Colgate is hoping to further the success of last year’s 8-7 campaign. The Raiders won all five of their games at Tyler’s Field last spring, earned a 12-11 upset of No. 9 Army on the road, and lost to eventual NCAA national runner-up Navy in the Patriot League Tournament to close their season.

Head coach Jim Nagle, who is in his fourth season at Colgate, describes the 2005 squad as "young and athletic." Of the 35 players on the roster, 24 are either freshmen or sophomores, which is significantly different from last year’s squad.

"Last season, we had a really experienced defense, and then this year we have a younger defense and a more experienced, deeper offense," Nagle said. "We’re opposite of what we were last year as far as where our experience is on the field."

While Nagle admits that his younger team might take some lumps early, he’s confident that by the end of the season, his players will come together to make another run at the Patriot League Tournament and the conference title. He hopes that the maturity and experience of his older players will help the younger ones to showcase their talents and make for a cohesive and successful team.

The tall and lanky Raider defense is one of Colgate’s strengths, according to Nagle. Backstopping the backfield for the third consecutive season will be junior goalkeeper Andrew Jarolimek. As a freshman in 2003, Jarolimek was honored as the Patriot League Co-Rookie of the Year. Last season, he started every game between the pipes and registered 157 saves, a .569 save percentage, and 41 groundballs, while leading Colgate to a national ranking of 17th in scoring defense, allowing just 8.20 goals per game. Jarolimek will be counted on to mentor freshman goalkeepers Denis Cronin and Andrew Bevan.

In front of Jarolimek, Nagle will look to sophomores Colin Hulme, John Dunn, Rob Parr, Devin Clifford and Jay Fahey to lead the youthful unit on the field. Last season, Hulme picked up 16 groundballs, and Fahey nabbed seven. Dunn, who also shines in the face-off circle, won 15 of his 34 attempts for a .441 success rate. Entering the mix in the backfield are freshmen Tyler Philpot, Corey Hinton and E.J. Atamian.

According to Nagle, the strength of the attack unit lies in its ability to finish. Senior Eddie Brennan, who had eight goals, 10 assists and 16 groundballs last season, and junior Brian Robinson, who registered seven goals, nine assists and nine groundballs, are two of the experienced players that Nagle hopes his younger attackmen can learn from. Sophomores Andy Summersgill, Jeff Hiller and Rob Ryan bring a year of playing experience to the front lines. Last season, Ryan posted 12 goals, 10 assists and 25 groundballs for the Raiders. Sophomore Brendan Hurley, who tallied 10 goals and picked up seven groundballs in 2004, will hopefully increase his production after moving up from the midfield. Based on their performances during the preseason, Nagle is also optimistic about freshmen Matt Lalli and Josh Back, and believes they will be able to make an immediate impact.

Nagle finds the most experience for his young team in the midfield. Returning for the Raiders are senior captains Adam Hershman and Matt Saxon, seniors Rob Hearne and Gabe Abromovitz, juniors Reid Diamond, Robert Trasolini and Peter Whitcomb, and sophomores Simon Flynn and Chris Eck. Last season, Hershman picked up 15 groundballs and won 39 of his 94 face-off attempts. Diamond, Trasolini and Whitcomb have proven themselves adept at gaining control of the ball with 33, 15 and 14 groundballs in 2004, respectively. Trasolini also contributed 16 goals, a high among Colgate returners. Junior Mark Nemith, who sat out last year, also returns. Joining this core group are freshmen Scott Gourlay, Rob Nelson, Corey Hinton, Jon Freeberg, Jason Kapnick, Trevor Marticke and Christopher Mulholland.

While the Patriot League schedule will be the main focus of this year’s team, a highlight of the season will be playing 2004 NCAA quarterfinallist North Carolina at home in April on College Sports TV. Colgate faces the 2004 national runner-up Navy on March 19 to open the conference schedule, and concludes the regular season at home against conference foe Bucknell on April 23. The Raiders hope to be one of the last four teams standing and get their second straight opportunity to compete at the Patriot League Tournament, April 29-May 1.