PREVIEW: 2019 OCC Men’s Lacrosse

After coming off back-to-back Region XIX Titles, OCC Vikings Men’s Lacrosse enters the 2019 season with nothing less than a three-peat on their mind.

With new Head Coach Matt Zuech and 13 players departing from last years team, the Vikings come into the 2019 season with a calm mindset. Just two weeks away from the first scrimmage, the team finishes up training camp with a total of 13 players and looking to add more. The returning players of last season’s championship roster are midfielders Dillion Clark and James Manzo, attackers Sean Menjivar, Gavin and Jake Murphy, defenseman Hunter Vojkto and goaltender Tyler Palmer. Coach Zuech and his boys are very fortunate to have Gavin Murphy returning after an excellent freshman season finishing with 39 points on 25 goals with 14 assists and only starting in six of those matchups.

“To me this group of guys we have is special,” Menjivar said. “We are all committed to play and we’re doing it for each other.” The Vikings went through a ton of adversity last season and we saw what happened the last time they faced something like this.

“With the new additions and a new system, we believe we can have our best season yet and most definitely three-peat,” Menjivar said. “The game is going to be a lot more different and fast-paced with an 80-second shot clock and we as a team have to understand and work around that.”

The chemistry will begin to form when the Vikings host their first scrimmage on Friday, Feb. 22 against ASA Brooklyn at Ocean County College. The Vikings quest for their third straight Region XIX Title will begin on Mar. 2 in their first regular season game against Finger Lakes at Finger Lakes Community College.