New Locker Room

With a number of renovations happening around campus here at UMD, the Tripp Athletic Center is also getting a new look. After the creation of the Hall of Fame room during the summer of 2011, the school has now renovated the entire lower level of the facility. These new editions include a new training room, new locker rooms, etc. Below are pictures of the new lacrosse locker room which will use for the first time starting after winter break when practice finally begins!

The addition of cubby type lockers is pretty sick if you ask me. The seating part also doubles as a lock box. This is a big improvement to what we've had over the years. This locker room is legit and we have no complaints over it. Big fan of this change. 

Pictures of the new training room to come soon.....


Cheers, No Regrets
22

& The Captains Are....

Folks, it's official. Captains have been named. Below is a press release I wrote that will soon be put up on the UMass Dartmouth athletics website (corsairathletics.com) and hopefully published in the local papers of each captain's hometown.

"NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA--- As fall ball has finally come to a close after a long four week stretch for the UMass Dartmouth Men’s Lacrosse team, five players have been elected captain for the 2013 campaign. 

After a process of player voting and coaching deliberation, seniors Ryan Holbrook (Braintree, MA/Braintree HS) and Brendan Dalton(Braintree, MA/Braintree HS) along with juniors Nick Thayer(Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford HS), Adam Niden(Walpole, MA/Walpole HS) and Jordan MacPherson(Westwood, MA/Westwood HS) have been appointed leadership roles under head coach Kevin Mahoney.

Holbrook served as a co-captain during the Corsairs’ 2012 campaign which saw the team go 10-6 (3-4 LEC) and a #4 seed in the LEC tournament. The defensemen hails from Braintree, MA and has been a starter, mainstay, and staple in the Corsair defense since his freshmen year in 2010. In 15 games of action last year, Holbrook started in all of them. He is a business marketing major.

Mahoney on Holbrook, “ Ryan Holbrook is a returning captain from last years team. He has started all four years of his college career and has led by example all throughout his time. He has consistently been marked up against one of the top players on the other team and has done very well. We have asked a lot of him over the past four years and he has stepped up each year.”

Dalton, another senior, enters his fourth and final year as a part of the Men’s Lacrosse team. In his career, Dalton has split time at both the attack and midfield positions. The Braintree native appeared in 8 contests last year while starting 3. In those games, Dalton posted a stat line of 5 goals and 3 assists. He is also a business marketing major. 

Mahoney on Dalton, “ Brendan Dalton enters his fourth year in the program and is one of the hardest workers on the team. He brings positive energy every day and leads by example. He has played a variety of roles on the team over the past years at Attack and Midfield.”

Thayer, a junior, enters his third season as the Corsairs’ goalkeeper. During this stretch, he has made a name for himself as one of the top players at the position in the Little East conference. Since his freshmen campaign in 2011, Thayer has remained a rock and an anchor in the Corsair defense. In his 16 games of action last season, Thayer started in all and posted a 56.8% save percentage on 151 saves making for a 62.5% win percentage. His 7.44 goals against average was good for best in the LEC. The Criminal Justice major was also among three Corsairs named to the LEC Second Team All-Conference in 2012.

Mahoney on Thayer, “ Nick Thayer has been another two year starter for us and been instrumental in the success of the program over the past two years. He is a true leader and works hard in every aspect. He is the leader of the defense and very vocal in the cage. He was 2nd team all conference last year and has improved every year and we look forward to having him back in 2013.”

Niden also enters his third year as a starter for the Corsairs. Over the past two seasons, Niden has started in each game he has participated in and has become a known leader in the Corsair’s offense. The Walpole native led the Corsairs in goal, assists, and overall points with 23-22-45 respectively in 2012 while being named to the LEC Second Team All-Conference. He also posted a team high 45 ground balls. The Finance major with a minor in Economics also posted 1.47 assists per game which was good for fifth in the Little East.

Mahoney on Niden, “ Adam Niden has been a two year starter for us and is coming into his own. He was 2nd team LEC attackmen for us and is working hard to become a complete attackmen.”

MacPherson also returns for a third season on the Corsair roster after a sophomore campaign plagued and cut short by injury. In a contest at Massachusetts Maritime Academy last season, MacPherson suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus in his right knee which ended his season just 10 games in. In those contests, MacPherson started nine times and posted 6 goals and 3 assists. He also posted 36 ground balls and 2 caused turnovers while taking 110 face offs and winning half of them. The Criminal Justice major has been rehabbing consistently and is poised to make a strong comeback back into the Cosairs’ starting lineup. 

Mahoney on MacPherson, “Jordan MacPherson is returning from an injury and we are excited about his return. His injury has forced him to watch and learn. He has been both an offensive and defensive midfielder over the past years and has grown in both roles. He should be 100% ready to go in February and we can't wait.”

Head coach Kevin Mahoney on his team’s fall performance, his new captains, and this year’s upcoming season, “ We look forward to 2013 and UMass Dartmouth Lacrosse. We have improved from the top to the bottom over the past few years and looking to keep that mentality. We have played some really good games over the past two years but we have also played a few bad games. We are striving to be more a consistent lacrosse team in practice and games. Our main goals long term for season are to compete in the Little East, and host a playoff game or two. We have started that with Fall Ball and introduced some freshmen to the team. The coaches and players chose five members as Captains of the 2013 Lacrosse team.”

Cheers, No Regrets
22

TARP'S BIG STORY!!!!

Hello all, and welcome back. Sorry for the hiatus but I have been very busy the past week or so. Below is a profile story that I had to write for my Journalism I class in which I chose to write about my beloved teammate Steve Tarpey. The story concerns Steve being a two sport athlete here at UMass Dartmouth. I got an 95% on it which isn't too shabby if you ask me. ENJOY

"  On a Tuesday night after a long day of classes and lacrosse practice, I sat at my kitchen table with my laptop waiting for the one and only Steven Tarpey. Then I heard a car pull down the gravel driveway and the door open and close. In walked all six feet, four inches of the second semester sophomore. Dressed in a Brosair Nation T-shirt in support of his lacrosse team and a navy blue pair of UMass Dartmouth football shorts, Steve sat down across from me and kicked up his feet. Through the open end of his flip flops I could see his dirty white socks noticeably stained with FieldTurf rubber pellets and sweat. Without a doubt the man was exhausted, but he had stopped by to talk for a little about the story of his life the past couple of years.

     A graduate of Shrewsbury High School in 2007, Steve was a two sport varsity athlete in both lacrosse and basketball. He’s always been a fan of all sports. He made that quite evident with the first thing he said to me when he sat down, “You ready for me to dominate you in Fantasy this week?” I can always expect a wise crack remark like that out of Tarp. That, a funny story from the weekend, some crazy statistic, or a Jim Carey movie quote is always bound to come out at least once during a typical conversation with the kid. Steve has been a great friend and teammate of mine since my freshman year.

We talked about Steve’s years at Shrewsbury High, most notably his athletic conquests, and his time in sports up until the present. Right now, Steve is a second semester sophomore and will be a junior officially after winter break. At that time, he will be getting ready for his third year as a member of the men’s lacrosse team. In the past two seasons, Steve has been a starting defensemen and an anchor for our defense as a whole. The long reach of Steve’s arms, with the aid of a six foot stick, helps him greatly in stripping attackmen heading to the net looking to score a goal. 

Now it may seem as if being a two sport collegiate athlete at the Division III level might be easy, but that’s not the case. Being an athlete at this school myself, even playing one sport on top of school work is very difficult. The tag of “student-athlete” is one that comes with a load of work and a load of responsibility. 

“It does get overwhelming at points, but I seem to be able to find time to get my stuff done somehow.” He cracks a smile and laugh.

Now what really makes Steve’s story unlike others though, is the fact that he had been removed from lacrosse since his senior year of high school. Until practice opened up that cold winter in 2011 at UMass Dartmouth, Steve hadn’t played organized lacrosse in any serious setting.

“I wasn’t really nervous coming into tryouts. I was confident that I could get my legs back under by the time cuts came around. I saw the other kids at my position and thought I could compete with them. So, I just put my head down and got after it.”

Now from experience, I can admit that “hitting the ground running” when the season starts is no easy task. It’s always tough getting back to business after an offseason of about four-plus months, never mind an “offseason” of four years- give or take. This didn’t affect Steve though, when given an opportunity, a second look from the coaches, or anything else- he took it and ran with it. In a matter of weeks, Steve went from being the new kid with “rag-tag” old equipment to a force to be reckoned with. During this, Steve put his head down and just played. He took direction, he kept his mouth closed, he did his job, and he did it well. 

By the end of the snowfall that winter, Steve had beaten out not one, but two seniors for a starting job and wasn’t going to turn it down at all in order to keep his position. 

Fast forward to the spring of 2012 and right in the middle of a playoff hunt for the UMD Men’s Lacrosse team and Steve brings up the idea of maybe trying out for the football team that fall. We all looked at him like he was crazy. One because being a two sport athlete in college is quite rare, and two because we all knew that Steve had never played any type of organized, legitimate football in his entire life. But this didn’t stop him and just like he did a year previous in lacrosse, Steve went to football practice and made the team. This season, Steve suits up in his number 86 jersey (not too much different from his #6 lacrosse jersey) and plays wide receiver for the UMass Dartmouth football team. Not only is he on the team, but he is a key contributor, again, just as he is on the lacrosse team. Steve and another receiver rotate into the game every four or so plays and is also incorporated to the offense in goal line and red zone packages.

“It’s been a lot of fun being able to play both sports and it’s a pretty good feeling of achievement too. I love sports, I always have. I love to compete and instead of doing it for one sport, now I basically get to do it year round.”

It’s safe to say for the next couple of years, Steve is going to enjoy his college experience much differently than others will. He’ll be a lot busier than most, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem. "

...........He did beat me in fantasy that week, but I'm in first and everyone else is awful

Cheers, No regrets

22

Celebrity Look-A-Likes

Last Week was Adam Niden being compared to Donkey. This week is another hilarious comparison...

Above pictured we have sophomore defensemen #31 Andrew Ahearn of Medway and linebacker #55 Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens. Both are savage men.

Guys a psycho, peace. 

Cheers, No Regrets

22

That's a Wrap

Well folks, that's it. Fall Ball 2012 is officially over & happy 40th birthday to Marshal Mathers aka Eminem aka Slim Shady

After 4 weeks of practice together, last Saturday's scrimmages marked the end of it all. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the foot is coming off the gas. After this week off, the boys and I will start player-run captain's practices to keep the sticks and feet active. Saturday marks the 1st practice post fall ball session at 2pm on God knows whatever field we're allowed to use. Unfortunately, my presence will not be felt that day. I'll be heading back north to Revere for my stud of a brother's engagement party. Although that will be a crippling loss, I'm sure the fellas will carry on without me for a weekend. 

Let's take a minute to recap the events of Saturday morning. There was some good, some bad, but that's what you expect out of fall scrimmages. For us at least, this was the closest thing we had to a game-type situation all fall. In the first matchup we had Gordon. There was strong performances from a number of people. Nick Thayer did what Nick Thayer always does and gave us a chance by standing on his head and making tough save after tough save. Upperclassmen D-poles Ryan Holbrook and Larry Gilvarg played tough per usual and kept the Gordon attack at bay. D-mids and face-off guys such as Zac Drolette, Brad Bell, Jared Wright, Dan Brown, and myself performed well and won most of the face-offs and ground ball battles. I want to say we only lost 2 two face-offs, but hey I'm just saying. 

In the second matchup we faced a much smarter group of individuals, the Huskies of Northeastern University. I can't speak for anyone else on the team, but this was the first club/not D3 school I've played since my college career started in 2010.You might think since they are a club level team that they'd be a joke. That's not the case. You have to keep in mind these kids wicked smart and decided that they probably don't have a career in professional lacrosse so being at NEU wasn't a bad fall back plan. They boys and I still played decent, similarly to the Gordon matchup. The goalie combination of Jesse Johnson and Pete Foley stood tough like #4 did the game before and kept us in the game. Midfielders Justin Lawless and Todd Davis led the action at the top of the box while Adam Niden and Conner Gaffney led the attack unit below.

#33 Adam Niden against Norwich last season

All in all, it was a nice showing for your UMass Dartmouth men's lacrosse team and was full of encouraging signs. Days and scrimmages like these are reminders that building a team and an identity is a process, a process that doesn't simply happen over the course of a month. With a lot to take in after Saturday, we now know what we can build on as a team and what we need to work on. It will be a long road to competing for a Little East title, but I can say that we started that journey off on the right foot.

With that, The Mano's out for now. I'll be posting here and there throughout the remainder of the semester with updates from captain's practice, workouts, and things that will make you laugh because I'm hilarious. I leave you with a quote from the infamous Frank Costello from The Departed (which is one of the top 5 movies of all time), "I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me."

Cheers, No Regrets

22

Celebrity Look-A-Likes!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, Happy Thursday.

Last week I treated you with a little sample of celebrity look-a-likes with Jesse Johnson and Bill The Butcher. However, this week I have a real gem for you...

Above we have pictured on the left junior starting right pipe #33 Adam Niden. On the right, we have one of the most beloved characters in animated movie history, Donkey from the classic Shrek films. They're so handsome!!!

You're very welcome, deuces.

Cheers, No Regrets

22

End of week 3, Blue/Gold Scrimmage

Devoted fans of the nation, I sincerely welcome you back and hope you had a stellar Columbus Day. 

Now just because you all had Monday off, that doesn't mean the boys and myself did as well. In fact, we were out in the cold, thick mist splashing around in the mud on Monday afternoon. This practice came after a nice Sunday off. I spent the entirety of that day on my couch under my fuzzy Patriots blanky watching Stevan Ridley and Tom Brady carry me to a fantasy win over Jared's team the Chowda Cannons. It was a solid victory and brought No Regrets Nation to 3-2 and off of a 2 week losing skid. 

Now rewind to Saturday morning. The boys and I found ourselves behind the Tripp Athletic Center and being spit up into two separate squads. It was time for the inaugural Blue/Gold scrimmage bright and early at 10am. The entire fall roster was split down the middle and headed by their own coaches. My blue squad was coached by Mr. David Beriau and the inferior gold (white) squad was manned by junior stud, currently the owner of one good knee, and softball enthusiast,  #23 Jordan MacPherson and head coach Kevin Mahoney. This scrimmage was no joke ladies and gentlemen, it wasn't like your average fall ball weekend morning walk through- kids were motoring around. Goalies Nick Thayer, Pete Foley, and yes even Jesse Johnson rotated through both nets and got pelted with balls. These three brave souls stood tall in net and all did exceptional jobs keeping the game close as well as sharpened their own skills. My heart went out to the face-off men Brad Bell, Dan Brown, and Zac Drolette who had the distinct pleasure of kneeling and subsequently scrumming for loose balls in a 6x6 mud patch- it didn't stop those psychos from getting the job done though, no regrets. The attack units consisting of 2 of last year's starters, and anchors, Adam Niden and Conner Gaffney moved the ball well and created plenty of offensive opportunities for both sides. After a pretty even contest with neither side really gaining the upper hand, the game came down to one play in the final seconds and was the epitome of a true underdog story. With time dwindling down, sharpshooter Adam Niden teed up for one final cannon of a shot. However, what Adam didn't realize was that none other than Jesse Johnson was in net, and after a day of standing on his head making saves Jesse kept his streak going and stoned Adam's opportunity. This nail biter ended in a dead even tie. All this came on the day that I got to see my Notre Dame Fighting Irish dominate The U and keep climbing the polls.

All in all, the Blue/Gold scrimmage was a good opportunity for the team to work on game type situations before this Saturday's multiple team scrimmage up at Gordon College in Beverly. The boys and myself will be going hard in the final two practices of fall ball both tomorrow and Friday preparing to head north and dominate for a couple hours on Saturday afternoon. And since we'll be passing through the gorgeous city of Revere on the way, I wouldn't really mind if we stopped at Kelly's on the way back. But hey, that's just me.

With that folks, I'm done for now and peacin' out. I leave you with a quote from Townies Doug MacRay and Jim Coughlin, "I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people.... Who's car we gonna take?"

Cheers, No regrets

22