LAFAYETTE, La. – The La.-Lafayette men’s lacrosse team is proud to announce its captains for the 2016-2017 season. Senior attackman Tanner Castagna, senior midfielder Devin Candies and junior defenseman Adrian Toranto were unanimously selected by their peers to represent the Ragin' Cajuns during the 2017 campaign.

Castagna, a product of Archbishop Rummel (La.) High School, returns as three-year captain. In his previous three seasons with the Cajuns, Castagna amassed 140 points (88g, 52a). He was named the MVP of the Lone Star Alliance D-II Championship in 2016 and was also awarded first team all-conference. Castagna holds the school record for the most points in a single season (74).

“Tanner receives tremendous respect and admiration from his teammates, and with good reason," said La.-Lafayette coach Keith Schneider. "His leadership skills on and off the field would make any coach proud. His point production and stick skills speak for themselves and I expect great production from him in 2017.”

Candies, a product of Hahnville (La.) High School, isn’t seeing the C for the first time. Voted captain by his teammates in 2016, Devin returns for his senior season. Candies received first team all-conference honors at short-stick defensive midfield in 2016 and was also named as a 2016 MCLA Scholar Athlete. As a defensive midfielder for the Cajuns in previous years, Candies has 12 total points (11g, 1a). Candies looks to transition from defensive midfielder into a two-way midfielder in the 2017 season.

“Nobody works and hustles harder than Devin," Schneider said. "His tenacious play inspires his teammates to perform and his move to a two-way midfielder provides depth and flexibility to the roster.”

Toranto, a product of Catholic (La.) High School, is in the captain spot for the first time. Toranto is a junior defenseman who will be tasked with filling the shoes of former Ragin’ Cajuns defenseman Eric Giesemann, who was a three-year captain. The Cajuns will look for Toranto to lead their defense to another conference championship in addition to earning their first automatic qualifier to the MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour.

“Toranto continues the Cajun tradition of strong and aggressive defensive play," Schneider said. "He has excellent stick skills and I would not want to be an attackman taking him on.”

“Toranto has been a starter since he became a Cajun and has had the experience of playing at the MCLA D-I level," added Castagna. "He is a guy who likes a challenge and uses that to motivate our defense.”

The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off of a 2016 campaign in which they finished 13-4 and won their first ever conference championship. The University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns were picked to finish second in the LSA preseason poll.