'Good Mix' of Players Means Good Things for Boys Lacrosse

The weather is starting to warm up (pay no attention to the snow on the ground), and that means spring sports are about to start for Chatham High School varsity squads. As opening day approaches, we're taking a look at each of the teams as they ready for competition. Today, we take a look at the Cougars boys lacrosse team.

Overview

The Cougars head into this season with loads of depth on their roster. The ability to mix in underclassmen in the lineup last season, has given second year head coach Anthony Calandra an abundance of players with varsity minutes under their belts coming into the 2011 campaign. With that experience fueling them, Cougars fans are anticipating a good year from the Chatham boys.

Last Season's Results

The Cougars, ranked No. 14 in the state last year, went 12-7 during the regular season, falling to Mountain Lakes, 8-7, in the quarterfinal round of the Group 1 tournament.

Keep Your Eye On:

• Nick Guida, Attack (Sr.)-A main cog in the Chatham offense last season, Guida notched 26 goals and 19 assists as a junior. Calandra looks for Guida to facilitate the offense.
• John Radigan, Defense (Sr.)— One of Chatham’s three captains, Calandra is counting on Radigan to bolster the Chatham back line.
• Jack Eisenreich, Midfield (Sr.)—Another of Chatham’s captains, Eisenreich will lock down the Chatham midfield. With Rob Guida graduated, look for Eisenreich to step up.

They'll Miss:

• Rob Guida, Midfield—He was the “quarterback” of the Cougars offense last season notching 28 goals and 19 assists. Guida now plays at Johns Hopkins.
• Chris Conroy, Defense- An anchor for the Cougar defense in 2010, Conroy now plays at Villanova University.
•  Mac Nestler, Goalie- The Cougars backstop last season, Nestler provided reliability in net. The Cougars’ loss is Widener Universities gain.

COACH'S TAKE

“It’s been a very good preseason. It’s a nice mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores. Very good camaraderie, a hard working group and I think the sky’s the limit. If they keep improving and getting better, I think we’ll have a special year.” -Calandra

They Said It

“Throughout the preseason we’ve been getting better and better, so if we keep improving then we have a real good chance to have a really good season.” –Guida

“I think we’re going to be pretty successful this season. The preseason competition has been pretty high, definitely the best its been the past couple of years. The younger guys are stepping up, which is big, and the seniors are doing a good job of leading the team.” –Radigan

"I think we can be very successful. Everyone’s been playing well together and  I think the midfield has grown a lot. We’ve been running three or four lines deep this preseason, and it gives us a lot more depth. If we just continue to play, everyone will start meshing more and we’ll have a good season." – Eisenreich

2011 Chatham Boys Lacrosse Roster