By Wayne Witkowski
Jackson Memorial High School’s boys lacrosse team will have a much different look this season when it aims to return to the Shore Conference Tournament, where it reached the finals in back-to-back seasons in 2011-12 and missed qualifying by a game last year.
It starts with at 10 a.m. April 1 at home against Donovan Catholic High School. After that is an April 4 game at 4 p.m. at Freehold Township High School.
“They work hard and are very competitive, and I want that to carry over to the games,” said second-year coach Joe Pienkowski, who is the team’s third coach in the last four years. “We have to get guys to fit into spots.”
Leading the 13 players who graduated from last year’s 7-10 team that lost its state tournament opener convincingly to Princeton High School is Jackson Memorial’s all-time leading scorer, Troy Wolf, who is off to a college career at the University of Tampa. Wolf finished his career with 115 goals, including 33 last year to go with 37 assists. Bill Plungis also is departed after recording 19 goals and nine assists last season.
Many games ended in close regulation or overtime losses, including the Jaguars’ first loss to Jackson Liberty High School in program history.
“We have to build off those games and win the close games this season,” Pienkowski said.
The Jaguars were 9-9 two years ago. They play their Shore Conference A South Division opener April 9 against Toms River High School North.
Only six seniors are on this year’s very young team that will put even greater emphasis on defense and to score more in transition.
“We used to be a transition team; we hope to get back to that,” Pienkowski said.
Junior Dylan Furnback returns in goal after making a school-record 226 saves last year, and two key defensemen return in senior Chip Straniero and sophomore Sean Duggan, who each had 52 ground balls while Straniero had 19 takeaways.
Senior attackman Justin Mayer leads the offensive arsenal after starting 12 games for last year’s team, putting up 16 goals and eight assists. Henry Smith, a senior midfielder who also missed much of last season with an injury and finished with six goals and two assists, is the bright spot in that pivotal area of the game, but Pienkowski said he still is juggling players in that area of the field.
He expects to resolve a lot of questions this week, as the Jaguars wrap up a very active and challenging preseason scrimmage schedule that has already included games against Monroe Township High School, St. John Vianney High School and New Egypt High School, with contests left against Middletown High School North, Marlboro High School, Lawrence High School and Point Pleasant Borough High School.
