Led by eight seniors, the Wesleyan men’s lacrosse team is looking to return to the NESCAC tournament for the eleventh straight year. They are also attempting to secure an invitation to the NCAA Division III tournament for the fifth time, a feat they have not accomplished since 2009.

Eight members of last year’s starting lineup return for the Cardinals, including senior tri-captains Grant Covington, John Froats, and Max Landow. Covington, who has started 21 games in goal for the Cards, will be the defensive anchor for the team.

The defense in front of Covington will be an experienced group, as the top five defenders, including All-NESCAC second-team selection Mike Robinson ’13, return to coach John Raba’s Cardinal squad.

On the offensive end of the field, attackers Landow and Teddy Citrin ’12 will put a great deal of pressure on opposing defenses. In the midfield, Froats (2009’s NESCAC Rookie of the Year), DJ Bernatavitz ’12 and Aidan Daniell ’14 are all solid defensively and can score goals in bunches. There is a lot of depth in the midfield, with Georgetown transfer Christian Kennedy ’14, an excellent shooter, joining the team, and returning senior Joe Del Visco aiming to lead the team in faceoffs won yet again.

Wesleyan hopes to improve on last year’s fifth-place NESCAC finish. The 2011 season ended in the conference tournament quarterfinals against rival Trinity, and the 34 returning players have been motivated by that loss for 10 months now. The Cardinals’ first chance to get a win will come when they play Little-Three rival Williams on Saturday, March 10, and they will travel to face the conference’s newest member, Hamilton, the next day.