Upstart Leopards are undersized, underrated and, so far, undefeated
Like many in the lacrosse world, Maryland coach Dave Cottle is amazed at the fast start of perennial doormat and physically unimposing Lafayette.
“Their attackmen aren’t big enough to get on the rides at Hershey Park,” Cottle said.
It’s a comment that Lafayette 5-foot-9 attack Stefan Bauer enjoyed.
“That’s funny, and almost true,” said the junior. “We might have the smallest attack in the country. But we use it to our advantage. When we see big defensemen our eyes light up. We know we’ll be able to go around them.”
Ranked for the first time in program history, No. 8 Lafayette (6-0) is the little engine that could. The Leopards have wins over traditionally formidable Fairfield and Penn. They also toppled six-time defending conference champion Navy and preseason favorite Bucknell to take control of the Patriot League.
It’s heady territory for a program that has 15 Patriot League wins the last 16 seasons. The last time Lafayette had a winning record was 1984.
“I don’t think anybody was expecting this kind of start, but nobody’s going crazy,” said eight-year coach Terry Mangan. “I’d like to think we’re pretty well grounded. We haven’t hit any of our goals yet.”
While the program is 84 years old, lacrosse has never been a priority at the private, liberal arts and engineering school, an hour north of Philadelphia.
“I’m the only real lacrosse person ever to coach here,” said Mangan, whose predecessor, Bill Lawson, had five winning seasons in 31 years.
In the 1950s legendary basketball coach Butch van Breda Kolff took the lacrosse job to pick up a few extra bucks, going 1-25 in three seasons.
Mangan, a former goalkeeper at Roanoke, came to Lafayette after serving as an assistant at six schools including Hobart, Penn, and UMBC. His career mark at Lafayette (25-73), shows on-field success has come slowly.
Things began to change however when his current senior class entered Lafayette. After going 1-12 as freshmen, they improved to 4-9 as sophomores. Last year’s 6-7 mark could have been better as the last four losses came by three or fewer goals.
“When we came in, there were only four seniors and four juniors on the team, and they really didn’t take it seriously,” said senior Stew Inman (Loudoun Valley). “We got a lot of game experience early. We were willing to take the lumps to build the program.”
At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Inman is undersized for a long stick midfielder, fitting the Lafayette mold, epitomized by starting attackmen — 5-10 senior Tom Perini (22 goals, 6 assists), 5-5 senior Matt Mersky (11 goals, 5 assists), and Bauer (9 goals, 16 assists).
“We don’t coach a lot at that end,” said Mangan. “They’ve been together for so long and they’re so skilled, they do a lot of things by feel. I think it makes us harder to defend.”
Other major contributors for Lafayette are senior goalie Vinny DePasquale (57.9 save percentage), junior shutdown defender Spencer Philpot, and senior midfielder Steve Serling (11 goals, 11 assists), who was out all last year with a lacerated spleen.
With success has come confidence. Handing Navy its most decisive loss in 20 years in the Patriot League, 15-8, told the Leopards they had arrived. Beating Bucknell, 16-15, on Sunday, a year after it lost the Bison, 18-6, was further confirmation.
“At 1-12 three years ago, I don’t know if I would have believed this was possible,” said Inman. “Now we’re starting to think anything’s possible.”
