Today's entry kicks off a week-long series taking a look at each of the seven Division I programs in this state according to their order of finish from last season. Tune in Saturday for a preview of Towson, but today is Mount St. Mary's turn.

Overview: Two victories away from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, the Mountaineers return eight starters from last year's squad, and five of those starters are underclassmen. Seventeen freshman gained significant experience last season, and the entire team is hungry to win a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship and the league's automatic qualifier. 

Reason for optimism: Mount St. Mary's strength lies in its defense. Senior defenseman Matt Nealis, a first-team All-MAAC selection, teams up with fellow classmate Russell Moncure. Junior Andy Miller and sophomore Mark Burns are competing for the third starter's position and junior Justin Schmidt is slated to be the primary long-stick midfielder. And junior T.C. DiBartolo is one of the best goalies people outside of the MAAC have rarely seen. "Our core is our defense," coach Tom Gravante said. "We're expecting bigger things from them this year."

Reason for pessimism: Outside of sophomore attackman Christian Kellett and sophomore midfielder Cody Lehrer, no other offensive player reached double-digits in goals. Only twice did the Mountaineers score more than 10 goals in a game last season. The team will need more production from other sources to make an impact in the MAAC.

Keep an eye on: Gravante is high on a pair of twins in Brett and Bryant Schmidt, both of whom were recruited by Johns Hopkins, Navy and Towson, according to Gravante. Brett Schmidt is expected to join Kellett and Lehrer on the first attack line, while Bryant Schmidt is likely to start in the midfield. "These are two very good, talented, athletic young men," Gravante said. "They have really shaken up the team in terms of raising the bar. These two are very special."