E-mail this pageMeet the Men's Lacrosse Staff
P.J. Kavanagh, Head Coach
P.J. Kavanagh was promoted to his current post on May 30, 2006. He originally joined the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse coaching staff as defensive coordinator, serving in that capacity the previous two seasons.
The program continues to improve with Kavanagh at the helm with 26 victories in his first three seasons, becoming the winningest coach in the program's 11-year history. Last spring, the Cardinals produced three all-SUNYAC selections to tie a school record and made their first-ever postseason appearance in the SUNYAC Tournament Quarterfinals. Kyle Norchi became the first Cardinal to receive all-region by ECAC Upstate and New York State Coaches' Division III All-Stars.
Frank Sangiovanni--one of three all-conference players on the team--was the first Cardinal ever to be named to the USILA North/South Division III All-Star Game in 2008.
In Kavanagh's first year as head coach, the 2007 Cardinals set team records for victories (9-6), winning percentage (.600), road wins (5) and goals scored (208). Plattsburgh ranked eighth in NCAA scoring offense (and first in the SUNYAC) at 13.87 goals per game, which was another school benchmark.
Kavanagh helped goalkeeper Billy Hughes rank second in the SUNYAC with 10.46 saves per game in 2006. Under Kavanagh's tutelage, Hughes became Plattsburgh's all-time saves leader after only two-plus years wearing the Red and White, finishing with 490.
With a wealth of coaching experience, Kavanagh came to Plattsburgh after coaching 10 years at New England prep schools, Bridgeport Barrage of professional Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and Henninger High School, his prep alma mater, in Syracuse, N.Y. He has mentored several college and high school All-Americans.
A 1993 graduate of Colgate University, Kavanagh played four seasons for the NCAA Division I Red Raiders. He was the starting goalie for two years before moving to the long stick defensive midfield position for his final season. He was a team captain and the most improved player as a senior. He majored in geology and minored in geography. After writing his thesis titled "An Examination of Leadership Styles and the Propensity for Shared Leadership among Coaches in SUNYAC NCAA Division III Athletics," Kavanagh obtained his master's degree in leadership and administration from Plattsburgh State.
He lives in Peru, N.Y., with his wife Elizabeth and sons Sean (4), Aidan (2) and Ryan (1).
Q&A With Coach Kavanagh
Q--What is your vision for the program?
A--I want to bring Plattsburgh State Lacrosse to a level such that contending for a national championship is a viable opportunity each season. Several teams here on campus enjoy that level of success and there is support here for successful athletics. I intend for the men\'s lacrosse team to enjoy that success.
Q--What kind of play can we expect to see?
A--I love to let the guys play. From its origins lacrosse has been a game that has been played up and down the field at a fast pace. Today's game can be much slower and more deliberate, but I have found that the guys have much more fun pushing tempo. Some of the best teams in college lacrosse, like D-I Virginia and D-III Salisbury, push tempo and that style of play has led to several NCAA Championships for those programs. We intend to be a high-scoring, dynamic and entertaining team.
Q--What do you look for in a lacrosse recruit?
A--It seems like there are two kinds of high school lacrosse player--the single sport, lacrosse-concentrating guy and the multi-sport athlete. While we are definitely interested in players who concentrate solely on lacrosse and excel at the sport, I am particularly interested in attracting the multi-sport athlete to campus. The high school senior who not only excels at lacrosse, but is a good football or soccer player, for example, is a guy who I know loves to compete. And he is probably one of the better athletes on his team.
Q--How do you support academics?
A--The academic profile of a student-athlete is generally better than that of a non-athlete here at Plattsburgh State, and the men's lacrosse team has enjoyed success in this area. For example, in the Fall 2007 semester the lacrosse team earned a collective 2.79 GPA, our best ever semester GPA. We are doing well, but we can always do better. Veteran players with a cumulative GPA below 2.5 and all first year players meet with me on a weekly basis to discuss their academics. In addition, these players ask their professors to complete progress reports on a bi-weekly basis. By keeping track of the academic progress of the guys, we can address any problems as they arise.
Ryan Cavanagh, Assistant Coach
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Ryan Cavanagh was hired as the men's lacrosse team's top assistant coach on Aug. 16, 2008.
"We are excited about Ryan Cavanagh joining our staff because he brings a wealth of knowledge, both at the specialty positions of goalie play and face-offs, as well as on the defensive side of the ball," head coach P.J. Kavanagh said. "We had a strong candidate pool for this position, and we are confident that we are getting an excellent assistant coach in Ryan. He is from Long Island, which has proven to be a valuable recruiting source for our team in recent years, so we are thrilled to have him recruiting student-athletes who are from his home region of the state."
Cavanagh served as a student assistant coach during the 2008 season, helping Plattsburgh to an 8-8 record. He groomed face-off specialist Ryan Price to set a school record with 99 ground balls in a season while ranking second in the State University of New York Athletic Conference with a 6.19 average per game.
Cavanagh played for the Cardinals from 2005-07 after his collegiate career began at Nassau Community College. He earned All-SUNYAC honorable mention honors as a senior, ranking second in the conference and 20th in NCAA Division III with a .630 face-off winning percentage.
Cavanagh, a former team captain, was a political science major at Plattsburgh State, earning his bachelor's degree in May 2007. He is from Northport and graduated from Kings Park High School.
He replaces Kenny Pierson who was a member of the coaching staff for the previous three seasons.
Contact Information
For more information about Men's Lacrosse at Plattsburgh State, please contact:
Head Coach
P.J. Kavanagh (Colgate, 1993)
Office: 215 Memorial Hall
Phone: (518) 564-3139
E-mail: kavanapk@plattsburgh.edu
Assistant
Ryan Cavanagh
Phone: (518) 564-3139
E-mail: rcava002@plattsburgh.edu
Student Assistant
Matt Cukro