The Cornell men’s lacrosse team’s bid for a seventh consecutive Ivy League championship suffered a blow with the loss of three defensive starters.

Defensemen Nick Gradinger, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior, and Max Dorne, a 5-11, 185-pound junior, are out for the entire upcoming season with back injuries, coach Jeff Tambroni said earlier today. Goalie Jake Myers, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility, will be sidelined for at least six weeks after undergoing groin surgery.

"That’s just the nature of our sport," said Tambroni, whose Big Red squads have either won or shared the last six Ivy League titles. "You have to prepare for graduation and injuries. You just hope it doesn’t pile up all at once."

Senior defenseman Matt Moyer will be joined by junior Pierce Derkac, and junior Andrew MacDonald will likely man the starting third defenseman spot with senior John Decker and sophomores Max Feely and Chris Livadas contributing.

Senior Kyle Harer and sophomore Mat Martinez will compete for the starting role in the net. Tambroni said while he is not opposed to a rotation similar to what Maryland does with junior Brian Phipps and senior Jason Carter, he would prefer to go with one clear-cut starter when the Big Red opens the season at Binghamton on Feb. 21.

Tambroni said the coaching staff isn't panicked about the injuries, adding, "You're already planning ahead for when these guys graduate a year from now. Now, you just speed up the process. Some of these guys are going to have to step up and play right away."