The 2009 pre-season polls for the Pilgrim League have just been released by Inside Lacrosse Magazine Face Off Yearbook and the Lasell College men's lacrosse team was picked fourth in the rankings. However, the Lasers' were the only other program besides Springfield College (no. 1 pick) to have multiple athletes selected to the preseason All-Conference Team. Three Lasell athletes, Dave Bulhoes (Billerica, Mass.), Mike Maggio (Winchester, Mass.), and Matt Stambler (Bay Shore, NY) were all selected to receive the preseason honors. All three were named to the Pilgrim League All-Conference teams last season, all three are seniors, and all three are captains for the 2009 Lasers' men's lacrosse team.
As an attackman, Bulhoes has accumulated 103 career points over three years, placing him 10th all-time in the Lasers' history books. Bulhoes is also ranked 7th in total career goals with 74 to date, and has 29 career assists. Last season, Bulhoes tallied 24 goals and 8 assists in 16 games, and ended the season ranked 10th in the Pilgrim League in total goals. Bulhoes was a second team selection in the Pilgrim League All-Conference in 2008.
Maggio, a midfielder, led the Lasers in 2008 with 33 goals and 44 total points, and finished ranked 3rd in the league in goals, 4th in goals per game, 5th in points per game, and 4th in total points. He also set a career season high with 11 assists and moved to 10th in the Lasers' all-time records with 68 total goals. In 2007, Maggio was also the team leader in goals scored with 20 for the season, and as a freshman scored 15 goals in 15 games, added 4 assists and 20 ground balls. Maggio was a first team honoree on the All-Conference team last season and a second team selection in 2007.
Stambler proved to be one of the top defenders in the conference last season. He finished 2nd on the team in ground balls in 2008, and 6th in the Pilgrim League, with 62 total, and led the Lasers' forcing 14 turnovers. As a freshman, Stambler led the team in ground balls with 57 and played in all 16 games. Stambler has 9 total career points with 5 goals and four assists, and was also selected to the first team All-Conference last year.
The Lasers finished last season with a 10-7 overall record and a trip to the 2008 Men's Lacrosse ECAC New England Championship Tournament, for the fourth time in the program's history. The Lasers were ranked 3rd in the tournament and unseated 2nd seed Plymouth State University in the semi-final round (10-5) before finishing the season as the runners-up to the no.1 seeded Endicott College Gulls in the Finals.
Lasell opens the 2009 season against University of New England on Wednesday, March 4th at 3:30 p.m., on Grellier Field.