Pueblo West boys lacrosse team welcomes new season, new coach in 2023
The 2023 lacrosse season is underway and the Pueblo West Cyclones co-op team is under new management with a new coaching staff led by Danny Saenz.
With a new regime at the helm, there's also many new faces on the team. Many of the players on this year's squad are new to the program and some are even playing lacrosse for the first time.
Despite the inexperience on the team, several of its members have past experience playing together in the youth ranks, which should help mitigate some of the learning curve.
These are the top players to watch for this upcoming season of boys lacrosse.
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Brayden Wilson, No. 19, midfielder
Wilson is one of the few returning players from last year's squad. The sophomore midfielder got some playing time last year but will be heavily relied on to help lead the team on the offensive end and be an overall leader for the team.
Tommy Raphael, No. 9, goalie
Raphael was also on the team last season, however, he was playing a different position. Moving from the field to the goal this year, Raphael takes over for previous goalie Shawn Cunningham. The transition is a difficult one but Raphael is adjusting well to the new role.
Brian Mayer, No. 14, midfielder
Mayer is another sophomore who was on the squad last year but did not see as much playing time as he would have liked. Scoring one goal from his midfield position in limited action, Mayer has put himself in a position to not only be an effective midfielder for the team but also someone who can be relied on to play both sides of the field.
Noah Dey, No. 12, LSM/defenseman
Dey is very much the defensive leader on this team. As a freshman last year, he was effective when he did see time on the field. This year as a sophomore, not only will he see more playing time, he will be relied on with his speed and abilities to anchor the defense. He'll be calling out positioning to the other defenders and helping keep the pressure off Raphael as much as possible.
Joseph Welte, No. 6, defenseman
Welte is new to the team and is going to be counted on to help shore up the defensive side of the field for the Cyclones. With basically an entirely new team, having earned his coach's trust early on in the season to be involved in protecting the new goalie is huge.
Mark Pechek, No. 29, defenseman
Pechek is another new face, both to the team and the defensive side of the field. He will be charged with helping Raphael keep clean by reducing the number of shots he sees. Pecheck is working hard to improve his overall game to help the team this season.
More:Here are the top players to watch in Pueblo girls lacrosse this season
Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West boys lacrosse team welcomes new season, new coach in 2023
