Somewhere Mike Ream is smiling.

 

The former Ephrata coach, who passed away at the beginning of the 2010 season, is no doubt pleased with his former team. Ream was at the forefront of starting lacrosse at Ephrata and his pioneering is paying off.

 

And his presence is still felt.

 

"His influence is still a part of us," explained senior Tucker Keefer, a neighbor of Ream's. "His son runs the defense and Nick is incorporating a lot of Mike's philosophies.

 

"There isn't a game that goes by that I don't think about him. We really want to win a championship for him."

 

 

Ephrata is primed to do just that.

 

The Mountaineers, who all wear 'MR' decals in honor of Ream, finished 16-5 last season and were the L-L League runner-up. All but one starter returns for Ephrata making it the preseason favorite in the league this season.

 

"Coming into the season, I was really excited with the guys we have," said senior Joey Sellers. "We all know each other well and know each other's tendencies.

 

Along with Sellers and Keefer, senior defender Alex Pstrak and goalie Brian Neff are returning All-League selections. Nate Muckle, Mason Quickel and Dakota Keefer return along with Tucker Keefer at midfield, Josh Frey is back at attack, Corey Shirk and Casey Zoll return on defense and Tyler Sensenig is back at faceoff.

 

"It's really nice to rely on everyone to do their jobs," Pstrak said of his experienced teammates. "Everything comes together nicely when you have players at every position."

 

"It makes it so much easier because we're used to playing together," Neff said. "We have chemistry and know each other well. We all know our roles."

 

While the experience is a key, many players believe their friendships off the field are invaluable. Most of the players have played the sport together since middle school and play club together in the summer.

 

"We're inseparable," Keefer said of his teammates' relationship off the field. "We have chemistry because of that and that's something you can't teach."

 

What can be learned is how to get over the hump in the L-L League, that is perennial powers Manheim Township and Hempfield. No team other than Township and Hempfield have ever won a L-L League title or a District Three championship.

 

Ephrata had never beaten either team until last year's L-L League semifinal when the Mounts knocked off two-time defending champions Hempfield, 6-5.

 

That win took an enormous monkey off the collective backs of the Ephrata players.

 

"That was a big confidence booster," Neff said. "It showed that we could play against the best.

 

Said Sellers, "It showed that we could play with the likes of Township and Hempfield. It was an amazing feeling."

 

Township and Hempfield were both rocked hard by graduation. The Blue Streaks, the L-L and District Three champions last year, lost the majority of their starters on both sides while the Black Knights took a hit on defense.

 

Penn Manor will also be in the mix with a solid mixture of experience and talented first-year players and Warwick could be a factor with the return of goalie Jake Watson and defender Tanner Biemsderfer, two all-league selections as sophomores that missed last season with knee injuries.

 

All of that is not lost on Mounts and the team understands that being good on paper isn't the same as being great on the field.

 

"We can't let big heads get to us," Sellers said of the high expectations. "We have work harder because we expect more."

 

And because they want a gold medal for Mike Ream.