Kean Men’s lacrosse begins season in a new conference

By Chelsea Gray | Published by March 29, 2019

After two years of being independent, the Kean Men’s lacrosse team has found a new conference to call home. The Cougars, along with Montclair State and Stockton, joined the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) on July 1, 2018.

Going into the season picked to finish third in the CSAC preseason coaches’ poll with 34 points, the first game of the season against Moravian College was postponed for the Cougars. The second game takes place against Castleton University on March 9.

Along with Kean, Stockton and Montclair State, schools like Rosemont, Keystone, Bryn Athyn College, and Centenary University make up the CSAC. The Cougars will end up playing these teams come April.

A new conference means different competition and although it is considered to be a fairly a difficult conference, Head Coach Shelley Sheiner has high expectations for his squad.

“I fully expect to contend for a conference championship,” Sheiner said.

Kean will face their former Skyline conference foes when they play Stockton on April 3 and Montclair State on April 20.

Now approaching 50 years for the Kean Men’s lacrosse program, it is a special season for everyone involved. The team is not only looking forward to playing the season, but winning along the way as well.

Senior midfielder Michael Snellen is dedicating this season to former Men’s lacrosse assistant coach and pioneer for Kean athletics Michael Cleary who passed away over the summer.

“I’m playing this season for the coach, Michael Cleary, who passed away over the summer,” Snellen said. “So this season is for him.”

As a member of the school’s first-ever lacrosse team in 1970, Cleary holds a special place in the history of the program. For his work, he was honored by the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a member of induction class number 21.

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