PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh men's lacrosse program is proud to announce the four student-athletes who will act as captains for the team during the 2017 campaign.

Senior attackman Matt Higgins, senior defender Chris Carney, senior long-stick midfielder Brian Stefan and junior defender Kyle Watkins will be charged with guiding the Panthers on their quest to qualify for the MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour.

Higgins, a Newark, Del., product, is a second-year captain and a leader on offense. He is coming off of a first team all-conference season in '16 that featured 72 points. Higgins will be expected to continue that productivity this season. He is a Neuroscience major, a member of Pitt’s Navy ROTC program and was selected to fly aircraft in the Navy following graduation.

Carney hails from West Chester, Pa., and is a returning starter on defense. Coming off of an honorable mention all-conference season, he will continue to be a major factor in holding down the fort for the defense. Carney is a Biology major, and will be heading to Notre Dame for grad school next year.

Stefan, a Massilon, Ohio, native, is a returning starter at LSM. An honorable mention all-conference pick last year, Stefan looks to intimidate opponents on defense. He is a Natural Sciences major and plans on attending graduate school for a Master's degree in nursing next year.

Watkins, a product of West Lawn, Pa.,, is a returning starter on defense and is coming off a second team all-conference season, where he led the team with 54 ground balls. After transferring from Saint Leo (Fla.) University after his freshman year, Watkins stepped into a starting role last year, making an immediate impact. He is a Finance major and the team fundraising chair.

Pitt opens the season on Feb. 17 when they host George Washington in a non-conference clash.