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Bernards boys lacrosse ready to make history this season

Lauren Knego
@laurenknego
Bernards' Matt Tantleff runs the ball as Delaware Valley's Jack Kasterschmidt closes in on him during their South Group I semifinal on May 25, 2016.

For the Bernards High School boys lacrosse team, there's only one moment from last season that returning players are keeping close to their hearts, and that's a loss in the NJSIAA South Group I final.

The Mountaineers fell to Madison 6-5 in overtime, ending their season and the quest for the program's first sectional title. That loss has stuck with Bernards, and the team will be using it as motivation this season.

"No one forgets that, we have 10 guys who played in that game that are back and it’s a constant reminder," Bernards coach Dave Brothers said. "We were winning and we found a way to lose. We’re hoping to pick up where we left off and change the result, that’s the driving force for us right now. We really want to get back to that game. We think we have the potential, the ability for the South, but we’re going to take it day by day and I think our schedule will prepare us for the postseason."

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Bernards graduated five seniors from last year's 15-8 team, including defensemen Owen Miller and Dan Schindler, but Brothers is confident his returning players will be able to fill the holes left by graduation.

Brothers said senior defender Mike Gillis will fill one of those spots, while junior Ben Martin and senior Dan McMenamin, who played defense last year, return. Sophomore PJ Chisholm and freshman Lucas Richie have also been seeing a lot of time during the preseason.

Senior goalie JP Heppes, who has been a three-year starter, returns in net, along with senior midfielder Matt Tantleff, who finished with 18 goals and 27 assists last year. Junior midfielder Jack Warren, who scored 78 goals last year, is also back, along with seniors Curt Gouldin and Spencer Lyons and senior attack/midfielder Mike Parisi.

Brothers also likes what he's seen from sophomores Chris Pachiej and Ethan Caldwell.

"We look good, we basically won all of our scrimmages, I’m very pleased with how things look," Brothers said. "We looked really good in preseason, our offense is looking like it could be a lot of fun."

Brothers said he took his team to the Wide World of Sports at Disney World from March 15-19, the seventh year in a row he's managed to take his players. He said there's no duplicate for the bonding they experience, from rooming, eating, traveling and training together.

With a roster full of experienced varsity players and talented newcomers, the Mountaineers can turn their attention to more important matters, like playing for a county, conference, sectional and state titles.

"We’d like to win the sectional final and make a run from there, that’s our ultimate goal," Brothers said. "We’ve never gotten to the semifinals of the county, that would be a first for us, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for some good stuff. It’s a pretty good team, so we’re excited."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego