The Ivy League roared back in 2022. After a two-year layoff from COVID-19, six teams made the NCAA tournament.
In a competitive regular season, Brown reigned supreme, earning the top seed in the Ivy Championship. But an Ivy League semifinal loss and first-round NCAA exit has Mike Daly and the Bears hungry for more.
Some core players return in 2023, including goalie Connor Theriault (11.54 GAA, .537 SV %), a first-team All-Ivy pick and USILA honorable mention All-American. And senior Matthew Gunty (.516 FO %), who Daly says has been a leader since arriving on campus, has looked more consistent at the X.
But key losses, particularly on offense, have made Fall Ball what Daly calls a “wide-open competition.”
He’s hesitant to predict early winners for the key spots up for grabs on the Bears’ depth chart.
“It’s really easy on day three to be excited, especially for new guys,” Daly said. “It’s about consistency and developing that consistency and trust that the coaches can put you into those roles and your teammates can count on you in those roles.”
But Daly did provide some early insights into the Bears’ 2023 outlook.
LAST SEASON
At 4-2, the Bears tied Cornell and Yale for the best record in the Ivy League. But tiebreakers gave them the top seed for the Ivy tournament. The Bears fell to Penn 14-9 but got into the NCAA tournament as an at-large, where they lost to Virginia 17-10. The loss put Brown at 10-6 overall.
BIGGEST FALL QUESTION
Who will step up on offense?
The Bears graduated four of their top five scorers in Ryan Aughavin (25 G, 15 A), Darian Cook (21 G, 16 A), Brian Antonelli (32 G, 4 A) and Reed Mashyedi (13 G, 13 A).
Though Brown will be missing those points in 2022, Daly is quick to point out that they haven’t lost much experience — by no fault of last year’s senior class.
“Semantically, we did not have a ton of experience last year because of the COVID craziness,” Daly said. “The guys who did play last year were seniors, but in terms of on-field experience, it was always a learning process.”
The Bears also do return their leading scorer in senior Devon McLane (47 G, 24 A).
“He does a great job bringing teammates with him, and I think that’s the best sign of a leader,” Daly said.
Griffin King (13 G, 7 A), now a senior, was one of those teammates last year and could play a more significant role in 2023. And Matteo Corsi (Syracuse) and McLane’s brother, Aidan, an attacker out of Fairfield, are competing for spots.
“It’s pretty wide open right now,” Daly said. “We’re real excited.”
BREAKOUT CANDIDATES: MARK WITT AND OSCAR HERTZ
Mark Witt and Oscaar Hertz were two defenders plagued by injuries in 2022, but Daly says they could step into larger roles on a defensive unit depleted by graduations. Defenders Andrew Geppert (24 CT, 22 GB), Luke Gaydos (17 CT, 41 GB), Silas Newsome (12 CT, 19 GB) and long-stick midfielder Adrian Enchill have all departed.
Witt saw action in four games last year, while Hertz did not play.
“Mark is a big, physical defender who is very smart,” Daly said of the 6-4 junior defender.
Hertz, now a senior, is also a physical presence at 6-4.
“He causes turnovers on man-down,” Daly said. “He’s great at making plays off the ground.”
MARQUEE ADDITIONS: MATTEO CORSI, AIDAN MCCLANE AND GIBSON LINNEHAN
Daly was hesitant to name a newcomer who could be a difference maker, though he said if pressed, it would have to go to one of the three transfers: Corsi, Aidan McLane or former Providence long-stick midfielder Gibson Linnehan.
“It’s a big leap for freshmen,” Daly said. “The transfers have the experience.”
Corsi saw time in 12 games during his freshman year at Syracuse, starting once and tallying seven points on five goals and two assists. The midfielder will add options and experience to the Bears’ offense. Same for Aidan McClane, who transferred from Fairfield after playing in three games as a freshman. He enters with the advantage of playing backyard lacrosse with the Bears’ leading returning scorer.
Finally, Linnehan played in 13 games and made six starts for Providence last season. He finished with 11 caused turnovers and 25 ground balls.