on the team in points. Varga was held point-less last season when St. Joe's traveled to Lehigh.
The Hawks graduated their top five scorers last season.
This weekend, the team will look to junior attackman Ricky Cornetta for offensive production.
Cornetta finished the 2007 season sixth in points with six goals and six assists. He will be the cornerstone of the Hawks' attack.
Despite the unpleasant weather these past few days, the team has been indoors working hard.
Freshman defender Nate Stires said intense breakdown of film and conditioning training have been the main focus at practices.
"We've been in the Rauch Field House watching film, working on stick skills, running and lifting to get ready for Saturday," Stires said. "We even did yoga once."
Last season, the Hawks defeated St. Joe's 12-2. The Hawks finished the year 4-9 and St. Joe's finished 6-12, but both teams saw major changes in the offseason.
The Hawks have a new coaching staff led by college and professional lacrosse star Kevin Cassese.
The Hawks are aware every game will be a challenge.
"This weekend we are going to need to bring our full intensity from the first whistle to the end," Kaufman said. "Play solid defense, communicate well on both sides of the field and pay attention to detail throughout the entire game."
Kaufman said the team is optimistic about the game this weekend and the season as a whole.
"Keep an eye on our team this year," he said. "We are going to be a dominating force, even if everyone else underestimates us."
start at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.
