CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University Head Coach Jim Costa has announced rising seniors Spencer Irwin (Somers, N.Y.) and Ryan Richardson (Santa Barbara, Calif.) along with rising junior Billy Baker (Sacramento, Calif.) as the captains for the 2015 men's soccer campaign.
"I am proud to announce Spencer Irwin, Ryan Richardson and Billy Baker as the 2015 Men's Soccer captains," said Costa, who will be entering his second season at the helm of the Lynx. "These young men have earned the respect of their teammates and coaching staff and truly epitomize what it means to be successful student-athletes here at Lesley University. The coaching staff believes that they will continue to provide outstanding leadership on and off the field"
"Being voted captain is something that means a lot," said Irwin who is battling back from an ACL injury suffered late in 2014. "It means the guys on the team put their faith in me and believed in me as a person, player, and leader. It tells me that the hard work I put in on and off the field does not go unnoticed and that my teammates value what I do."
The trio will help lead the team to a successful 2015 campaign after finishing a historic 2014 season this past fall. The Lynx advanced to the New England Collegiate Conference Semifinals for the seventh straight season and followed that by advancing to the ECAC Semifinals for the first time in program history.
"Expectations for our team are always high based on our success from past seasons," said Richardson who finished second on the team with 17 points last season. Going into next season with a large, experienced senior class, we are expecting another successful season. We have been putting in a lot of work in the offseason and it will pay off in the fall."
"Having ten seniors on the roster for next year will be an important aspect to our overall success as team," Irwin explained. "Having so many guys with three years of college soccer under their belts will help keep us poised in tight situations. Being an older team, I hope that we will be able to adjust to adversity and overcome the challenges we will face in the coming season."
Goals for the 2015 season do not just reside on the pitch, however, as this group of captains are placing an importance on being strong student-athletes off the field.
"We want to do well academically," said Baker of the Lynx, who received the NSCAA Team Academic Award last season, "and we are also placing emphasis on giving back to the community. Last year we were blessed to have Nathan be a part of our team through Team Impact and we are excited to continue to spend more time with him. It has been a wonderful experience for everyone."
The Lynx finished 11-7-4 in 2014 and will open their 2015 campaign at Eastern Nazarene College on September 1st.