BOSTON – The Northeastern University men’s lacrosse team has tabbed three captains to lead the Huskies in 2016, announced head coach Chris Boland. Senior Christian Nichols and juniors Ben Lacy and Garrett Painter will be tasked with getting Northeastern back to the MCLA National Champions powered by Under Armour, which the Huskies last attended in 2014.

“We are excited to have Christian, Ben and Garrett lead the team this spring,” said Boland, who is in his first year as head man. “It was obvious these three emerged as leaders throughout the fall with their continued hard work, dedication and selflessness. They will play a huge role in the success of the 2016 team and we look forward to watching them grow in their expanded role."

Nichols, who hails from Vail, Colo., is a middie majoring in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Nichols enters his fourth season with the program, following in the footsteps of many outstanding defensive middies like Brian Underhill and Steve Ripley. He is expecting to shift towards a more offensive role in 2016. As the president of the team, he helps execute many behind the scenes efforts with the help of his exceptional executive board.

“I’m very excited to lead the team with the help of two phenomenal leaders like Painter and Lacy,” he said. “We have big plans for the season.”

Lacy is a fourth-year Mechanical engineering student from West Chester, Pa. He began playing for Northeastern in 2015 and recently stepped up to replace some of the leadership that left the team from last year, offering a sense of calm on the field, and a sense of motivation off it. Lacy has been playing lacrosse since 2003, brings plenty of experience with him. He is looking forward to being a part of this team and contributing to the team on the offensive side of the ball.

A native of Los Gatos, Calif., Painter is midfielder pursuing a double major in Economics and Business Administration. Going into his third season, he is still the only player on the team from the West Coast, bringing a different style of lacrosse with him. Garrett is primarily offensive minded, and he pushes his teammates by working hard each and every play. He received second team All-PCLL honors during his sophomore season, and he looks to build on this achievement during the years to come.

“I believe that this year is going to be special,” Painter said. “The entire team has bought in, and we know that with the right effort and determination, we’re going to be the team to watch.”