The men’s 2023 SUNY Delhi Lacrosse season is almost underway as the excitement builds around the new year for the program. The men’s team comes into their season revamped and reinforced, adding 18 new players alongside a brand new home turf field. Head coach Sam Miller enters his seventh year leading the Delhi lacrosse program and will be joined by assistant coaches Rich Mokay and Gavin Schlosser.

The Broncos had an excellent previous year that ultimately ended too soon. They were the best team through the North Atlantic Conference in the regular season, clinching the top seed in the conference tournament with an (8-6) record overall and (7-1) in conference play. They, unfortunately, lost in the NAC semi-finals to the eventual champions.

“We have put last season to rest. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we would have liked but I think we learned a lot from the conference tournament appearance. Losing by one on a late game goal just cements the idea of one of our main talking points - attention to detail. Small plays and minor details end up deciding those close games,” said head coach Sam Miller, “Our energy now is focused inward, not spending too much time worrying about anyone else or any outside static. We are taking things as they come and doing our best to remain present and to be intentional with our actions. We’re all working hard to take the next step as a program. Day by day, we are getting better and better.”

The Broncos are back for the 2023 season and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Delhi will return an experienced team of 26 that will be reinforced with additions from new freshmen and transfers joining the team. Their roster depth will be a huge advantage as the team is a healthy mix of veteran players and young hungry athletes ready to step up. The new faces will look to make their impact on the deep roster.

Last year, the Broncos had a high-powered offense that averaged 12.87 goals off 48.27 shots a game. Down on attack, they return sophomore Benjamin Moscatiello, senior Jack McClurg and fifth-year player Brandon McGrath who combine for 103 points. The attack is fortified with a ton of young talent, Jagger Beachak, Sam Bieber and Chris Lazazzaro will all play important roles in the rotation. Bieber will be seeing some time in the midfield as well. These underclassmen have high expectations and will be key in keeping defenses on their toes.

In the offensive midfield, the green and gold return their whole first line with Greg Junge, King White and Logan Bauer. In addition to those guys, Delhi has a stable full of Broncos ready to run as returners Nico Rivera, Kyle Brogan, Mario Simmons Jr., Brett Fischer, and ​​Michael Tullo all will be able to provide some needed depth and energy.

The Broncos have three great returning defensive midfielders in Harrison Graizzaro, Nicholas Iannucci and Terence Hallinan. Junior Sean Dalton will be getting the major minutes at the LSM position this season, time he split in years before. Dalton is a very dynamic player, keep an eye out for him making opposing teams' lives very difficult this spring. Freshman trio Eric Mitchell, Regan Conrad and Justin Sanchez will be supporting him in that position.

Samuel Steng who was last year's NAC Co-Defender of the Year will be a big help on the back line. Steng started 14 games last year in goal as a freshman, saving 121 shots and only allowing 106 goals. He was one of the top goalies in the conference and will be looking to take a step up in his sophomore year.

“We have a ton of returners at every position. Returning the defensive player of the year in the conference in net is a great feeling to have,” said coach Miller, “Sam has started out the year very well. Having the turf field has allowed him and Mike (Triolo) to see more realistic shots as well as dial in the clearing game.”

For defensemen, the Broncos return three guys who started the majority of games last season. Zachary Seebach, Joseph Carr and Donavon Johnson Moline have played together a lot, building solid chemistry together. They have even more senior leadership in that position with Kyle Hewett and Kyle Quinn. They have been key in helping the younger guys assimilate with the team by setting the standard. Freshman Mike Fontanella will be providing some additional depth at defense for Delhi.

With a massive upper class that includes 5th-year guys, Delhi will have six captains leading the squad, including King White, Brandon McGrath, Jack McClurg, Kyle Hewett, Harrison Graizzaro and Sean Dalton.

“This is more than we have had any year but they all bring something to the table. The group has really worked great together in the past and will look to continue to build off that this year,” said coach Miller, “The expectations I set for them are simple. Lead by example. Bring the energy every day. Make the decision that is the best for the team, not just for themselves, on and off the field. It also means calling guys out when they stray from what we do here. They need to be able to speak up and be the leaders we need. Ultimately, the culture of the team is more important than any individual. Every action you make either makes it better or worse, be mindful and make us better with what you do.”

Delhi officially starts its regular season off with two non-conference away games before making their long-awaited debut on Neil Riddell Field. They will host future NAC opponents Morrisville State on February 25th at 1:00 PM for the first official game on the new turf field.

The Broncos then have just two home games on March 8th and 11th before their conference home opener. For their first NAC game of the season hosted on the new field, they take on SUNY Canton on March 18th. They then have two big home stretches throughout their season, playing four straight games between March 8th and the 22nd and five between April 5th and 22nd.

The last regular season game on April 22nd against SUNY Poly the program will take time to highlight their 11 seniors and welcome back alumni for the weekend.