After an arduous 0-12 2025 campaign, Division II Caldwell University athletics decided to make a change, and hired ex-Mercy University assistant coach, Dominic Scorcia, to lead the team going forward, the college recently announced in a press release.
Scorcia, 26, is tempering his enthusiasm for now but has already met with the team via a zoom meeting and has laid out some plans for winning next season.
“I’m excited to start, but I can’t rush it,” Scorcia said. “But I’m ready to go. They recognized, with wide eye motions, when I mentioned they went 0-12. That’s not the standard they want, and we’re going to work on it.”
A lacrosse lifer, he thought about coaching for several years at Mercy before his former Athletic Director informed him about the Caldwell lacrosse vacancy.
“I definitely wanted to be a (head) coach in college,” Scorcia recalled. “My AD told me about the position, and I applied for it and got it.”
Scorcia’s coaching philosophy starts with a steadfast mental approach, first and foremost, working on other aspects of the game as he goes along.
“Everything is between the ears,” the Carey High School (Long Island) graduate said. “Everything is mental focus, and where you need to be,” as far as positing on the lax field. “I like to take that approach. If you concentrate on that, you’ll be successful at the sport.”
And Scorcia will have plenty to work with, as 20-23 players will be returning to the fold next season, hungry and ready to turn the dial on last campaign, he said.
The Franklin Square, N.Y., native will tinker with offensive shifts and defense alignments to see what works best. But he wants to make sure that everyone is the same page and heading in the right direction before instituting major changes.
“I do want to do things differently,” Scorcia said, “but I want to make sure the players are comfortable as possible. It’s all about patience right now, and it will snowball from there–two to three weeks at time.”
Scorcia’s track record of success on the lax pitch speaks bodes well for him, both as a player, then coach. Therefore, all indications point north.
He is one of Mercy’s most decorated players ever, ranking first on the school’s career goals (159) list and second in points (261).
Additionally, Scorcia holds the school marks for goals (nine) and points (14) in a game, and was named captain in 2022, when the Mavericks were the national NCAA Division II runners up. The four-time All-East Conference selection helped lead Mercy to three (East Coast Conference) ECC titles, appearing in and starting all 69 Maverick games (58-11) over five seasons, one of which was the COVID year.
As a coach, Scorcia assisted in all aspects of the Mercy program which won back-to-back ECC Championships, earning NCAA Tournament berths in 2023 and 2024. Also, this past year, he assisted at Carey High School Boy’s lacrosse team.
The Cougar season will kickoff the season sometime at the end of the 2026 winter.
— Jerry Del Priore
Photo: Caldwell Athletics Department.
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