NCAA DivisioN ii MeN • PreseAsoN PlAyer of the yeAr COLLEGE PREVIEW 2013
COREY LUNNEY MERRIMACK M
Corey Lunney James Delaney
ike Morgan found Corey Lunney in a strange way. Lunney’s coach at Red Bank High in Little Silver, N.J., happened to know the brother of the goalie Morgan played with during his
college days at Merrimack. He wanted to send Morgan, now the Warrior’s coach, highlights of his under-recruited midfielder. “I got home for dinner that night and flipped it on,” Morgan
said. “Within three highlights, I called Corey and said, ‘We’ve got to get you to campus ASAP.’ He got to campus and we offered him that day. I was positive he was going to be a big-time player.” A link that accompanied Lunney’s academic transcript sent by his mother cinched it for Morgan. It was a story from a local newspaper about an upcoming playoff hockey game. “Corey was quoted as saying, ‘We’re going to go out there and win this game, and I don’t care if I have to put the team on my back,’” Morgan said. “’I’ll do whatever it takes.’” Three days later, Morgan found out how that game transpired. “We were losing 5-1 in the third period,” Lunney said. “I scored four goals. And then it went to a shootout, and I scored in the shootout to win it.” Morgan had his man.
“Confident, but humble enough to know you have to work your
[butt] off and carry a team,” Morgan said. Lunney has carried Merrimack since he arrived in 2009. In each of his first three seasons, he has led the Warriors in goals and was twice named the top player in New England. Merrimack is 37-12 over the last three seasons, but Northeast-10 foes Le Moyne and Adelphi have thwarted the Warriors in their pursuit of an NCAA tournament bid.
40% 38%
Alex Cameron-Carter 10% Brian Scheetz Riley Loewen
8% 4%
FAN VOTE A Publication of US Lacrosse February 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 47
Merrimack also has been hobbled by awful regular season losses — like a 7-6 setback against Southern New Hampshire last year. They have taken a personal toll on Lunney. “He takes losses as hard as anybody,” Morgan said. The Warriors must again navigate the Northeast-10 — the most competitive conference in Division II — and a non- conference schedule that includes NCAA finalist Limestone. The Division II tournament will expand from four to eight teams this spring. “Urgency has been a word we’ve been using a lot,” Morgan saud. “It sucks when you finish 13-3 and you’ve had a bad season. But that’s kind of the bar we’ve set.” Fortunately, they have the guy willing to make sure we see Merrimack in May.
— Jac Coyne
lACrosse MAgAziNe Player
Team
2013 Corey Lunney 2012 Shayne Jackson 2011 Jack Harmatuk 2010 Drew Bezek 2009 Kevin Hennessy 2008 Kevin Hennessy 2007 Matt Cassalia 2006 Joe Droge
2005 Brandon Spillett 2004 Brian Boyle 2003 Matt Malloy 2002 Nick Carlson
PreseAsoN PlAyers of the yeAr Year
Merrimack Limestone Le Moyne Le Moyne NYIT NYIT
Le Moyne NYIT
Le Moyne NYIT
Limestone Limestone
2001 Justin Kohlbrenner Le Moyne 2000 David Kelly 1999 Vin Fredericks 1998 Mark Mangan 1997 Joe Brock 1996 Jay Narvaez
C.W. Post C.W. Post Adelphi NYIT
C.W. Post
©GREG WALL (CL); ©JOHN STROHSACKER (BS)
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