Siena Lacrosse:A New Era
Siena lacrosse has experienced a revival of late under seventh-year head coach Brian Brecht. Brecht arrived in the summer of 2004 to find a program that had recorded 21 straight losing seasons and wonmore than four games just twice in that span.
After rebuilding seasons in 2005 and 2006, though, the Saints have come alive, winning 44 games in their last four seasons. The Saints have won three of the last four MAAC regular-season titles and also captured the con- ference tournament in 2009. That postseason title led to the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re still scraping the surface of what this program can accomplish,” says head coach Brian Brecht. “The best is still yet to come and we continue to move forward every day to be better students, athletes and members of the campus community.”
The Saints have not reached these heights in nearly 30 years. In 1979, Siena kicked off a 39-4 stretch with the program’s only undefeated season, a 12-0 mark that made the region sit up and take notice. The Saints were led by Tony Asterino, an All-America honorable mention in 1981, who still holds Siena’s all-time scoring record. That time period also produced Tom Baldwin and Steve O’Shea, who hold the #2 and #3 spots on that list.
More recently, Siena’s offensive talents have included Matt Donovan, Chris Zarins, Ryan Duggan, Shaun Dunn and Bryan Neufeld, just to name a few. This influx of fine student athletes has spurred the Saints to prominence, which became evident when in 2008, Siena upset #17 Loyola for one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history.
In conference, the Saints have emerged as the team to beat in the MAAC, losing just five conference games in the last four seasons. Siena stickmen have been honored with 23 All-MAAC selections, as well as 23 spots on the MAAC All-Academic Team. Saints have been honored with four conference Player of the Year awards and two MAAC Rookie of the Year trophies.
Perhaps most notable in recent memory, though, was the domination of goalkeeper Brent Herbst. As an upperclass- man, Herbst emerged as one of the nation’s premier net- minders, earning two All-America honorablementions and playing in the North/South All-Star game as a senior. In June of 2010, Herbst became the first Siena lacrosse
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player to be drafted by Major League Lacrosse, going to the Long Island Lizards with the draft’s 22nd pick.
The last four seasons have re-established Siena as a prime time Division I lacrosse program. The Saints have shown they can play with the big boys, as well as dominate a league that rewards its champion with a trip to the NCAA Tournament.With Siena’s recent success has come national respect and a new winning tradition in Loudonville.
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