MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's men's lacrosse team heads off to warmer temperatures later this week for a season-opening matchup with Centenary College in Shreveport, La.
 
Saturday's 11 a.m. contest kicks off a promising 2023 campaign for coach Lane Zierten's Rams, who return six starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's 7-10 squad that reached the semifinals of the Midwest Lacrosse Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season.
 
Cornell placed third in the MLC race last spring with a program-best 4-2 league mark.
 
The Rams are projected fourth in the MLC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 14 points, two behind third-place Northwestern. Dubuque is the favorite with 25 points and five first-place votes, followed by Lake Forest in second (21 points).
 
The Rams will be bolstered by a talented and balanced roster of 27 players. The team has eight seniors to lead the charge.
 
"The greatest part of this season is we have a complete team for the first time since I've been here," said Zierten, entering his sixth year at the helm. "We have experienced guys to lean on and we can develop our younger guys."
 
The anticipated return of reigning MLC Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Jussila certainly helps matters. The program's most prolific scorer already owns at least a share of 27 school records, including career standards for points (157), goals (106) and assists (51). Jussila accumulated 48 goals and 29 assists in 17 games last season.
 
"Kyle has been everything I could ask for," Zierten said. "Obviously he's a great player. He's also a great teammate and we've already seen him pick back up his leadership role. Kyle wants to complete the journey and put a capstone on his career."
 
Senior Elliot Smith and sophomore Torii Greiskalns earned second team all-MLC honors as a defensemen in 2022. Senior midfielder Ethan Kupka received honorable mention all-MLC recognition.
 
Smith, junior attacker Luke Baldwin and sophomore goalkeeper Thomas Cook have been selected 2023 team captains for the Rams, who also bring back senior defender Samuel Gbur and sophomore face-off Ash Hoelscher to the starting lineup.
 
Kupka accounted for 32 points last spring. Baldwin and Warren Wiberg netted 13 and nine goals, respectively. Greiskalns was second on the team with 56 ground balls, while Hoelscher totaled 50 with 164 face-off wins.
 
"This is the best collective group we've had offensively. We're not a one-man show," Zierten said. "Smith and Greiskalns are leaders of the defense." Cook will replace record-setting goalie Evan Begner at the net.
 
Zierten welcomes his largest and deepest recruiting class at Cornell. First-year attacker Jack Barton heads the group of impactful newcomers.
 
"Our key will be playing together as a unit and trusting one another," Zierten said. "We have the talent and IQ to take the next step and beat some teams we haven't before."
 
 Cornell's home opener is scheduled for Feb. 18 against Illinois Tech at Van Metre Field at Ash Park. The Rams also have home dates March 1 (Augustana), March 4 (Concordia Chicago), March 22 (Edgewood), April 1 (Northwestern) and April 15 (Dubuque).
 
"Our guys believe in each other," Zierten said. "The senior class wants to stamp it. They can do it."