LYNN — St. Mary’s boys lacrosse coach Josh Field has watched his Spartans progress each spring. For the past two seasons, the Spartans have reached the Division 3 North state tournament and advanced past the opening round.
This season, with a combination of experience, youth and talent, the Spartans hope to put it all together for a deeper tournament run.
“The previous seasons have all been a culmination of where we are today,” Field, entering his fourth season at St. Mary’s, said. “We’ve been building the program. We’ve got some really good players. It’s a reflection of teams in the past and how they’ve all contributed. We’re in a good spot.”
St. Mary’s finished the 2018 regular season at 10-8 and earned the No. 12 seed in Division 3 North. They defeated Fenwick, 13-12, in an overtime thriller before falling to Ipswich in the quarterfinal round.
This season’s roster returns plenty of key contributors from last spring. It starts with sophomore goalie Kaden Quirk, who enters his third season at St. Mary’s starting netminder.
“Kaden has really become the quarterback of the team,” Field said. “It’s a pretty good feeling. He has definitely stepped up over the past couple years. Without question he’s one of the best goalies in the CCL. He’s a great leader for a young guy. The team really rallies around him. He’s terrific on both sides of the ball.”
Seniors Jack Maguire and Damon Maribito will lead the defense.
“I’m really excited about our defense this year,” Field said. “It’s a good group of guys who’ve played together for a while. Great offense starts with great defense. I’m excited to see them play together. That really should be the backbone of our success this year.”
In the midfield, the Spartans will lean on senior Christian Lebert, sophomore Jaiden Moriello and freshman Davis Kinne. St. Mary’s returns three attackers in seniors Brendan Laundry and Nick Napolitano, and sophomore Joe O’Keefe.
“We’ve got a lot of experience with some new guys stepping in,” Field said. “We have to learn to play together, which is going to take some time. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys gel and come together.”
Sophomore midfielder Zach Barden and junior attacker Dom Marino will also log playing time.
“We’ve had a great turnout with some of the younger guys,” Field said. “We have a good group of athletes from every age group. The kids have worked, they’ve remained focused. I think the leadership has been great. The tryouts were one of our program’s best.”
This season’s co-captains are Laundry, Maguire, Maribito and Napolitano.
“They’re really a solid group of captains,” Field said. “We have a few guys who can lead vocally, we have a few guys who can lead with their interactions on the field. These guys are leaders in the classroom and the school as well. I’m very fortunate to have these guys leading the team this year.”
Field expects a competitive Catholic Central League this spring.
“Every year is a competitive year in the CCL,” Field said. “I’m not expecting anything different from years past. I know Austin Prep will probably be the team to beat but every game is a rivalry game and a tough game. We want to be competitive in the CCL. That’s our goal this year.”
St. Mary’s opens the season Tuesday evening (5) when the Spartans host Hamilton-Wenham at Manning Field.
“Hamilton-Wenham has had a good program year in and year out,” Field said. “That’s a great challenge for us right out of the gate. We’re looking forward to it.
“The kids are ready to play,” Field said. “We’ve had a good preseason. I think the kids are eager to start getting out there and playing competitive games.”
