Cornell’s road to the 2025 national championship wasn’t just a story of talent—it was a masterclass in experience, depth, and resolve. From seasoned seniors to unsung heroes, the Big Red checked every box when it mattered most. Here are 21 reasons why the Cornell men’s lacrosse program is back on top.

1. Sixteen seniors. Thirteen had played in the 2022 championship game. You can’t put a price tag on experience.
   
   
2. Goalie Wyatt Knust’s improvement from moments in 2024 to the playoff run of 2025. He grew up in 2024 after having to fight for his position. His first-quarter saves in the Maryland final were tone-setters for the Big Red defense. The lefty senior from Tampa finished the year at 18-1 with a 54% save clip and was more than steady in clearing the ball and aligning the defense.
   
   
3. A healthy FOGO Jack Cascadden. The Garden City, LI native played in one game in 2024, going 21-of-28 against Lehigh before being injured and sidelined the entire campaign. That absence was a major reason the Cornell men’s lacrosse program missed the NCAA Tournament. Cascadden finished this season with 10 goals while going 61% at the dot. He was the Ivy League FOGO of the Year but proved his mettle in the NCAA Tournament. Backup FOGO Mike Melkonian, a freshman from South Side HS in Nassau County, won 2-of-3 draws in the final. Say Melkonian comes into the game in the third or fourth quarter and goes 0-for-3 and allows Maryland to come back? That didn’t happen.
   
   
4. Hard Hat plays. Cornell won the middle of the field and continually got their sticks on loose balls. They earned a few run-outs and won the hustle stats on Monday.
   
   
5. An experienced and potent second midfield line. Ryan Waldman, a sophomore from NJ, scored against Penn State during the CU 6-1 third-quarter run. Brian Luzzi, a junior from Bethpage, LI, had goals in the semis and final. Ryan Sheehan, the senior of the group from West Genny, was rock solid. This line did exactly what they were designed to do—timely production and quality possessions in critical moments. You can’t win an NCAA title without a serviceable second midfield trio.
   
   
6. The Big Red found different ways to score when CJ Kirst was in a shooting funk—hitting just 2-of-20 in the quarters and semis. Long poles and shorties stepped up offensively, and Cornell clicked in transition.
   
   
7. Unassisted goals. Maryland was either slow to slide or discombobulated on defense. So Cornell, a team known for their passing and high assist rate, scored unassisted goals in the national championship game off dodges by CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein. Goldstein proved to be a nightmare matchup for Maryland on Memorial Day. The sophomore from Radnor, PA—a legacy with both parents in the Cornell Hall of Fame—danced his way to destiny with four goals. He had a monster game against Richmond and is the heir apparent in Ithaca once CJ graduates. Goldstein is a true X quarterback attackman who breaks ankles with sudden cuts and unpredictable movements. His vision and passing accuracy are both pro-level.
   
   
8. Hugh Kelleher playing like a pro. The senior from MacArthur HS in central Long Island was drafted by the NY Atlas of the PLL and played to that level. At 6’3″ and 220 lbs, he was rumbling downhill in the semis and finished that game with three critical goals.
   
   
9. Defensive cohesion after getting abused by Yale in the Ivy League semifinal. It was so bad that DC Jordan Stevens had to play zone. After beating Princeton 20-15, the defensive unit found a new gear. Slide packages were clean. D-men made great decisions. Shorties covered in space. The entire six-man unit stepped up and held Penn State to nine goals and Maryland to ten. The tactically sound man-to-man scheme, with a little zone sprinkled in, kept opponents off balance. CU defended the pick game well and didn’t surrender cheap goals in transition.
   
   
10. Depth of contribution at the SSDM position. TJ Lamb, Chris Davis, Luke Gilmartin, Michael Bozzi, and Charlie Box all got runs. A good player, when tired, becomes a bad player. A good player, when fresh, is good. Cornell used depth to upgrade this position group.
    
    
11. Long poles with an offensive mindset. Walker Wallace, Walker Schwartz, and Brendan Staub all carried the ball upfield with confidence. Staub played 2024 at LSM and that positional versatility was apparent. Schwartz scored against Richmond. Cornell owned the middle of the field and these LSMs jumped off the screen.
    
    
12. A simple 3-3 zone ride was effective because of hustle. Ryan Goldstein became a menace on the ride. CJ Kirst has always been a terror while forechecking. The hustling group shrunk windows and time, and Maryland had three failed clears at crunch time.
    
    
13. Brendan Staub elevated his game to All-American level. He was smooth with first-time grounders and had goals against Penn State and Richmond.
    
    
14. Coach Buczek called Michael Long the brains of the operation. The sixth-year senior went for 4-13 in the four NCAA Tournament wins, quietly dissecting defenses and making the right play every time. He was the silent assassin.
    
    
15. Health. The Cornell men’s lacrosse program started the same lineup in all 19 games this season. Their strength and conditioning staff deserves credit. That group is the proactive portion of staying healthy. Diet, sleep, and workload management are three critical factors in maintaining peak health. When you win physical confrontations, you generally stay healthy. When you lose those same moments of contact, you can get hurt. The reactive branch of a team is the athletic training staff. They’re responsible for keeping guys on the mend and in the lineup once they’re banged up. Cornell had perfect attendance. That’s right out of Hard Hat 21. Be dependable.
    
    
16. A 2024 NCAA Tournament snub and no titles since 1977 provided fuel for 16 seniors to hunt excellence.
    
    
17. A disappointing and improbable loss to Penn State provided a lesson in finishing. Up 12-8 with 6:08 to play, and up 12-9 with 2:27 left in the game. Somehow Cornell gave that game away. It wouldn’t happen again. They learned to finish. Without that setback and painful loss, maybe they lose to Richmond in the quarterfinals after being down 12-11 in the fourth quarter. The Big Red finished that game on a 5-2 run. They wouldn’t be denied.
    
    
18. In his fifth year at the helm of the Cornell men’s lacrosse program, Coach Connor Buczek made all the right moves. The 31-year-old is the right combination of raw leader and tactical maestro. Cornell’s biggest challenge will be retaining him when high-profile jobs open up. He’ll be everyone’s top choice, and for good reason. He’s the real deal—but we knew that back in 2022.
    
    
19. DC Jordan Stevens is ready to be a head coach. His work with this defense was imperative to the late-season success. The 2015 alum is one of the best young leaders in the country.
    
    
20. CJ Kirst played like a bona fide star, taking over the NCAA title game every time Maryland defender Will Schaller wasn’t matched up against him. But for me, CJ’s relentless effort and positivity were most apparent in the two games where his offensive production lagged—ten ground balls and three caused turnovers against Richmond. No whining after going o-fer in the semifinal. Who knows how severe his right hand/wrist injury is? No complaints. No excuses. Just play. It didn’t matter. CJ caps off one of the most dominant seasons in the sport’s history with an NCAA title. He will always be remembered by how he played—not by gaudy stats. Well done > well said.
    
    
21. This was a win for culture. After nearly 50 years, Cornell men’s lacrosse finished on top. Their core beliefs are anchored by former player George Boiardi, who passed away in 2004 after being hit by a shot during a game. George wore #21. His parents were in Gillette Stadium. And for Cornell, #21 has always been a special number. Twenty-one years after he lost his life, this band of brothers pushed the proud program to gold. It’s a story that will be told for decades.

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The 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has arrived, and every game will be available for fans on ESPN platforms. First-round matchups begin this weekend, with coverage on ESPNU, ESPN+, and a marquee showdown between Ohio State and Notre Dame airing on ESPN2. The quarterfinals will take place at Hofstra on May 17 and at Navy on May 18, leading into NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament Championship Weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the men’s and women’s semifinals and finals will be held. Anish Shroff contributed to this article.

Wednesday, May 7th

Siena grabbed the MAAC automatic qualifier for the first time in 11 years. Pratt Reynolds scored five times in the 12-8 final win over Sacred Heart. Ryan McCarthy had five assists, and goalie Andrew Arcuri made 15 saves. Coach Liam Gleeson is a former Great Dane assistant.

Albany defeated Bryant 12-7 for the first time since 2015 on their way to the America East AQ. The Danes played in the 2018 Final Four. They are a five-time quarterfinalist and appeared in the 2024 bracket, defeating Sacred Heart in the play-in game before losing to Notre Dame 14-9. Coach Scott Marr has led his team to 12 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament.

Robert Morris beat Detroit Mercy 17-8, capturing the NEC automatic bid. The four-time NEC champs from the Steel City meet Air Force on Wednesday.

Air Force makes its first NCAA appearance since 2017 after hoisting gold in the Atlantic Sun tournament.

Opening Round Wednesday Results

Albany defeated Siena 11-9
Air Force beat Robert Morris 14-9

Join Chris Cotter, Paul Carcaterra, and Quint on their drive from Ithaca, NY, to the ESPN studio in Bristol, CT. They provide the pizza, laughs, and opinions on this week’s episode of the Quintessential Podcast.

Saturday, May 10th

Richmond at #8 North Carolina

12:00 pm on ESPNU (Anish Shroff and Quint Kessenich)

The Spiders captured the A10 and make their sixth tourney appearance after ending the regular season with eight consecutive wins. They haven’t lost since March 15 and are battle-tested in 2025 with wins over Georgetown and Virginia, and close losses to Maryland, Duke (OT), and Cornell, 12-11. Richmond ranks in the top 10 in both scoring offense and defense. They allow opponents just 27 shots per game. Quarterback Aidan O’Neil and defender Hunter Smith are the marquee names. Lucas Littlejohn and Max Merklinger spearhead a diverse scoring unit.

North Carolina hosts with health concerns looming about their most impactful player, Owen Duffy. The sophomore is freakishly mobile — a catalyst and party starter for Joe Breschi’s offense. Lefty hammer Dom Pietramala has been unstoppable with hands free. FOGO Brady Wambach is a reliable commodity in the possession department, and grad goalie Michael Giofrancaro maintains a level pulse. The Heels’ “no-name” defense continues to overachieve. If Duffy isn’t 100%, freshman and complimentary midfielders will have to raise their game.

This pairing is a true #8–9 matchup and kicks off a full day of television coverage on ESPNU and ESPN+ at noon, live from Dorrance Field.

Towson at #3 Princeton

2:30 pm on ESPNU (Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra)

Towson earned their second consecutive CAA title last weekend. The Tigers (11-5) began the year at 1-5 and have since won ten straight. The defense is most responsible for league success. Ronan Fitzpatrick scored five times in the championship game win over Drexel. Towson lost at Syracuse 20-15 in the 2025 NCAA first round after putting a scare into the Orange. They haven’t won a playoff game since making the Final Four in 2017.

Princeton lost to Cornell in the Ivy League final. The Tigers have dropped two consecutive NCAA first round games. This senior class played in the 2022 Final Four in Connecticut. The offense is one of the nation’s best. They heavily rely on two-man games. There is an abundance of skill with players like Coulter Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, Chad Palumbo, and Tucker Wade. While it appears as if the defense tightened later in the season, the jury is still out on whether that was due to true improvement or the declining quality of opponents faced in the lower half of the Ivy League. They have played both man and zone schemes on defense but rely heavily on goalie Ryan Croddick. Face-off success has too often been sold separately. With a track record of playing poorly in the first round and coming off two hard games last weekend, this Tiger vs. Tiger matchup won’t be a cakewalk.

Colgate at #5 Penn State

5:00 pm on ESPNU (Drew Carter and Matt Ward)

Colgate upset Army in the Patriot League semifinals and kept it rolling with an emphatic win over BU to grab the AQ. They haven’t been to the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament since 2015. Their ten-man ride and pressure defense can be overwhelming. The offense is #3 nationally in scoring. The Connor brothers steer the offense, and goalie Matt LaCombe was a brick wall in the Patriot League tournament. The performances of specialists are heightened in May.

The Nittany Lions defeated Colgate in the first game of their season, a year after losing to the Red Raiders. PSU is led by Matt Traynor, Kyle Lehman, Alex Ross, and goalie Jack Fracyon. Freshman midfielder Hunter Aquino has cooled off lately and needs to bust through the freshman wall. If Penn State can make this a half-field game, they’ll win. But if Colgate speeds the game up and makes Penn State uncomfortable in the middle of the field, this will be a 60-minute game.

Georgetown at #7 Duke

7:30 pm on ESPNU (Anish Shroff and Quint Kessenich)

The Hoyas took the Big East AQ as Nova slid recklessly and got diced by ball movement. That’s an amazing seven straight league titles. GT coach Kevin Warne, who played for John Danowski at Hofstra, saw his offense shoot 45% in two wins last weekend. Aidan Carroll had a career day with eight goals and ten points. Fulton Bayman has been terrific after graduating from ND. Georgetown can pass. Jack Ransom can shoot.

Guessing that the Duke defense will be slow to slide/double and force Georgetown to score unassisted goals. Seventy-five percent of Hoya goals are assisted. Duke’s defense has been outstanding in the last month, holding six straight opponents to fewer than 10 goals. Defender Charlie Johnson is likely to cover Aidan Carroll. Johnson is exceptional. The Blue Devils’ Achilles heel has been sluggish attack production and clearing woes at key moments. Does Georgetown try to ride them? Can Duke generate goals outside the six-on-six? SSDM Aidan Maguire and LSM Mac Christmas have transitional firepower. Georgetown will be playing on grass — a rarity outside the ACC — in a night game at Koskinen.

First team to 10 wins.

Sunday, May 11th 

Notre Dame at #4 Ohio State

12:00 pm on ESPN2 (Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra)

CFP National Championship rematch on the lacrosse field in front of an ESPN2 audience—what more could you ask for? This pairing in the first round could easily be a final or semifinal-quality matchup. Grab the Hefty bag and clean out your locker. Somebody is going home early.

The Irish rank in the top ten in scoring offense and defense but have been prone to lengthy scoring droughts over the last month. Midfield production and offensive flow have been disjointed and inconsistent. Chris Kavanagh is the spark, but he may be silenced by Bobby Van Buren. Midfielder Jordan Faison, splitting time between spring football and lacrosse, has not had the same impact this season. Notre Dame has excellent short stick defensive midfielders and stopper Shawn Lyght down low. Goalie Thomas Ricciardelli was dropping, flopping, and guessing low in the ACC Tournament—which can be corrected in practice this week. Notre Dame is talented and experienced, but what makes you believe the lightbulb can flip on just like that?

The Buckeyes (14-2) grabbed their first Big Ten title with a win over Maryland last Saturday night. They played in the 2017 national title game but haven’t won an NCAA playoff game since. Ohio State picked up a win over Notre Dame in South Bend earlier this season. Goalie Caleb Fyock—aka Big Tasty—leads the country in save percentage. Coach Nick Myers pulled talent out of the transfer portal, and his offense is diverse and deep with contributors like Alex Marinier, Liam White, Garrett Haas, and Jack McKenna. At the core, OSU is a defense-first team (#6 in scoring defense) with Van Buren and stout shorties playing at an elite level.

Air Force at #2 Maryland

2:30 pm on ESPNU (Drew Carter and Matt Ward)

Terps coach John Tillman is hunting his 11th Final Four in year #14. He’s an incredible 10-1 in the NCAA quarterfinal round. Maryland lost to Ohio State in the Big Ten final. Goalie Logan McNaney is Mr. May. His story is featured in “Game On,” which includes segments on CJ Kirst, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Keep your eyes peeled for air times and networks—ESPN’s best storytellers are giving lacrosse some love.

Maryland’s defense is its identity, ranking #3 in the country in scoring defense. This team rarely beats itself. They are masters of restarts and win the inches. The LSM group—Jack McDonald and AJ Larkin—is excellent. Close defender Will Schaller is a burly lockdown artist. The offense is methodical, not spectacular, and led by Eric Spanos and Braden Erksa.

Harvard at #6 Syracuse

5:00 pm on ESPNU (Mike Corey and Mark Dixon)

Crimson upset Syracuse in the Dome earlier this season despite not winning face-offs. The Harvard ride has teeth. Harvard hasn’t won an NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament game since 1996. Sam King, Jack Speidell, and athletic midfielders Owen Gaffney, Logan Ip, and Miles Botkiss play an aggressive style in settled situations, ranking #6 nationally in scoring. That group looked hesitant against Princeton’s zone defense in the Ivy semifinal. Finding solutions to a possession disparity is job number one for coach Gerry Byrne.

Syracuse hasn’t been to Championship Weekend since 2013. The ACC Tournament champs are led by junior attackman Joey Spallina and PLL draft picks Owen Hiltz, Sam English, and defender Michael Grace. Goalie Jimmy McCool is trending in the right direction. This is a rematch game that coach Gary Gait and #HHH should crave. On paper, it appears to be the highest-scoring game of the opening weekend.

Albany at #1 Cornell

7:30 pm on ESPNU (Jay Alter and Jules Heningburg)

Cornell has the nation’s #1 scoring offense and the best player in the game: lefty scorer CJ Kirst. Thirteen seniors were part of the runner-up finish in 2022. The Big Red hasn’t won the national title since 1977 and have lost five finals along the way (1978, 1987, 1988, 2009, 2022). The offense is elite with Ryan Goldstein and Michael Long flanking Kirst on attack. Ball movement has been dazzling. Midfielder Hugh Kelleher, a PLL draft pick on Tuesday night, is a north-south Mack truck dodger. Lefty Liam Firth and Dalton provide skill and savvy inside and on the wing.

Cornell plays a boatload of SSDMs and LSMs and utilized both man-to-man and zone schemes against Yale. Their slide and recovery patterns were dreadful in that Ivy semifinal, but those areas looked cleaned up in the Ivy final win against Princeton. Goalie Wyatt Knust, a bouncy lefty from Tampa, Florida, is battle-tested and clutch. Jack Cascadden has gaudy faceoff stats after shredding sub-par Ivy FOGOs all season and can strike in transition—he has nine goals in 2025.

This veteran team feels like they’re on a mission, and coach Connor Buczek knows how to navigate the road to Boston, having led the Big Red to the 2022 title game, falling to Maryland 9-7 on Memorial Day. After two hard games in the Ivy Tournament and “Slope Day” festivities on campus Wednesday, I don’t expect Cornell to be razor sharp in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament opening round.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Ryan Goldstein (Cornell), Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), and Eric Spanos (MD).

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Rivalry lacrosse games dot the menu this week and next. League races are beginning to crystallize. The weather is perking up. What more can you ask for?

Eleven teams are in the hunt for an NCAA tournament seed. League tournaments in the Big Ten, ACC, and Ivy will shape the bracket. The questions are simple—who can keep improving? Who can stay healthy? Who can find that extra gear when the calendar flips to May?

In terms of hosting a playoff game, eleven teams appear to be in the mix (in my opinion). Based on current RPI order, the list includes:

Princeton
Maryland
Penn State
Cornell
North Carolina
Army
Harvard
Syracuse
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Duke

Perhaps Michigan can leapfrog into the conversation with two more wins. Duke holding head-to-head wins over Saint Joe’s and Richmond is critical. But remember, three of the above will fall out of the top eight and end up with road games in the first round. If Army doesn’t win the Patriot League, someone on this list may be bumped entirely from the at-large picture.

20) Sacred Heart
Pioneers (9-2) have won five straight, the latest over Quinnipiac, and are now (5-1) in the MAAC. Canisius and Siena are front and center for the league AQ. Graduate goalie Alex Pazienza has made over 500 career saves. The bouncy righty is stopping shots at a rate north of 57%.

19) Yale
Welcome back. Three straight wins over Brown, Penn, and Dartmouth have Yale and coach Andy Shay in the Ivy League tournament mix. A 21-12 win over the Big Green marked a step in the right direction in a season filled with injuries. Don’t forget about Chris Lyons and Leo Johnson. The Bulldogs finish the regular season with Hofstra, Albany, and Princeton.

18) Rutgers
Scarlet Knights (6-7) missed the net 13 times in the first 30 minutes. Minimally invasive offense never wins. Dodge to the dirt. It’s hard to believe this squad beat Maryland. Scarlet Knights try hard, they’ll hit you, but the 24 turnovers and lack of separation quickness on offense prove fatal. RU tries Penn State on Friday night (BTN).

17) UMass
Minutemen are on the verge of a ten-win season (9-3) for coach Greg Cannella, with victories over Rutgers, St. Joe’s, Dartmouth, Albany, and Vermont. Trace Hogan, Aidan Drunsic, and Robbie Granara are leading the way. The Gorillas face Richmond on Saturday.

16) Denver
Following Army-Navy, the televised 7-3 win at Georgetown was tough on the eyes. Pios (6-5) mixed zone and man-to-man defense. Malcolm Kleban made 11 saves in the swamp. The EMD unit was in shutdown mode. Hoyas shot 3 of 33. Noah Manning had four goals for coach Matt Brown. It’s hard to trust anybody in the Big East this year. Expect chaos the rest of the way. What’s up with scoring goals this year? Marquette scored two. Georgetown scored three. Duke scored seven. Hopkins just four. Hofstra, High Point, and Penn managed only six.

15) Fairfield
Stags (11-1) picked up a giant win at Delaware as Will Consoli had seven points and goalie Owen Hirsch made 16 saves. Fairfield heads on the road to face Towson this week. The CAA race is no joke.

14) Saint Joseph’s
Hawks (9-3) have won nine of their last ten games, the latest over Hobart. Richie LaCalandra put up eight points and Ben Dutton scored five times. Hawks face High Point next.

13) Richmond
Spiders (9-3) stung High Point 11-6 on Senior Day to improve to (3-0) in the A10. Going 7-for-21 on face-offs wasn’t ideal, but the defense, led by Mitchell Dunham (6 GBs and 5 CTs), limited High Point to 25 shots. A critical game with UMass is next on the calendar. The Atlantic 10 trio of UMass, St. Joe’s, and Richmond are all having stellar seasons. The A10 winner is a nasty draw in the round of 16.

12) Michigan
Wolverines (7-5) were tied 3-3 at halftime in a defensive battle and went over 23 minutes without a goal. It was a hard-fought game at Rutgers, devoid of transition. Ryan Cohen pumped one past the wide-stanced RU goalie Cardin Stoller for an 8-6 lead with 8:00 to play. Big Blue held on for the 8-6 win. Not impressed with Big Ten offenses right now. Michigan (3-1) in conference currently sits in first place with OSU. The rivalry game in Ann Arbor with Ohio State is always theatre.

11) Duke
Devils (9-4) couldn’t find the net in an 8-7 loss to UNC. When the starting attack combines for three points, you’ve got problems. Six failed clears didn’t help, and scoring just two goals over the final 30 minutes is a recipe for disaster. The defense was excellent—holding Carolina to eight goals is a winning effort.

Junior FOGO Luke Engelke has exceeded expectations in Durham. Close defender Charlie Johnson has helped lessen the blow of losing Kenny Brower. Johnson covered Brennan O’Neill daily on the scout team last spring, and matchups with Owen Duffy, Joey Spallina, and McCabe Millon will define his season. Devils entertain Syracuse on Saturday at 2pm (ACCN). Duke could use another quality win to elevate off the bubble.

10) Penn State
Penn State (8-3) dominated Hopkins 10-4 as Matt Traynor poured in seven goals. “We Are” leaves Hopkins wanting more, with the Jays having now lost four straight in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions rank #3 in both RPI and strength of schedule.

Rutgers and Penn State meet on Good Friday, April 18, on BTN.

9) Harvard
Crimson (9-2) had too much firepower for Penn, as Jack Speidell continued his magical ways with five goals. This kid is a star, and the combo with Sam King is lethal. For once, Harvard won the majority of the face-offs. Martin Nelson, their top defenseman, deserves All-American status. He plays close, takes LSM runs, and lines up on the wing when they double pole face-offs. He creates mayhem and causes turnovers. Ray Dearth and Owen Guest are two underrated SSDMs for coach Gerry Byrne. Harvard plays a lot of defense because they win under 40% of their draws, but they create possessions with a relentless ride.

Crimson face Cornell next. A Big Red win means they host the Ivy Tournament. A Harvard victory could trigger a party in the North End and a three-way tie with Princeton and Cornell.

8) Notre Dame
A must-win against Virginia gives the Irish a 6-3 record and an RPI of #9. A third-quarter surge and a seven-goal run made the difference. Bagpiper Ben Ramsey went coast to coast, igniting the Arlotta crowd. Ten different players recorded a point in the much-needed 12-7 win that bolstered their otherwise mediocre resume.

Four players are flying under the radar this season. Defender Nate Schwitzenberg has been rock solid in his first year as a starter. Freshman midfielder Matt Jeffery looks like a future star. Short-stick Christian Alacqua has made major strides in 2025, and LSM Will Donovan is winning his matchup every week.

Golden Domers travel to North Carolina on April 19 (ESPNU).

7) Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ 11-game win streak came to an end in a 13-8 loss to Maryland. Ohio State’s first midfield was underwhelming. Righty sniper Alex Marinier, who switched from defense after two years, has been lighting up goalies, but Maryland clamped down on him. Through their first eight games, OSU shot 29.8%. Then they heated up, shooting 41% over four games. On Saturday, they crashed back to 8-of-33 (24%).

Ohio State’s RPI is #10, and a strength of schedule of #19 shows some weak spots in their slate. The Buckeyes play Michigan next in Ann Arbor. There’s still work to be done, or they’ll be sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

6) North Carolina
Heels (9-2) took a gritty 8-7 win over Duke in a defensive battle. Painting Durham Carolina blue is always a special moment. Injury concerns around Owen Daly and Dom Pietramala do temper the optimism.

North Carolina faces Notre Dame on Saturday at noon on ESPNU. Anish Shroff and Paul Carcaterra will be on the call from Dorrance Field.

5) Army
Black Knights tied it up 4-4 at the buzzer before halftime on a soft, no-angle goal. That momentum carried into the third quarter, building a 7-4 lead. Navy started to take on water after giving up five in a row, but they righted the ship and were down just 8-6 to begin the fourth. Army leaves defenders on an island with slow-to-slide mechanics. Navy tied it 8-8 with 12:00 to play, then took a 9-8 lead on a sneak by Mac Haley after a late Army defensive rotation. This game always delivers epic ground ball battles. Navy led 10-9 with 6:00 remaining after midfielder Jack Flaherty scored while falling down the right alley. It became 11-9 with 2:06 left. Army midfielder Evan Plunkett scored on a rollback to make it 11-10, then struck again off the invert to tie the game at 11 with 1:23 remaining. Timeout. Navy turned it over high in the zone, and Army scored on a fast break just as the clock hit zero. Extra time in Annapolis. Army had the first possession in OT, but Dan Daly made a point-blank save on a high-to-high sneak attempt from Plunkett. Level changes matter. Navy took possession and called timeout, but their drawn-up play fizzled into a weak-angle shot. Army regained the ball, and coach Joe Alberici called timeout. Jackson Eicher won it by bulldozing his way right-handed up the hash. The rent is due. Army wins 12-11 in OT and sings second. This rivalry never disappoints. Saluting all the men who stepped into the arena and battled.

Army’s (10-1) hopes for the Patriot League AQ and an at-large bid both remain intact. Their SOS of #22 is a drag. Bucknell, the most erratic team in the country, is next.

4) Syracuse
Syracuse (9-3) held Notre Dame scoreless for 39:53 last week. RIT transfer Michael Grace effectively covered Jake Taylor in that game, so surrendering 17 goals to Cornell a week later was a massive step in the wrong direction. Shot selection on offense wasn’t up to par. Too often, Syracuse takes the first available shot instead of hunting the best one. Coverage of CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein struggled with a slide-happy scheme. Against elite opponents, seven penalties is a losing formula. The Orange seemed to unravel in the cold rain and continue to struggle outside the cozy Dome.

Syracuse is at Duke on Saturday at 2pm (ACCN). I’ll be in Durham with Chris Cotter for this one.

3) Maryland
‘Be the Best’ (9-2) silenced Ohio State in Columbus, 13-8. Maryland trailed 2-1 midway through the first quarter, then sparked an 8-1 run to take a 9-3 halftime lead. Maryland bench scoring remains non-existent.

Maryland hosts Johns Hopkins on Friday night at 8pm on BTN, with Joe Beninati and Mark Dixon six floors above the action.

2) Princeton
Princeton handled Brown 17-7. When you watch the Tigers play, LSM Michael Bath jumps off the screen for his impact in the middle of the field. SSDM Cooper Mueller, a Princeton legacy whose dad Kit played hoops for PU in 1991, has put together a strong campaign. Coach Matt Madalon and staff continue to produce winning results.

Tigers and Quakers play this week.

1) Cornell
Big Red (10-1) hit the ten-win mark after putting up 17 goals against Syracuse on Long Island. CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein ran circles around the Orange defense with patience and precision. Goalie Wyatt Knust was razor sharp early while building an 8-2 lead. Cornell has nine Long Island public school players on the roster. I love the grit. You have to respect the 16 goals per game this offense is averaging.

Sophomore Ryan Goldstein is averaging three assists per game. The X attackman and Cornell legacy joined me on the podcast this week.

Cornell did not qualify for the NCAA tournament in 2024. They’ve made champ weekend appearances in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2022. This senior class played in that 2022 title game. The 160-year-old program owns NCAA titles in 1971, 1976, and 1977. Dust ’em off.

The men’s and women’s NCAA lacrosse championships will be held at Gillette Stadium on Memorial Day weekend. Men’s Quarterfinals are set for Hofstra and Navy on May 17 and 18, and it looks like those matchups will be can’t-miss games in 2025. The bracket will feature ten automatic qualifiers and eight at-large selections. The top eight seeds will host first-round games in the round of sixteen. The NCAA selection show airs on Sunday, May 4 at 9:30pm on ESPN+.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Dom Pietramala (UNC), Alex Marinier (OSU), Max Sloat (Duke), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

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We are well past the halfway point of the Division 1 college lacrosse season, and now is the time to start speculating who could potentially win the Tewaaraton this year. There are many players you could make a case for. Sam King at Harvard is averaging 5.2 points per game. Jackson Eicher has been impressive for Army, putting up 5.7 points per game. There’s no denying Joey Spallina has been on a tear for Syracuse, averaging a whopping 6 points per game. However, all of this is irrelevant if CJ Kirst can stay on pace, averaging an unheard-of 7.1 points per game.

CJ Kirst has been a problem for opposing defenses his entire career at Cornell. During his freshman year, the red-headed madman casually threw up 55 goals and 24 assists, totaling 79 points in 19 games—roughly 4.1 points per game. Kirst somehow found a way to improve his game entering his sophomore year, scoring 65 goals on 36% shooting. Pair that with 19 assists, and you get 84 points on the year through just 15 games, averaging 5.6 points per game. His junior year was a down year given what he achieved the year prior, throwing up 45 goals and 22 assists for 67 points across 14 games. That 4.7 points per game average is still elite, but not quite the 5.6 from his sophomore year—which is really just nitpicking.

Now on his senior year farewell tour, Kirst has been operating on a level never seen before. Through just seven games, Kirst has already amassed 37 goals and 13 assists, totaling 50 points on an alarming 57% shooting percentage. Averaging 7.1 points per game is completely bonkers, but pair that with a 57% shooting percentage? Absolutely unheard of. Just to put this into perspective, I wanted to compare CJ Kirst’s current averages to some recent Tewaaraton winners.

Tewaaraton Winner Comparisons

• 2025: CJ Kirst (Cornell) – 7.1 PPG / 57% Shooting
• 2024: Pat Kavanagh (Notre Dame) – 4.7 PPG / 35% Shooting
• 2023: Brennan O’Neill (Duke) – 5.1 PPG / 35% Shooting
• 2022: Logan Wisnauskas (Maryland) – 5.7 PPG / 48% Shooting
• 2021: Jared Bernhardt (Maryland) – 6.1 PPG / 49% Shooting
• 2019: Pat Spencer (Loyola) – 6.7 PPG / 35% Shooting
• 2018: Ben Reeves (Yale) – 5.7 PPG / 35% Shooting
• 2017: Matt Rambo (Maryland) – 4.5 PPG / 33% Shooting
• 2016: Dylan Molloy (Brown) – 6.4 PPG / 38% Shooting
• 2015: Lyle Thompson (Albany) – 6.3 PPG / 44% Shooting

Looking at these numbers before the end of the season might be misleading, but Kirst has been consistent in his level of play through seven games, even against ranked opponents. He dropped 8 points against Denver, 3 against Penn State, and 7 against Princeton. There is no denying that what CJ Kirst is doing right now is unfathomable, and I would expect that consistency to carry through the rest of the season. At this rate, Kirst could potentially hit 100 points before the start of conference tournament play. With Cornell currently ranked as the number one team in the country, the expectation is that they make a run at Championship Weekend. Anything less would be disappointing. You give CJ Kirst more games to play at the rate he’s been going, and we’re talking about all-time numbers in terms of totals and averages.

At the end of the day, there is still a lot of season left to be played and things could potentially go south. But with how Kirst is currently playing, he looks like the clear front-runner to win the Tewaaraton—and maybe break some records along the way.

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Is this the year of defense? Army, Maryland, Fairfield, Ohio State, and UMass are all leaning heavily on their back line. Scoring is down—except in the Ivy League. Cornell’s win over Princeton was the most significant result of the week.

Spring break is a time to put in extra work. Find an hour each day outside of practice to sharpen your skills. Less isn’t more. Do the work now for the payoff in May.

20) Sacred Heart

My MAAC favorite is (5-2) with wins over St. Joe’s, Holy Cross, Stony Brook, Wagner, and Siena. An inexplicable league loss to Canisius was sobering, but head coach Jon Basti is doing great work in Connecticut. The Pioneers never seem unhinged in one-goal games and will travel to Merrimack next.

19) Saint Joseph’s

The Hawks (5-2) are riding a five-game win streak, taking down Monmouth, Towson, Rutgers, Drexel, and Villanova. The Atlantic 10 race will be terrific, with Richmond, St. Joe’s, and UMass all looking like serious contenders. After seven games, defender Levi Verch has racked up (1,4) with 48 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers—wow. He’s going to be a first-round pick in the PLL Draft. St. Joe’s faces Penn midweek.

18) Dartmouth

The Big Green (6-1) are one of the most improved programs in Division I under head coach Sean Kirwan. Five straight wins, including a 17-5 demolition of Hobart, give Dartmouth its longest winning streak in 20 years. Colin McGill led the charge with five goals.

17) UMass

The Minutemen lost their opener against Army but have since held six straight opponents to under 10 goals, including Dartmouth, Albany, Vermont, and Rutgers. They belong in the Top 20. Trace Hogan, Aiden Drunsic, and Matt Cargiulo are names to know, while the starting defense of Matt Petitto, Chanse Cool, and Kyle Swanson has positioned UMass as a legitimate NCAA tournament contender.

Two games this week—UMass-Lowell and Brown.

16) Penn

The Quakers (4-3) held off Brown 9-8 in a game they had to have. The offense struggled in the second half, scoring just twice on 31 total shots, but big goalie and PLL prospect Emmett Carroll made 15 saves to secure the win. Ben Smith led the scoring effort with three goals. Penn plays St. Joe’s on Tuesday and Dartmouth on March 21.

15) Fairfield

The Stags (8-0) steamrolled Hampton and continue to impress. Their progression from (2-9) in 2021 to (7-7) in 2022, (5-9) in 2023, and (8-7) in 2024 shows steady improvement. LSM Julian Radossich is a menace with the pole, causing turnovers at a high clip. Fairfield hosts Drexel next.

Head coach Andy Baxter was my guest this week on the Quintessential Podcast.

14) Richmond

The Spiders (5-3) have played an insane non-conference schedule, with their three losses coming against Duke in double overtime, Maryland, and a one-goal loss to Cornell. The double OT loss at home to Duke stings because Richmond had chances to win. Anish fired this game up on his iPad, and we were watching on ESPN+ in the Klöckner booth prior to UVA and Maryland. Joe Sheridan had a strong day for Richmond. The Spiders travel to DC this week.

13) Georgetown

The Swamp Dogs (5-2) looked sluggish in a 17-10 win over High Point after a bye weekend. The game was closer than the final score, as the Hoyas pulled away by winning the fourth quarter 6-0. Kevin Miller and Aidan Carroll both had five-point days.

Richmond and Georgetown play this week in what could be considered an NCAA at-large survival game. The Big East foursome of Georgetown, Denver, Providence, and Villanova all have current RPIs outside the Top 20. Georgetown’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of (11-24), so the resume isn’t tournament-ready yet.

12) Harvard

The Crimson are rolling at (5-1) after defeating Yale 14-11. Harvard jumped out to a 7-2 lead after 15 minutes, beating its rival for the first time since 2017. Sam King must be considered a Tewaaraton top-five caliber player. Harvard is facing off at just 34%, so it’s impressive they’re still averaging 15 goals per game. I’ve caught portions of their games on ESPN+, and they’re playing with their hair on fire. Teddy Malone, Jack Spiedell, Logan Ip, and Miles Botkiss are doing damage. A big test is up next as Harvard travels to Princeton on Saturday.

11) Duke

The Devils survived in sudden death overtime at Richmond to improve to (8-1). Aidan McGuire took a nifty flip off an overtime faceoff ground ball and went coast to coast for the victory—a crucial win for Duke. The Devils also banked a win earlier in the week against Providence. Great to see Eric Malever healthy and back in career form with 42 points, while Max Sloat has contributed 27 points from the midfield. Duke is shooting well at 36%, and the EMO is clicking at 54%, but clearing hasn’t been strong.

Denver plays Duke on Saturday. The Devils could play 17 games prior to Selection Sunday, which is four more than Notre Dame is likely to play. Shouldn’t all teams have a similar number of games for proper tournament selection?

10) Johns Hopkins

A methodical Saturday night win at Navy puts the Jays at (6-2), concluding the non-league portion of their schedule. Navy is dealing with multiple injuries to its FOGO unit, and the possession advantage was too much to overcome. A 20-5 edge at the dot tells the tale, with Logan Callahan getting the credit. Navy also had five failed clears, including a costly late offsides call with the game in the balance. Matt Collison, Hunter Chauvette, and Brooks English played well, but the JHU on-ball defense got exposed on a few ISOs.

The leading storyline from Saturday night was that Hopkins made a goalie change, starting Oran Gelinas, a 6-4 junior transfer from Ohio State. The righty made 14 saves while wearing #87. Rutgers comes to Baltimore on March 22. The Jays’ RPI is sitting in the teens.

9) Notre Dame

The Irish (4-2) played 46 minutes of defense against Ohio State. The Buckeyes had 38 possessions and put 30 shots on goal, while Notre Dame’s offense has averaged just 10 goals per game over the last three contests (Georgetown, Maryland, Ohio State). All three of those teams play first-class defense—honestly, it’s hard to find three better schematic defenses. In those games, the Irish are averaging just 4.3 assists per game compared to 9.4 per game in 2024. They’re still searching for the right personnel on attack, with the third attack spot continuing to underdeliver. The Irish must learn to play complementary lacrosse, understanding when to push tempo and when to slow it down to give their defense a breather. Bad shot selection early in the shot clock has been a theme.

Back-to-back losses had folks in South Bend a little feisty this week, but a 19-7 emphatic win over Michigan was the largest margin of victory in series history. Chris Kavanagh delivered a seven-point performance, while Jake Taylor, Will Angrick, Devon McLane, and Will Maheras each finished with two goals. Angrick, Faison, and Busenkell ran first midfield, while McClane started again on attack. Veteran FOGO Will Lynch won 13-of-16 face-offs, and athletic freshman Matt Jeffrey scored his first career goal. A bounce-back effort for sure. The Irish have a bye this week, and I really struggle with this—playing fewer games was costly for the program in 2022.

8) Ohio State

After a (6-9) season in 2024, the Buckeyes have banked wins over Virginia, Denver, and Notre Dame. A Sunday matinee in the Mile High City was tied 2-2 after the first quarter, but a 6-1 Buckeye run before halftime proved to be the difference. They nursed the lead the rest of the way in a game that was chippy. Defender Cullen Brown is quietly stockpiling caused turnovers, and righty shooter Alex Marinier had another big day. The 15-11 road win was Ohio State’s first in Denver in 16 years. The Buckeyes travel to Penn State on Sunday night for a Big Ten matchup on BTN.

7) Syracuse

The Orange had a bye this week. #HHH (5-2) plays Manhattan on Tuesday and Colgate this weekend. Last year’s game against Colgate featured 18 penalties and was completely out of control—expect tempo and scoring in this one. Catch it on ESPN+.

6) North Carolina

On Sunday, the Heels (5-1) jumped out to a 7-3 lead on Jacksonville after the first quarter, extending it to 11-3 and 13-5 by halftime. Depth of scoring was evident, as was Owen Duffy’s shot-making ability—he had five goals before intermission and finished with eight points. UNC kept Dom Pietramala in the game up 13 goals with 4:00 to play. Anybody else remember Dylan Molloy at Brown in the NCAA quarters? Jacksonville is now banished to chasing the ASUN AQ after the 20-7 setback.

FOGO Brady Wambach (68%) has been a weapon for head coach Joe Breschi. UNC plays High Point on the road on Friday, March 21. The Heels still have dates with Army and the ACC quartet of Duke, Virginia, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Carolina may be the beneficiary of Virginia’s off year.

5) Army

The Cadets (7-0) throttled Lehigh 13-4 despite missing FOGO Will Colletti. Army won just 4-of-17 draws yet still outshot Lehigh by a wide margin. Jackson Eicher scored six times, while defenseman AJ Pilate added a left-handed wraparound goal. Boston University visits Michie Stadium on Saturday. Army has the #1 ranked scoring defense but an SOS of #37. The only top-ten test left on the schedule is against North Carolina.

4) Penn State

The Nittany Lions (6-1) defeated Robert Morris 22-8 on Wednesday, using a 6-0 second-quarter run to pull away. FOGO Colby Baldwin (63%) has been a bright spot, and Penn State is nearly +10 per game in ground balls. Matt Traynor has 23 points through five games but hasn’t dressed in the last two. Ohio State travels to Happy Valley on Sunday for a Big Ten showdown on BTN.

3) Princeton

The Tigers lost 15-10 in Ithaca, spending most of the game playing catch-up as the defense struggled to get stops. Princeton is facing off at just 35% on the season, leading to a significant disadvantage in shots, but their shooting efficiency has helped offset the pain of fewer possessions. This is a ticking time bomb—Princeton is vulnerable at the face-off dot, and the defense is mediocre. That said, I do enjoy watching them play offense with Coulter Mackesy, Nate Kabiri, Barbecue Burns, Tucker Wade, and Sean Cameron. Harvard faces Princeton in New Jersey on Saturday in what could be a 30-goal game.

2) Cornell

The Big Red (5-1) win over Princeton is the first step toward hosting the Ivy League Tournament. Cornell, Princeton, and Penn State are an interchangeable trio in the rankings. CJ Kirst became the all-time leading goal scorer in school history, surpassing Mike French. CJ has played a handful of extra games, but his production speaks for itself—he had five goals on 12 shots in the 15-10 victory. Cornell was +5 on face-offs and took 51 shots, applying constant pressure and getting quality looks. Willem Firth continues to find space on the EMO. Big Red turns their attention to Yale this week.

1) Maryland

The Terps (7-0) used a 5-0 start and a 5-0 finish to capture the 99th meeting with rival Virginia, 12-6, on a cloudy day at Klöckner. A 7-6 lead ballooned into the final margin. Maryland has delivered a 4-0 run in nearly every game this spring. The second quarter and early third were concerning, as the Terps went dormant for 20 minutes, but midfield production and goaltender Logan McNaney were the stars. The lefty from Corning, NY, made 13 stops, many of them clean catches that triggered transition.

Maryland has a top-five rated scoring defense, is very solid at close defense, and is exceptional at the LSM spot with AJ Larkin and Jack McDonald. This team is the king of restarts—they win the whistle. They are tops in clearing percentage and near the bottom in riding. To beat Maryland, you must run from defense to offense and pin their midfield personnel on defense. Scoring in transition or early offense is the key.

The Cavs are (5-8) dating back to last year. Having called their games against Richmond, Hopkins, and Maryland, I’ve seen subtle improvements in their clearing, half-field offense, and defense. Midfield production in settled sets has been sporadic, their portal pickups have been non-factors, and their freshman class is ravaged with injuries. Sitting at (3-4) before ACC play is scary territory. Drama in Charlottesville will test their “Cultural Thursdays.”

Michigan is at Maryland next. The Terps have lost three straight to the Wolverines.

Quint Kessenich covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllstars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include current players Alex Marinier (Ohio State), Eric Spanos (Maryland), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Coulter Mackesy (Princeton), Billy Dwan III (Syracuse), and Casey Wilson (Denver).

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Everyone was pretty shocked to hear the news of Chris Gray retiring from professional lacrosse only three years after joining the league. This is surprising for a plethora of reasons, especially considering how great of a lacrosse player Chris Gray is. Gray instantly joined the conversation of some of the best collegiate players who did not see out their professional careers. I think it is important in this moment for people to understand just how good Chris Gray was at lacrosse.

The Wading River, New York, native made his original college commitment to Boston University. It was clear fairly quickly that Gray was the man on campus, throwing up a casual 71 points in his freshman outing. With a pretty even split of goals to assists, it was obvious that Gray could do it all. A great freshman year was surpassed by an even better sophomore year, putting up 111 points on 49 goals and 62 assists, which led all of NCAA lacrosse. At this point, everyone in the country recognized Chris Gray as one of the best players in collegiate lacrosse, establishing himself as an All-American and Tewaaraton nominee.

Seeing his potential, Gray opted to transfer to a more established program than Boston University, which was understandable. He made the move to the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was set up for a big year in 2020 until the pandemic hit. With seven games under his belt, Gray had amassed 48 points on 27 goals and 21 assists. If it weren’t for COVID-19, Gray legitimately could have been a Tewaaraton winner in 2020. Over the next two seasons, he continued his dominance, amassing 171 combined points in his junior and senior seasons while racking up too many accolades to list. He finished his college career as the NCAA all-time leader in career points and was one of the hottest names entering the PLL.

Gray became the number two overall pick in the 2022 PLL Draft to the Atlas. It was clear that Gray would have an immediate impact on the squad, coming off a sensational college career. His rookie outing brought 34 points on an even split of 16 goals and 16 assists, featuring one two-point shot. He built on this in 2023, slightly improving his stats with 37 points on 20 goals, 13 assists, and two two-point goals. It felt like the Atlas were pretty happy with their talented core centered around Jeff Teat and a supporting cast featuring Gray. However, the lacrosse world was flipped on its head in the offseason when Gray was traded to the Redwoods for a draft pick and Garrett Degnon. This trade was somewhat puzzling for the Atlas, giving away a young two-time PLL All-Star for a draft pick and a project player.

Gray’s utilization on the Redwoods was interesting, to say the least. It seemed like his work life was catching up with him, and he was unable to spend as much time on lacrosse as he may have wanted. He played in eight games, only putting up 12 points on eight goals and four assists, with his worst shooting percentage of his career at 21%.

Flash forward to today, it seems like the New York Atlas fleeced the Redwoods as they ended up selecting Liam Entenmann with their draft pick. This begs the question—why exactly did Chris Gray retire so young? The answer is pretty clear: his work life was getting in the way of his lacrosse career. It is very difficult to make a full-time living playing lacrosse, and work should always take priority for these athletes. At the end of the day, they have to make money to live. It is sad to see the former NCAA all-time career leader in points retiring after only three years in the professional game. This is a testament to why the game needs to continue to grow so that professional lacrosse players can be financially supported at a level where they can justify dedicating their time fully to the sport instead of working a 9-to-5 job.

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A lively Tuesday menu of midweek mayhem resulted in a rough afternoon for the bottom half of the Ivy League, with Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth all losing. That trend continued on Wednesday as Army walloped Yale. The Ivies bounced back on Saturday as Harvard took down Syracuse.

Seven Top 20 matchups highlighted the Saturday menu. Nobody was smart enough to play a standalone game on Sunday.

Fan bases are already aflame. Syracuse, Yale, and Virginia backers are astonished by the February results.

I found this week’s ranking exercise fairly simple for spots #1-9—then nearly impossible for #10-20.

20) Fairfield
Sometimes it takes more than 60 minutes. On Wednesday, the Stags needed 66 minutes to earn a double-overtime win over cross-town rival Sacred Heart. Rob Moore accelerated up the right hash and gave Fairfield the 13-12 victory. Luke Okupski added four goals. Fairfield celebrated on the snowbanks.

On Saturday, they did it again, topping Manhattan in overtime 8-7 behind a game-winner from Keegan Lynch.

The Stags made NCAA playoff appearances in 2002 and 2005. Andy Baxter was hired away from Yale (defensive coordinator) in 2019, and the build has been underway in the CAA. They’ll add spice to a lively league race among Towson, Delaware, and Stony Brook.

Stags play Providence on March 1.

19) Ohio State
Five straight wins for OSU, the latest a 14-5 eye-opener against Virginia. The Buckeyes lost their first game to Utah and have since beaten Detroit, Cleveland State, Bellarmine, Air Force, and Virginia. I’m not a believer yet.

When the Bucks play Bryant on Saturday, it’ll be the halfway point of their season—seven games played, seven to go. That’s both scary and a sad commentary on how men’s lacrosse has become a winter sport.

18) Boston University
Respect the Terriers at (4-0) with victories over Siena, Brown, Monmouth, and Air Force.

17) Michigan
The Wolverines (2-2) lost to Duke in overtime. They play a pair of tune-ups before facing Harvard on March 8.

16) Denver
The Pios got destroyed by Cornell in frigid Ithaca. Pioneers welcome Marist and Quinnipiac to town on Friday and Sunday.

15) Colgate
Raiders blasted Villanova 16-5 and have pocketed wins over Harvard and Albany. Their 10-man ride and aggressive mindset are fun to watch. The Patriot League is going to be fantastically chaotic in 2025.

14) Syracuse
It’s better to hit a rough patch now and learn from it than to coast through a bunch of cupcakes. I was part of a national championship team that began the season at (3-2). Syracuse fans, hope that the pair of sobering setbacks to Maryland and Harvard lead to growth.

I see too many wasted or empty possessions. Careless turnovers have become a problem. Impatience and poor shot selection have been common themes. It appears as if the strategy doesn’t vary much from week to week. Halftime adjustments? SU lost a game against Cornell in 2024 after building a seven-goal lead. They led Harvard by five. Where’s the killer instinct?

Dissecting the Maryland film, it was evident that the Terps played an A-level game, and SU I would give a C+. The conditions were not ideal at 37° and raining, and the Dome team clearly was not comfortable with their stick work and shooting. Shooting 7 for 41 never wins. Rain and cold are not an excuse. Against a goalie of that quality, you cannot shoot low-to-low and expect the ball to go in.

Maryland scored three rebound goals, a pole goal, and two on extra man. So the SU defense was not bad in settled sets.

After the home loss to the Crimson, it’s apparent that SU lacks dodgers on attack. When Harvard switched on picks and Joey Spallina was not able to beat a short-stick defender, you’ve got problems. They’re highly skilled but don’t have a go-to dodger when they need to draw a slide or attack the goal.

Utah is up next for SU.

13) Harvard
The Crimson have been playing lacrosse for 145 years. Their last championship was before my time—in 1915. A signature win over Syracuse in the Dome quickly changes the trajectory of the season and announces to the Ivy League that Harvard won’t be an easy out.

After trailing by five goals, Harvard won the second, third, and fourth quarters despite being -24 in the FO department. They lost 28 draws and won four. Amazing. Syracuse only put seven shots on goal in the second half. Miles Botkiss and Teddy Malone were the heroes.

Harvard welcomes Marquette to Cambridge this weekend.

12) Richmond
Defense is the name of the game for Richmond. Goalie Zach Vigue made 13 saves and is now just two saves away from 500 for his career.

A one-goal win over Lehigh (9-8) after beating UVA in C-Ville is a positive start. Spiders tangle with Cornell on March 2 at Robbins Stadium on beanie giveaway day.

11) Penn
After an opening-day loss to G-Town, the Quakers used that failure to fuel a Tuesday win over Albany. A 5-1 lead set the tone. Chris Patterson (4,1) and Ben Smith (3,2) were the most productive. Freshman FOGO Stevie Davis went 12-of-23 (.522).

The Quakers’ defense is formidable, and they held Delaware to basically nothing on Saturday. Emmet Carroll made 14 saves and gave up just two goals. A 10-2 victory, one of a handful across the nation, illustrates a decrease in average scoring.

10) Georgetown
The Swamp Dogs (2-2) have faced Loyola, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Notre Dame. Give them credit for the company they keep. They scrapped against ND with a defensive plan that limited crease scorer Jake Taylor. Problem is, they can’t score. In their last three games, the offense has mustered 6, 8, and 9 goals. That’s not going to cut it against the upper echelon.

Hoyas are at Brown on Saturday.

Freshman FOGO Ross Prince is off to a strong start. The Big East appears to be wide open after a rough weekend where GT, Denver, Nova, and Providence all lost.

9) Duke
An OT win over Michigan is admirable. Duke is seemingly building an identity around a talented defense, which is a new vibe in Durham. It’s a rebranding by CEO John Danowski, who realizes the strength of his team begins with its rope unit and stable of d-men.

Defenders Keith Boyer, Jake Wilson, and Charlie Johnson are protecting the paint. Shorties Jack Gray and Aidan Maguire are elite. Pole Mac Christmas is a danger running the field.

I like the first midfield group a lot. The attack has questions to answer after combining for just one point. Against Michigan, Andrew McAdorey scored the game’s final three goals in a takeover moment.

Duke entertains Princeton on Friday and Penn on Sunday.

8) Johns Hopkins
When the opposing team’s two most lethal players, Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala, take 15 and 16 shots each (89%), and the rest of the team takes a combined four shots—it would appear to require kindergarten-level defensive adjustments. None came in the Jays’ 13-12 home loss to UNC.

What was the matchup plan? D-man Scott Smith successfully covered Owen Duffy in 2024, yet lefty Quintan Kilrain started on #8. The Jays slid to everything and ran around with their hair on fire, failing to limit touches for #77 and #8. The inability to contain Duffy (4G) and Pietramala (6G) proved fatal. It was one of the most top-heavy production games I’ve ever witnessed. And one of the rare instances where the JHU defense was to blame. That unit had held 13 consecutive opponents to 11 goals or fewer.

The Hopkins offense played well, with Russell Melendez and Matt Collison starring. Melendez is spending more time behind the goal. The ball movement was crisp, and the ball reversal effective. The bench didn’t provide much outside of a Sean Crogan wing iso goal.

Their faceoff unit—Logan Callahan, Patrick Hackler, and the wingers—was superbly tough on draws and seemed to have answers and adjustments. The goalie matchup on Saturday was a wash. Hopkins will be double-poled on a weekly basis.

So here we are in 2025. Hopkins fans living in the Dark Ages of program history—a decade of disappointment. The last time the Blue Jays made a Championship Weekend appearance was 2015. Have expectations at Hopkins changed since the golden era?

The current administration has given Coach Pete Milliman time and patience. Clearly, they’ve been rewarded with gradual improvement. (12-6) in 2023 with a quarterfinal loss to ND, and (11-5) in 2024 with a quarterfinal loss to Virginia are positive trends after hitting rock bottom (4-9) in 2021 and (7-9) in 2022.

Can JHU get over the hump? I get the sense that they are very close.

The Blue Jays welcome Virginia to Homewood Field on Saturday at noon (ESPN+). Mark Dixon and I will be up top in the Sol Kumin Press Box for ESPN.

UVA attackman McCabe Millon was hit hard and high with :37 left in the Buckeyes’ blowout win, and his status is uncertain. UVA is reeling after losses to Richmond and Ohio State. Their half-court offense has been dreadful.

7) UNC
Epic performances from Dom Pietramala and Owen Duffy led to a 13-12 UNC win on Homewood Field. Pietramala, the son of JHU icon Dave Pietramala, put on a shooting clinic, as his dad led the Tar Heel defense.

The Heels enjoyed Sammy’s fine cuisine on Friday night in Hunt Valley, and the duo of Duffy and Pietramala ate all afternoon as Hopkins provided a dessert buffet.

The new UNC no-name defense—Kai Prohaszka, Chase Cellucci, and Cole Aasheim—is a likable trio with mobility, heart, energy, and upside. The Heels’ rope unit is excellent with Leif Hagerup, Andrew O’Berry, and LSM Paul Barton. Offensive midfielders will have to ramp it up. Lefty Ryan Levy added some IQ and distribution qualities that gave JHU headaches.

I prefer a more narrow and mobile stance for grad goalie Michael Gianforcaro. The super-wide stance isn’t for everybody—it’s not ideal for smaller goalies who need to rely on quickness and movement.

The Heels double-poled JHU’s first midfield but didn’t apply much ball pressure, allowing Hopkins to spin the ball without fear. Next time these teams meet, Carolina’s offense will need a stronger depth of offensive contribution.

The Heels host Penn on Friday and Princeton on Sunday in the ACC-Ivy Challenge. These games will be awesome and available on ESPN+.

6) Army
Add Army to the list of Championship Weekend contenders. They’re undefeated and have won their games by an average of 9.25 goals.

With a team motto of “Keep the Change,” the 2023 Army squad won the Patriot League title and upset Maryland in College Park 16-15, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals, where they lost a heartbreaker 10-9 to Penn State. In 2024, at one point in March, they were ranked #1 in the nation for the first time in program history. The Cadets finished (11-3), losing to BU in the Patriot League semifinal and were denied a postseason bid.

On Wednesday, Army led 5-0 less than 10 minutes into a midweek showdown at Yale. The Bulldogs’ giveaways were demoralizing. Army goalie Sean Byrne made 10 first-half stops, and the lead ballooned to 7-0, then 10-2 after 30 minutes. The Cadets banished Yale outside the Top 20 with a sleeper hold in the second half.

Jackson Eicher has been stockpiling points. Army aces the eye test—sharp, very sound defensively while protecting Byrne and the paint. They open Patriot play with Lafayette this weekend.

Army does not have a taxing non-league schedule outside of North Carolina, so their résumé is fragile. Wins over UMass, Rutgers, and Yale are a strong start for sure.

5) Penn State
Penn State has more Final Fours in the last six years than UNC has NCAA Tournament appearances. The Nittany Lions dispatched Navy 13-7 behind production from Luke Walstrum. A 53-27 shot advantage is enormous.

Opponents must respect the attack duo of Kyle Lehman and Matt Traynor. I think the close defense of Alex Ross, Kevin Parnham, and Will Costin is underrated.

Have you seen any highlights of freshman midfielder Hunter Aquino? Wow. He’s a tall (6-5) lefty with speed and skill—just another terrific recruit for coach Jeff Tambroni.

PSU is at Yale on March 1.

4) Princeton
Losing the second quarter 4-0 was costly in a 13-9 setback against Maryland. This was Princeton‘s closest defeat to Maryland in recent history, and a sign perhaps that the margin is shrinking.

A 4-2 Tiger lead became an 8-4 deficit as the Terps strangled possessions. Coulter Mackesy was a bright spot with (3,1).

Princeton had no real offensive contributions from their second midfield or bench and won just 10 of 26 face-offs.

Coulter Mackesy was my guest on the Quintessential Podcast this week.

3) Cornell
What if Cornell develops a defense that can hold opponents below 12 goals?

Big Red handled Denver on Saturday in Ithaca. It was cold but sunny. Snow drifts framed the field. A 6-1 and 10-1 early advantage sent the Pios’ hopes home quickly. CJ Kirst and Ryan Goldstein were dealing. A 15-5 dominant win—a warning flare to the country. The cold never bothered CJ.

Big Red plays Hobart on Tuesday and Richmond on Sunday.

2) Maryland
LSM Jack McDonald was back in the lineup against Syracuse, having been granted an extra year by the NCAA with a contingency to sit out the first two games of 2025. His seven ground balls against SU were impactful and give MD an elite 1-2 LSM combo with AJ Larkin.

Maryland clamped down on Princeton after four early Tiger goals. The Terp defense settled in and controlled the game. Princeton won six of the first seven face-offs.

The Terps’ offense is showing patience early in the shot clock. Under John Tillman, Maryland rarely beats itself. They are buttoned up for all restarts.

The Terps will be in Atlanta facing Notre Dame at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Georgia Tech (ACCN). Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra have the call.

1) Notre Dame
Rudy (3-0) flew to D.C. and picked up an 11-9 win over Georgetown. Junior goalie Thomas Ricciardelli made 16 saves in his road debut. A 17-game win streak and 39-3 record since April 2022 for Kevin Corrigan’s team. Seven different players scored in the win, with Chris Kavanagh (3,1) as the centerpiece.

Jordan Faison played, and the Irish got added points from LSM Will Donovan and midfielders Fisher Finley and Jalen Seymour. Goal scorer Jake Taylor had bagels, which is very unusual.

Defender Shawn Lyght was my guest last week on the Quintessential Podcast.

Notre Dame plays Maryland in Atlanta at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday, March 1 (ACCN). Georgia native and GT graduate Chris Cotter has the TV call with Paul Carcaterra in a 2024 title game rematch.

Q-Tips

When was the last time Virginia and Yale were out of the Top 20 simultaneously?

ACC:  (15 – 4)

Big Ten: (21 – 7)

A10: (13 – 10)

Ivy: (10 – 8)

Patriot: (21 – 17)

AE (10 – 9)

Big East:  (11 – 12)

CAA: (12 – 17)

NEC: (11 – 18)

MAAC: (11 – 23)

ASUN:  (8 – 18)

Quint Kessenich covers college lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and writes for LaxAllStars. Check out his weekly podcast at laxallstars.com in the media section. Recent guests include players Shawn Lyght, Coulter Mackesy, Billy Dwan III, and Casey Wilson.

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The Syracuse lacrosse program had one of those seasons where you could feel the potential, but they just couldn’t quite put it all together when it mattered most. Gary Gait has really turned the ship around but they have to start getting over the hump. Things started off strong early in the year as they handled Vermont, Colgate, and Manhattan without much trouble and while these dominate wins are expected it certainly built momentum. That was until the Terrapins came to the Dome and gave Syracuse a one-goal loss that I’m sure the Orange wanted to win to prove the haters wrong. They bounced back with a dominant win over Utah before another gut-punch loss to Army in another one-goal battle. It was clear at this point the team couldn’t find its grove against talented opponents.

The Orange took care of High Point then finally pulled out a big win against Johns Hopkins and followed it up with a solid showing against Delaware. But the biggest statement came against Duke, where they put together one of their most complete games of the season in a 10-4 win. It felt like they were turning a corner. Then the up-and-down nature of their season hit again with tough losses to Notre Dame and Cornell. The responded with a gritty win over North Carolina and a huge confidence boost in a high-scoring win over Virginia, 18-17.

The rematch against Duke in the ACC tournament didn’t go their way falling 13-18. They still were able to make their way to the NCAA Tournament where they took down Towson 20-15, however their season was spoiled to Denver in the second round. Another frustrating close loss, and just like that, the season was over. Finishing with a respectable record, Syracuse showed flashes of brilliance, but they’ll be looking to take that next step in 2025.

Syracuse Lacrosse had some serious firepower in 2024, led by Joey Spallina, who was the engine of the offense with 88 points on 37 goals and 51 assists. Owen Hiltz followed up with 65 points, showing his scoring ability with 38 goals. Christian Mulé and Finn Thomson added depth, combining for 82 points, while Michael Leo provided a steady presence with 28 goals. Jake Stevens was a key contributor despite playing only 16 games, and Sam English rounded out the top scorers. The Orange had plenty of weapons, but balancing scoring depth and consistency will be key heading into 2025.

Syracuse Lacrosse brings back some key pieces from 2024, with Joey Spallina, Owen Hiltz, Finn Thomson, Michael Leo, and Sam English all returning to lead the offense. Spallina, now a junior, will continue to be the focal point of the offense, creating opportunities and putting up big numbers while hunting for a Tewaaraton. Hiltz, a redshirt senior, brings experience and a scoring touch, while Thomson and Leo provide depth and versatility. English, in his final season, will play a veteran role with a ton of experience. Losing Christian Mulé, Jake Stevens, and goalie Will Mark leaves gaps, but this returning core gives the Syracuse lacrosse program plenty of firepower heading into the 2025 season.

Syracuse has a tough but exciting 2025 schedule that should test them early and often. They kick things off at home against Jacksonville and Vermont before a big ranked matchup against Towson in the Dome. A road test at Maryland will be one of their biggest non-conference challenges where they will look to avenge last year’s loss. They also host Harvard, another ranked opponent which is a game you cannot sleep on. Trips to Utah and Virginia will test their road toughness, while home games against Johns Hopkins, Manhattan, and Colgate give them chances to build momentum.

ACC play is always a gauntlet, and Syracuse faces some brutal matchups per usual. They host Notre Dame in what should be a high-stakes battle, then take on Cornell in the middle of conference play at a neutral site, which could have major postseason implications, especially late in the year. Their last two games at Duke and at home against North Carolina will be massive, as both teams are perennial powerhouses. Every game matters, and with key returners leading the way, this season will be about proving they can hang with the best. If they put it all together, the Syracuse lacrosse program could make a serious push in 2025.

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All three lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees have compiled staggering résumés. All three changed the game, propelling it forward. All three were driven by success to continue chasing excellence on the path to mastering the Creator’s game.

“In the last 20 to 25 years, you would be hard-pressed to find another trio of more impactful players on the game at the amateur, professional, and international levels,” says TV announcer Joe Beninati. “These men were the gold standard at their respective positions, and it was an honor to describe their work on the field.”

Three incredibly dominant players who changed the game—it has been an honor and a privilege to call so many of their televised games. Their legacies live on in the way the game is now played.

Paul Rabil

Paul Rabil transferred to DeMatha High School as a sophomore.

“I remember watching DeMatha play at Boys’ Latin, and afterward, I immediately got on the phone and called Hopkins assistant coach Bill Dwan to emphasize how impressed I was. Rabil checked all the boxes.”

At Johns Hopkins, Rabil won two championships (2005 and 2007). In 2007, he earned the McLaughlin Award as the nation’s best midfielder. He played in 62 games as a Blue Jay, finishing with 112 goals and 67 assists.

“Name your favorite quality for a midfielder to possess, and this guy had it,” said Beninati. “He was blessed with amazing athleticism—a combination of speed, power, and toughness that sometimes made him unstoppable. When I close my eyes, I can still see him beating his defender on an alley-dodge or a sweep and ripping a jump shot into the cage. He was impressive, to say the least.”

Rabil’s professional lacrosse career spanned from 2008 to 2022, with 11 years in the MLL and three in the PLL, totaling over 150 games. He also played 77 games in the NLL, scoring 179 points and scooping up 440 loose balls.

Rabil represented Team USA in the World Championships, winning gold twice. Along with his brother Mike and the support of investors, he founded the PLL in 2019 after breaking away from the MLL.

“I think Rabil’s greatest contribution to the game has been his pro-level work ethic and raising the standard. Lacrosse was never viewed as a destination, and he changed that. His dreams for himself and the sport continue to push boundaries.”

“His biggest impact was how transformative he was for the JHU program,” said Brian Carcaterra, former JHU and MLL goalie. “Yes, it was Kyle’s (Harrison) team, but Paul rekindled the aura of Johns Hopkins lacrosse defined by excellence on championship weekend.”

John Grant Jr.

John Grant Jr. studied for two years at SUNY Morrisville before transferring to Delaware in 1998. In 1999, he was awarded College Player of the Year after averaging six points per game.

Grant enjoyed a 17-year NLL career, playing in over 250 games and scoring more than 1,500 points.

“He was intimidating and imposing. He broke the mold,” said Carcaterra. “There had never been an attackman with that size coupled with that skill. His brute toughness and durability, hardened in the indoor game, made him the absolute perfect storm. The dude was bigger, stronger, tougher, and more skilled than everyone—that’s crazy. To my recollection, he never once opened his mouth.”

Outdoors, “Junior” played 136 games in the MLL over 13 seasons, finishing with 541 points. He once scored 10 goals in a single game and lifted the Steinfeld Cup five times.

“A legendary playmaker and goal-scorer whose lacrosse stick could double as a magic wand,” said Beninati. “His disguise and deception at the attack end of the field made defenders lose sleep. One day, he would bulldoze his way to a record-breaking performance; the next, his stickhandling brilliance would twist you in knots.”

North of the border, Grant Jr. played 95 games in Junior A box lacrosse and 166 games in Senior A. He was a four-time member of Team Canada for the field World Championships.

Grant’s creative play and unpredictability inspired the next wave of goal scorers to think outside the box. He continues to coach the next generation, passing along his expertise and unique style.

Brodie Merrill

Brodie Merrill graduated from Georgetown in 2005. During his final two years, he was a First-Team All-American and won the Schmeisser Award as the nation’s top defensive player. He was a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist.

“There have been better takeaway players or on-ball defenders, but there has never been a defensive player more disruptive to an offensive scheme than Brodie,” said Carcaterra. “There’s not a better off-ball player or off-the-ground player ever. Brodie in the middle of the field was truly Ray Lewis.”

Merrill played 298 NLL games, scooping up nearly 3,000 loose balls. He competed in 165 MLL games and 33 PLL contests. He never seemed to tire.

He led Team Canada during the World Championships four times. Merrill has won every major defensive award at every level, and the current PLL LSM of the Year Award bears his name.

“I wish I had watched more of his indoor games, where people tell me he was exceptional,” said Beninati. “I can vouch for how good he was outdoors. Nobody I covered in the last 25 years knew how to track down a ground ball and scoop it better. He had this sixth sense to gauge where a loose ball was headed, and once it was his, he could be a devastating player transitioning from defense to offense.”

Merrill and his family helped establish the Hill Academy, which has developed hundreds of college and pro lacrosse players since 2006.

“Off the field, Brodie created a breeding ground (Hill) of hybrid players (Canada/USA) which ushered in an entirely new generation of players, more skilled than anything we had seen prior in the field game,” explained Carcaterra.

He was the ultimate defensive hunter.

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For any sport that is predominantly featured in a professional and collegiate setting, fans have their own personal opinions on which version of the sport they enjoy more. There have been lifelong debates when it comes to football about whether individuals prefer the college game over the NFL. The same debates have translated over to basketball, with many people preferring the college format compared to the NBA. With the Premier Lacrosse League finding its footing and now officially having some years under its belt, it’s safe to say the league is going to stick around for quite some time. While the PLL has been very successful and has generated many fans, I wonder what percentage of fans prefer the college game to the pros. I personally fall into this category for a number of reasons, but that does not mean I do not enjoy the PLL. The PLL offers its own variety of lacrosse, especially in the summer offseason, but there’s always going to be something about the college game that intrigues me more. I’d like to list out my reasons as to why I prefer to watch college lacrosse compared to the PLL.

There is something so special about a college atmosphere. The prestige of conferences, along with historic rivalries that translate across all sports, makes the games just mean a little bit more. The spectacle of the many different venues that each team plays at, along with the dedicated fans filling the stands, is truly special. It is this character and culture that comes with college lacrosse that cannot be replicated at a professional level. This is one of the many reasons why individuals prefer college football compared to the NFL. While you will have dedicated fan bases on both sides, there is something much more connecting and traditional that comes with the college game for both lacrosse and football. I’ve been to multiple Ohio State men’s lacrosse games, and the atmosphere there is unreal, especially in their new custom stadium. While I think the PLL is doing a good job at giving us quality professional lacrosse, I think it is a lot more difficult for professional sports leagues to garner the same level of tradition and atmosphere that you get at the college game.

At the college level, every year brings a brand-new team. With seniors graduating and freshmen coming in, paired with developing sophomores and juniors, it truly is a new team every year. This brings so much excitement as fans have something to look forward to when it comes to recruiting and knowing that the upperclassmen only have so many games left to bring home glory to their respective schools. The professional game typically features the same players year after year with incremental inclusions from the draft. While it is still fun to have your favorite PLL team bring in some new talent, nothing is better than seeing a college player get better year over year. Having only a four-year window to play for your respective school adds a sense of urgency to win now and validity to their playing career. At the pro level, much like any sport, pros will play for 10-plus years and have multiple opportunities to hopefully win a championship. It is so fun knowing that every year at the college game your team could look completely different from last year, and trying to see how the coaching staff will adapt to these changes leads me to my next point.

From an X’s and O’s standpoint, the college game just brings so much more when it comes to game-day schemes. At the professional level, you just have the best players in the world going out there and playing lacrosse. Don’t get me wrong, there still is coaching involved as teams have different actions they are looking to run or areas of the field they are looking to attack, but nothing compares to the college game. There are so many different sliding packages and offensive principles that hundreds of coaches across the country have that differ from one another. This makes every college game so enticing as there is something to pull from every game. Teams have to get way more creative in how they are going to play opposing teams on a week-by-week basis, whether it is to play to their strengths or hide their weaknesses. As a coach, I love watching the college game and being able to pull away tidbits of information and try to get a better understanding of why teams are doing the things they are doing. This is not a diss on the pro game, but when you have the best players in the world, you kind of just let them go out and play.

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Maryland, Virginia and Notre Dame have critical vacancies to fill. 

1. Who will be the goalie for Notre Dame?

Liam Entenmann leaves a cavernous vacancy in the crease after starting in 62 games. The lanky righty led the Irish to the 2024 NCAA National Championship title, becoming the first program in a decade to win back-to-back titles. The PLL Atlas rookie finished his senior season with a record of 16-1 while making 195 saves and allowing 147 goals for a save percentage of .570. 

It’s a positional battle between lefty Alex Zepf and Thomas Ricciardelli. 

Zepf (Chaminade) 5-11 and 205 pounds, now a senior, made six appearances in 2024 with six total saves in mop up duty. 

Ricciardelli, a 5-11 Junior from Taft, was a five star recruit and UA All-American. He has not been in the fire, playing for just six minutes in 2024 making one save. 

Both have splinters from the pine to remove. They are diametrically opposed goalies in style. “Rico” steals goals and is exceptional in the clearing game. Zepf is a steady eddy, unwavering presence- never too high or low. 

This will be fascinating to follow in February and March.  

2. What will Virginia’s attack look like?

Connor Shellenberger and Payton Cormier exhausted their eligibility.  

Along the way Shelly guided Virginia to the 2021 NcAA championship and was crowned MVP. His consistent excellence is unlike anything we’ve seen in C-Ville. He’s the only four-time USILA First Team All-American (2021-24) in Cav history and the programs all-time points leader. 

Cormier concluded his college career as the NCAA Division I career goals record holder (224) and set UVA’s single-season goals record with 65 in 2024. 

Good luck replacing those two. 

Sophomore McCabe Millon is a lock starter. The highly recruited son of two Hall of Famers (Erin & Mark) finished his rookie season with 66 points (41g, 25a), The versatile righty led all Division I freshmen in total goals and points. Shellenberger and Cormier drew significant attention, so his coverage dynamic will differ. . 

The remaining candidates are Thomas Mencke, Ryan Colsey, and Truitt Sunderland have been auditioning for rolls. 

Colsey (6-3 200) has impressed coach Lars Tiffany. ““Is there anyone more ALL-IN than Ryan on his personal growth as a trusted teammate and lacrosse player? Few sacrifice time with family and financial opportunities to head north of the border for the summer to play Junior A box lacrosse: Ryan helped the Adanacs win a Minto Cup.” Colsey (23 points in 2024) is an excellent long range shooter. 

Sunderland is a junior from Calvert Hall erroneously listed at 5-11 160. Time in the weight room has elevated his strength. He was (9,8) as a freshman and was the #4 recruit in the country. His inside finishing can be elite. 

Thomas Mencke is a 6-0 senior from Dallas is a hard nosed dodger who has (7,2) in 28 career games. He is tough, determined and passionate with an eye on finishing his career as a major contributor. 

Cavs scrimmage on Jan 25 in Annapolis — Navy & Marquette and Feb 1 in Charlottesville — Drexel/W&L

They Open at home against Colgate on Feb 8.

3. Who’s going to face-off for Maryland?

Luke Weirman took his dominance to the PLL. The FOGO ended up his career first on Maryland’s all-time faceoff list with 881 wins, ranking 10th all-time in NCAA history. Weirman scooped up nearly 500 ground balls and had 16 goals and 16 assists in 62 games. He was a catalyst and a weapon, a real game changer at the FOGO spot. 

Here’s a look at the current Hog Pen. 

Shea Keethler- Sr. 5-10 200 Ohio 

Keether subbed from Weirman and a did solid job against Brown last spring. He fits the mold – strong, competitive and tough as nails and learned a lot from Luke. He made 7 appearances and went 16 of 26 at the dot in 2024. 

Terp coach John Tillman told me, “We all have a lot of confidence in Shea.”

Sean Creter Soph 5-11 185 NJ

UA AA two years ago and 2X NJ Midfielder of the year with lots of upside.  He only made 3 apps in 2024 winning 3 of 12 draws. Tillman points out that Creter is “Very good with the ball, skilled and played EMO in high school.”

Mitch Lloyd Junior 5-11 190 NJ

Athletic midfielder from St Joes Prep. Coach Tillman adds, “Played offense in high school. Very bright. Thinking about med school.” So was I for a brief stint. 

Jonah Carrier freshman 6-1 166 NY

Tillman noted that “Jonah was a bright spot this fall. He Impressed everyone with his maturity and poise.” Section V offensive player of the year at Irondequoit HS. He has above par skills, awareness and instincts. 

Assistant coach Tim O’Branski works with the Hog Pen of face-off athletes and has a strong track record. He will need to do his best work, finding production after Weirman went 63% with 10 points in 2024. 

Maryland scrimmages Duke and Georgetown during the 2025 pre-season and that’s where the job will initially be won or lost. 

“You are trying to get everyone a chance but FOGO’s need to get a certain number of reps in a row to get rhythm. We will see if they can adjust to strategies,” explained Tillman. “Face-off guys get used to the same opponents and same whistles cadence in practice – so we wanted as many opportunities to change things up.”

Looks like Maryland has put an emphasis on the lacrosse portion of the FOGO role as three of the four candidates played offense in high school. 

“We try to track as much data as possible when we are going live.  Towards the end of fall we scrimmaged a lot to get them more situational awareness,” he explained. “But we also realize it’s a long year so we try to balance reps and the inevitable wear and tear from the year. So it’s a balance. These guys always seem to want more but when things like wrists, backs and shoulders get sore you have to be careful.”

Those are three gigantic question marks for Virginia, Maryland and Notre Dame as we enter 2025. 

Quint Kessenich covers college sports for the ESPN family of networks. He will be in State College, PA on Saturday working the CFP first round game between SMU and Penn State on TNT at noon.  

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Ohio State scrimmaged North Carolina on Sunday October 13. The unofficial score was 7-7 at half, 18-13 Buckeyes after four quarters and 23-15 OSU after a fifth quarter. That’s a lot of goals – a positive sign for a Buckeye team who struggled to find the back of the net in 2024. Worth noting that Owen Duffy did not play for the Tar Heels. 

I spoke with Ohio State coach Nick Myers on my way home from Arkansas this past weekend. “The UNC event was a solid go and we had great crowd in our stadium.” 

When I asked him about the more potent offense he replied, “We are playing faster than we ever have, and are a bit deeper on offense.”

The Buckeyes scrimmaged Robert Morris on Saturday and led 19-7 after four quarters. That’s another explosive outing for the offense. 

Encouraging signs considering that Ohio State is coming off a (6-9) season in 2024 which was preceded by a (5-9) record in 2023. OSU is a combined (2-11) on the road in the last two years. 

In 2024, the Bucks had three straight one-goal losses to post season teams – Maryland, Johns Hopkins and Michigan. Can they morph those one-goal losses into wins?

They return mostly intact this spring with 70% of their starts back and 80% of their scoring remains on the roster. Scoring goals hasn’t been easy. They ranked #50 in cumulative shooting percentage (26%) and #41 in cumulative efficiency finishing the year at #22 in the RPI. They averaged just five assists per game (#60). 

This fall, the attack rotation is between five seniors and a sophomore who are battling for playing time.  Coach Myers told me, “We played two separate attack units evenly in both scrimmages. 8 minute stints each and then switched. I actually liked it.”

Key seniors on offense

• Alex Marinier – Ontario native (28,2)
• Jake McKenna – 6-6 241 pounder (21,9)
• Ed Shean – (17,11) California 
• Gannon Meyers – Idaho product had (19,7)
• Ben Mayer – Florida native (18,6)

The story is that Ohio State returns foundational producers on offense and added four functional transfers to its core. They’re all back, they just have to learn how to pass. 

An under-the-radar player to keep an eye on is sophomore Garrett Haas, who has played well in scrimmages against UNC and Romo. He was a freshman last year after playing high school ball in Texas and Utah, being named Utah Mr. Lacrosse in 2021. 

Haas is Mormon with seven siblings and spent two years in South Africa after high school on an LDS mission. Predictably, it took a year to recalibrate and catch up to the speed of college lacrosse and to get his body right. Garrett has been a pleasant fall surprise, he’s very skilled and surging up the depth chart. 

Goalies Henry Blake and Caleb Fyock are currently competing for the role. Fyock, aka Big Tasty, was 52% as a freshman starter. He’s listed currently at 6-2 and 297 pounds on the roster. 

Scarlet and gray have sufficient bodies at the SSDM spot but lack experience. 

The coaching staff returns intact. Over his first 14 seasons in Columbus, coach Nick Myers has won 120 games and is above .500 in the Big Ten. Ohio State’s signature moment was the 2017 Final Four and national championship game. Myers has done admirable work raising the profile of lacrosse in Ohio and the Midwest. Travis Crane is the defensive coordinator. Justin Tuma is the offensive coordinator. Andrew Vossler works with the goalie and FOGO’s while Mo Lavallee handles the operations. 

Coach Myers is searching for more depth at close defense. His top three are solid but he understands the importance of having a viable 4th guy. 

• Bobby Van Buren – senior from North Carolina who was home schooled in high school. 
• Cullen Brown – Jr from Landon. 
• Kyle Foster – Soph from BL. 
• Jonny Cool is the LSM, a junior from McDonogh School in Baltimore. 

Ace defender Bobby Van Buren was injured in 2024, costing him most of the season. Van Buren got hurt in the Robert Morris scrimmage last weekend.  OSU is waiting on an MRI and holding their breath. 

With external competitions done for the semester, 8 hour segments are next. That means passing & shooting sessions for offensive players in small groups, approaches & recoveries for d-men and plenty of reps for FOGO’s and goalies. OSU will hit the weights hard and bring their conditioning levels upward as January inches closer. 

The 2025 spring schedule is comparable to prior editions. OSU opens with Utah. Their big non-league games will be UVA in Columbus with trips to Notre Dame and Denver. The Big Ten slate is standard. 

Ohio State looks better on paper in 2025. If they can win the inches, I can see (6-9) flipping to (9-6) or to even a 10+ win campaign. 

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Fans won’t catch a glimpse of Duke this fall as coach John Danowski does not play outside competition. Flying under the radar with a retooled roster will leave a lot of questions unanswered until February of 2025. 

Let’s break down what we know about the Blue Devils.  

The 2025 lineup will be altered dramatically with the departures of five players who stuck on PLL rosters and a handful of household names who earned degrees. Duke says goodbye to 48% of their 2024 starts and 70% of its scoring. 

• Brennan ONeil – A
• Dyson Williams – A
• Josh Zawada – A
• Kenny Brower – D
• Tyler Carpenter – LSM
• Aidan Danenza – M
• Charlie Balsamo – M transfer to UVA
• Jake Caputo – SSDM
• Jake Naso – FO

Notable additions:

• Paul Weathington – SSDM Princeton
• Aidan Blake – M Cornell
• Eric Malever – A Maryland 
• Graham Blake – A Harvard 
• Luke Grayum – A Richmond 
• Chris Cusolito – M Providence 

Coach John Danowski has been in Durham for 17 seasons, winning three NCAA Championships – 2010, 2013 and 2014. The 2024 campaign saw his veteran team go (13-6), a spring that fizzled in a quarterfinals collapse, losing to Maryland. 2024 fell drastically short of expectation. 

Who are the new leaders?

Andrew McAdorey, Aidan Maguire and Henry Bard are the voices of the 2025 squad. In my opinion, player leadership, or lack of it, has been an issue plaguing Duke. 

What’s practice been like this fall?

Coach Dino adores music. He’s been spinning the tunes during fall workouts. Every week DJ Dino introduces a new theme and compliments it with his musical library that traces its roots to the genre of the 1970s. He will select anything from REO Speedwagon “Roll with The Changes” to U2’s “Elevation”. Every song has meaning and conveys a message. 

Who plays attack?

McAdorey (28,9) is back on attack for the time being. Transfers Graham Blake (29,1) (Har), Eric Malever (15,22) (Md) and Luke Grayum (37,10) (Rich) add punch with freshmen Liam Kershis (Shoreham Wading River) in the mix. Kershis is refined, though I think he needs more time in the weight room. 

The top midfield will be a team strength and one of the top units in the country. Ben Johnston and Max Sloat are studs and potential All-Americans. A 6-1 220 pounder from Avon CT, Johnston went for (21,8) as a right-handed rookie. Sloat is a southpaw from California having played for Chris Rotelli in HS, and finished 2024 with 19,8. 

Who else can play midfield?

Transfer Chris Cusolito (Prov) has dynamite speed, clocked above 20 mph while a Friar. Big Red transfer Aidan Blake dealt with injuries in Ithaca and can handle an assortment of roles. Jack Pappendick can handle the ball, is seasoned and has mastered the Matt Danowski play book. 

Look out for Tomas Delgado. The light bulb has switched on for the sophomore midfielder. It’s not uncommon to see a massive jump in year #2 from midfielders. If Delgado were a stock, I’d be buying.

With so many vacancies, competition yields inspired practices and weightlifting sessions. 

FO man and violinist Jake Naso was a workhorse and departs to the real world. Freshmen Ben McCarthy, Senior Liam McLane, Sophomore Cal Girard and junior Luke Engelke give coach Danowski options, and assorted flavors. 

Let’s talk about defense. 

The LSM is likely to be Cole Krauss. The SSDM position is loaded, probably the best in the nation with Aidan McGuire and Jack Gray. Adding Tiger transfer Paul Weathington to this mix is downright unfair. Reed Landin can also run shifts. Coach Kevin Unterstein comes over from UNC to manage the rope unit and the early returns are favorable. 

Down on close defense, keep tabs on newcomer Nikolas Menendez from Culver who may develop into an ACC top cover man under the watchful eye of DC Ron Caputo. Charlie Johnson has impressed along with Henry Bard, Jake Wilson and Keith Boyer.

Freshman goalie Buck Cunningham from Valor Christian in Colorado will apply pressure to sophomore Patrick Jameison. Jameison (53%) had a strong initial season, especially early in the year, before hitting the wall in May. The prolonged college season is taxing on freshman. 

What’s the ACC look like in 2025?

The league may step back to the pack after a stellar 2024. Syracuse could be the team to beat. Notre Dame is still elite but not an untouchable super power like in 2024. Carolina has young talent but hasn’t qualified for the NCAA’s since 2021. Virginia lost boatloads of scoring. 

Let’s see how the new components in Durham gel. The Blue Devils do not play external fall scrimmages and will be an unknown prior to taking the field on opening day 2025. 

—

Quint Kessenich covers pro and college lacrosse for the ESPN networks. He will be covering LSU at Arkansas football this Saturday at 7pm on ESPN. 

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Naptown Challenge , Wednesday June 26, 2024, Navy Marine Corps Stadium.  Four championship games televised on ESPNU and ESPN+. Which players left me impressed?

Naptown 2025’s

Seniors this fall, the class of 2025. 

39 of the players we watched in the finale between Primetime and Team Philly are rising senior verbal commits at the moment. There were six Notre Dame commits and six Duke verbal’s competing in the 6pm final on Wednesday at Navy Marine Corps Stadium (ESPN+).  

Kaden Parsons – Primetime – Michigan verbal – midfield – Taft – Parsons (6-2 190) pushed to the rack and buried his shots during the 2025 final on Wednesday night. 

Brady Scioletti – Primetime – Duke verbal – midfield – “Big Bubba” (6-3 200) is an athletic midfielder that showed his ability to invert and score off an inside roll in the finals. Still growing and maturing, this Don Bosco prospect has gigantic upside. He’s got a wicked outside shot that we didn’t get to see in the final at Navy Marine Corps Stadium. Listed as a lefty, Brady looked two-handed. 

Ty Ramachandran – Primetime – Georgetown – goalie – Rye HS – The 5-8 160lb righty netminder was hardly recognizable after getting a major haircut for the first time in months. Rye played deep into the NYS playoffs. That’s what you like to see in a young goalie – players who can handle big moments. Ty is Super smart and locked in – his angle play, anticipation plays around the crease and rainbow outlets were all impressive on Wednesday.  

Aidan Diaz-Matos – Primetime – Notre Dame verbal – Face-off athlete – Brunswick CT – Next year ADM will be a captain at Brunswick while also playing basketball. 6-1 190 pounds and athletic, his skill set, and body type is ideal for the new offensive and defensive demands of a well-rounded FOGO. 

Christian Iuliano – Primetime – Notre Dame verbal – defense – Rye HS – This young man has all the potential in the world to have a career that extends well beyond college. HS running back and wide receiver for Rye, is impossible to get around with a long pole.  His combination of size (6-3) length and agility compares to pro defenders like Jarrod Neumann, Will Bowen and Matt Dunn.  He can play close, LSM, and faces-off and runs wings on occasion. The number one defensive prospect and a five-star talent is the most highly regarded defender in the class for a good reason. 

Owen Mears – Team Philly – attack/midfield – Duke verbal – Malvern Prep – Six foot plus Southpaw from Philly projects to be a two-way midfielder in the ACC. He has above average ground ball skills and appears capable of attacking the goal from the wing, X or up top. 

Brian Box – Team Philly – Cornell – midfield – Marble Newtown HS – Strong in transition, Box (5-10 170) appears to be an ideal fit in Ithaca for coach Connor Buczek. 

Naptown 2026’s

Rising juniors 

Michael Slusar – Sweetlax – goalie – lefthanded from Naples, Florida excellent range and mobility. Tall goalies with a wingspan and movement skills are the ones with the most upside. I’m not a fan of the extra wide stance – because it halts movement – and hopefully Slusar keeps his width within common sense.  I see massive upside from this young lefty goalie. 

Chris Doshna – Sweetlax – Marcellus, NY native – 6-0 and 185 pounder showcased next level game sense and shot making ability. He read plays before they happened and shot through defensive contact. 

Cormac Scane – Sweetlax – Scane, the younger brother of Izzy attends Culver and resides in Clarkston, Michigan. His brother plays at Penn and Cormac looks like he can give you a little bit of a lot of different skills.  

Timmy Plunkett – Hilltop – Iona Prep – versatile play maker in front of the goal wore #26 and seemed to copy Tom Schreiber’s style – with the ability to dish off the dodge or shoot on the run. Tarrytown native was one of the best overall offensive midfielders in the Naptown field of over 4,000 players. He will be a super high recruit. 

Hunter Mezzatesta – Hilltop – goalie – Yorktown Heights HS – Great size at 6-0 and 195 pounds, this Cornhusker sits on shots and uses his hand speed to make saves. Lateral movement will have to be upgraded to stay with college level shooters. His angle play and eyes make him an elite high school goalie. Confident with the ball and poised demeanor were evident in Annapolis. 

Naptown 2027’s

Rising sophomores 

JT Cross – Mad Dog National 2027, attack. Valor Christian HS – Colorado – Two-handed with height (6-2) and bounce, Cross was one of the most promising players were watched on Wednesday, drawing comparisons to Pat Spencer. I think he’s going to be a star one day if he can continue to grow his skill set. He got topside with both hands and looked like a true dual threat from X. 

Karter Robichaud – Mad Dog National 2027, midfield – Valor Christian HS – (6-1) and 185 pounds, he buried his shots with a neon yellow stick head and seems to have a knack for winning the point of contact. 

Brandon Fodor – Building Blocks Lacrosse, BBL, attack – Delbarton NJ – Two-handed playmaker reminded me of the Philly Waterdogs Connor Kelly. He assertiveness and assortment of dodging options combined with righty and lefty shooting acumen was very advanced for this age category. Already 6-0 and 180 plus pounds I would expect his stock to continue to rise playing at the highest of levels in club and school ball. 

Naptown 2028’s

Rising freshman 

William Niejadlik (Ne-jal-ick) – 2Way Lax 2028 – Rye, HS – Six points in the championship game win a continuation of his production from a New York State high school playoff run with the Rye Garnets. 

William Losauro (lo-sar-o) – 2Way Lax 2028 – born in 2010 and a high honor roll member – lefty wing player was dialed in and found the net in multiple ways from midrange. The classic lefty wing shooter had an advanced sense for defensive movement and used a variety of release points. 

Colt Inman – 2Way Lax 2028 – midfield – Brunswick – already 5-11 inches tall, I sense his development and maturation will have colleges salivating for his services. Multi-sport athlete from New Canaan is worth watching this summer and next for 2Way. 

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My Top 20 presented by SPIRE Lacrosse, always a treacherous exercise.

Quint Kessenich’s Top 20 presented by Spire

1) Notre Dame

In front of 7480 fans at LIU the Golden Domers got a game-winning goal with six seconds on the clock from Ben Ramsay to take down Cornell 18-17. This game was pure enjoyment for the fans as the squads combined for 95 shots. ND (8-1) holds onto the top spot in the RPI and national polls.

Pat Kavanagh played a week after injuring his shoulder at Duke. Injuries will be a major story line for all programs from here until Memorial Day. Who has depth? Who’s going to fall apart? Who’s catching a second wind?

ND had eleven different players score a goal. Eric Dobson and Jake Taylor, each recording a hat trick. Both Pat and Chris Kavanagh recorded four points. Goalie Liam Entenmann became the program’s all-time saves leader on Sunday, passing Joey Kemp (633) for the top spot with 644 saves.

This game was the worst performance from a Notre Dame defense in the last five years. Giving up 15 goals won’t go over well in the Monday film session. They’ve been living on the edge relying too much on goalie Liam Entenmann and two shorties Carter Parlette and Ben Ramsey. With warmer weather here, the Irish are advised to play more people on defense. Coaches who attempt to shrink the bench in April, die on the vine in May. 

Rudy hosts North Carolina on Saturday at 11:30am televised by the ACC network with Matt Ward and Chris Cotter on the call. ND has the #1 scoring offense and is shooting 37%. 

2) Duke

Devils (11-3) shot 43% in a 18-12 win over Virginia on Sunday at a jam-packed Koskinen Stadium. The temperature eclipsed 80 degrees as Duke put together their most intense and complete 60 minutes across the board. 

Josh Zawada (5,1) and Brennan O’Neil were the heroes. O’Neil (4,1) laser-focused and playing with noticeably more emotion was able to impact this contest from the first whistle. The Duke attack scored 12 times, benefitting from midfield party starters who were able to ignite Virginia defensive slides and movement. The second midfield remains a work in progress but provided some solid minutes of possession time in the second half when Duke was nursing the lead. FOGO Jake Naso, an accomplished violinist, shook off an ugly twisted ankle and scored twice in the second half.  

FOGO Luke Engelke came off the bench and won 4 of 9 when Naso was getting attention on the bench. Defender Kenny Brower played well against Connor Shellenberger. Goalie Patrick Jamieson was rock solid with 13 saves. Defender Will Frisoli has now put together back-to-back efforts – covering ND midfielder Jordan Faison and this week shadowing McCabe Millon. Frisoli won both matchups. I admire Duke’s depth, a team who can handle the rigors of winning two games in three days. 

Blue Devils are off on April 20 and don’t play until April 27 at North Carolina. They are #2 in the RPI and a likely first round home team in the NCAA tournament. 

3) Johns Hopkins

Down 7-4 in Columbus and running in quicksand, the Jays woke up tying the game at 9-9. Matt Collison, for the second straight week, bagged the game winner in overtime, as JHU got out of Columbus with the 11-10 win. 

“We Want More” snapped the Columbus curse. Jacob Angelus contributed five points and Garrett Degnon added four. Hopkins deep bullpen of offensive contributors struggled against a very stingy Buckeye defense and goaltender. Survive and advance. 

Jays flew home on Monday morning and now prepare for the Terps. Expecting a rowdy crowd at Homewood for Hopkins vs Maryland on Saturday 4 o’clock ESPNU with Drew Carter, Don Zimmerman and I. 

4) Virginia

An 18-12 loss at Duke showed that when opponents get UVA to slide, their help and recovery defense is suspect. Duke ambushed Virginia early, jumping out to a 7-3 advantage after one quarter while sending UVA net-minder Matt Nunes to the showers with no saves. Nunes never had a chance against the Blue Devil frenzy. His backup Kyle Morris made a handful of stops but Duke kept their early advantage for 6o minutes. 

Bright spots were shooter Payton Cormier, midfielder Griffin Schutz and SSDM Chase Yager. The offensive midfield group as a whole needs to pick up the production. Only Schutz can draw slides and put pressure on the goal. UVA roster is suddenly banged up.  

Seven game win streak was impressive on the surface although the level of competition wasn’t top tier. In that stretch UVA had one win vs a team currently in Top 15

Robert Morris UR, Towson 18th, Maryland 5th, UAlbany UR, Drexel UR, Harvard 16th, and UNC UR. 

Cavs have struggled with Duke under coach John Danowski, losing the last 19 regular season meetings. This is the most inexplicable streak in D1 lacrosse. For some reason, Duke owns Virginia. 

Cavaliers with an RPI of #5 play at Syracuse on Saturday at 2 o’clock on ESPNU with Jay Alter and Paul Carcaterra in the booth. They will also be calling the spring football game afterwards. 

5) Maryland

A 11-6 win over Rutgers on Saturday night had viewers dozing off on the couch. “Be the Best” is like a boa constrictor, slowly suffocating the life out of their prey. They are stubborn.

Daniel Kelly scored three goals. The defense held Rutgers scoreless for the first 14:10 of the game and 15:52 spanning through the second and third quarters. Goalie Logan McNaney made 15 saves. FOGO Luke Weirman scored his first goal of the year. Maryland (8-3) improved to 38-1 against Rutgers and has won 19 consecutive meetings. 

The second half surge clinches a top-two seed in the Big Ten Tournament and secures a bye in the quarterfinals – meaning that Maryland and Hopkins will have April 27 off. Terps invade Baltimore, Saturday at 4pm on ESPNU. Maryland fans wear red. This is a chin-strap and mouthpiece rivalry, that never disappoints and elevates lacrosse in the state of Maryland to front page of the newspaper while eliciting mainstream television news coverage. 

6) Penn State

(8-3) “We Are” back in the saddle after a 14-8 win over Michigan at Panzer Stadium on Saturday. Goalie Jack Fracyon, a junior from Bullis, made a career high 19 saves. TJ Malone scored five times and added two assists. Kyle Lehman, a future star, contributed four points. PSU is now (2-2) in the B10. 

On Friday night the Bricklayers pay trip to Rutgers on BTN at 6pm. Bada Bing baby!

7) Syracuse

#HHH staggered to the finish line in a 10-9 victory at North Carolina, in front of a sparse crowd in Chapel Hill, clinching a spot in the four team ACC tourney. That’s the good news. 

Su’s last goal came with 9:34 left in 3rd quarter. That’s the bad news. 

Orange in the 4th quarter committed seven turnovers with 0 goals and 2 blown clears while playing with a multi-goal lead. 

Positives were: Billy Dwan III scored again. Joey Spallina was (1,5).  The middies can really pass. For Otto it was nearly a replay of the Cornell debacle. Game management sold separately. OC Pat March watched on ESPN+. SU Clock and score intellect not up to par. How about valuing the ball? How about backing up shots? 

Saturday 2 PM on ESPNU check out Virginia at Syracuse in the Dome.  

8) Yale

Bulldogs got 15 saves from Jared Paquette in a 18-16 win at BU on Tuesday. They gave up 64 shots. Matt Brandau had 11 points as the Dogs shot 51%. Johnny Keib nailed 5 of his 7 attempts. Yale is #30 in cumulative efficiency. 

Down 7-1 against Dartmouth on Saturday, the Bulldogs staged an epic turnaround, winning 20-13. A 10-6 Big Green lead was reversed into a 19-10 Yale margin. It was a 13 goal avalanche. Matt Brandau had nine points. That’s 20 points in one week. He has 77 points in 11 games. Do the math. Lyle Thompson scored 128 points in 2014 in 18 games. That’s 7.1ppg. Brandau is at 7.7ppg. Dennis Fink of Drexel owns the single season points per game record in 1978 of 8.17ppg. Brandau’s pace is historical. 

Yale plays Hofstra on Tuesday. The Ivy League race is cloudy and multifaceted with two weeks remaining. Cornell seems to have the tiebreaker if it’s a 3-way tie at (5-1). In that case it would be total goals head-to-head.  Cornell beat Yale by 3 and lost to Penn by 1. Yale beat Penn by 3. Cornell is +2, Yale is even and Penn is minus-2. If it’s a 2-way tie at (5-1) then the head-to-head winner is host. Princeton plays Penn at home and then at Yale. That’s the last Ivy game for both Penn and Yale who are (4-1). Cornell has Harvard and Dartmouth. Harvard must also play Brown. Got it?

9) Denver

Pios (9-2) had a monster athletic department day on Saturday. Men’s lacrosse captured a top 10 win, men’s tennis completed the only undefeated regular season in the country and then the hockey team won an NCAA record 10th national title.  Great day to be a Pio. 

Saturday was 76 degrees in the Mile High City and another sellout at Peter Barton Stadium, a great atmosphere. The Pios broke a five game losing streak to Georgetown. Goalie Malcolm Kleban made 10 saves, all of them big. They were timely. He never let the Hoya lead get to 3, allowing the DU offense time to figure it out. 10-8 win saw the DU defense log a shut out fourth quarter while the offense canned four goals. 

Pioneers are now RPI #4 with wins over Cornell, Georgetown and Hopkins and play Providence next. 

10) Cornell

(7-4) – Big Red nearly pulled off a massive upset of Notre Dame on Sunday at LIU, falling short 18-17 on a last second goal. 

CJ Kirst and company gave the ND defense fits all day, it’s rare for the Irish to surrender more than 15 goals. Senior Michael Long had seven points, Freshman Ryan Goldstein had his fourth hat trick of the year and Hugh Kelleher buried three goals. 

“Hardhat 21” is (6-0) at home but just (1-3) on the road. They shoot 36% and entertain Harvard on Saturday. Cornell is RPI #10. Their offense is wicked and they play a fan friendly style of ball. 

11) Georgetown

Hoyas (8-3) were held in check for the final 17:49 in a loss to Denver, snapping a five game win streak over their Big East rival. Nobody could earn a slide. They took only two shots in the fourth quarter. 

The Swamp Dogs sit on the bubble with a #11 RPI and #18 SOS. Only wins of merit are over Penn and Notre Dame. Their scoring offense is #21. St. John’s is next. 

12) Penn

There is very little separation between the teams ranked in the teens with teams ranked in the low #30’s. The Quakers beat Harvard 15-12 with seven unanswered goals in the middle of the game. 

Penn clinched the first spot in the Ivy League men’s lacrosse tournament. On Senior Day, Cam Rubin accumulated eight points, including his second six-goal outing of the year. Goalie Emmett Carroll stopped a season-high 18 saves. After 12 games, Carroll is at .601 save percentage. This is #1 and remarkable. 

Penn is #38 in cumulative efficiency with a bubble #12 RPI. 

Penn and Princeton is a significant game in the Ivy League and nationally. 

13) Richmond

9-5 win at High Point on Saturday night under the lights was a defensive gem. Goalie Zach Vigue made 12 saves. The close defense of Hunter Smith, Braden McClure and Jack Fabean limited Brayden Mayea’s impact. High Point shot 12% just 5 of 42. Richmond used a six goal run before halftime to seize control.

Spiders four losses are to top 10 teams. I think Richmond is a sleeper in the NCAA tournament. They’re going to give somebody a nightmarishly competitive first round game if they can grab their league AQ.  

Richmond plays at UMass this weekend, a bus ride that would take over nine hours. 

14) Army

104th Army vs Navy lacrosse game produced the largest crowd of the 2024 regular season with 10,400 fans in Michie Stadium. Army beat Navy 13-8 and sang second. 

Midfielder Evan Plunkett had five points and was the best player on the field. FOGO Will Colletti was (1,1) with a win rate of 54%. He is at 64% for the season. 

Colgate, Army, BU, Navy, Loyola and Lehigh all have 2 league losses. All are (4-2). That’s a six way tie for first place. Seeding the hosting for the conference tournament will be a puzzle of permutations and combinations. Two weeks to play and it’s wide open. Top two seeds avoid the quarterfinals. Six make the bracket. Army is RPI #15 with a low SOS of #33. I think they need to win the Patriot AQ to play in the NCAA tourney. 

Bucknell and Army face-off on Friday, April 19. 

15) Delaware

Blue Hens are (7-3) and (5-0) in the CAA, winners of four straight, the latest a 16-12 win over Stony Brook. UDel led 9-1 at half with a 29-10 edge in shots. Game over. This margin looks closer than reality. Brendan Powers and Mike Robinson scored four times apiece, and JP Ward had five assists. Hens are #4 nationally in cumulative efficiency.  

Delaware played in Championship Weekend as semifinalists in 2007 for coach Bob Shillinglaw. Two years ago (2022) they upset Georgetown in the NCAA first round. They are seeking a third consecutive trip to the big dance. 

Delaware and Drexel Square off on Saturday. The Dragons breathing fire after beating Hofstra on Saturday. 

16) Towson

Tigers are (5-0) in the CAA and (9-3) overall after a 25-2 win over Hampton. Josh Webber and Bode Maurer quietly having offensive impact. 9.0 goals against per game is the sweet spot for success. 

Monmouth spars with Towson next. According to the Towson website they are hosting the CAA Tournament on May 2 and 4.  Johnny Unitas Stadium, formerly called Minnegan Stadium, will also be the site of the 2024 men’s lacrosse NCAA south quarterfinals. Honestly, it’s a sub-par stadium for fans and television because of the track in between the bleachers and field. To be fair, I do like the location, the ample parking, quality locker rooms and tailgating aspect. 

17) Princeton

(7-4) Brutal loss to Brown (2-9) likely dashes any dreams of hosting the Ivy League tournament. Tied at 12-12 with 7:59 to play, Marcus Wertheim scored the game winner on a fantastic individual effort, tanking and barreling his way through a handful of Tiger defenders. Princeton plays Penn on Saturday. PU shooting just 28%. 

18) Saint Joseph’s

(7-3) – With eight straight wins, the Hawks are feeling good. 12-7 road victory at Hobart sparked by a 4-0 early run and the performance of Matt Bohmer. He had a team-high in points (6) becoming the first player in program history to eclipse 200 career points, surpassing Bill Oakes. Bohmer has 140 career goals. He’s being chased by teammate Levi Anderson who’s now one point shy of joining Bohmer in the 200-point club. 

Hawks will be looking for their 23rd consecutive conference win when they celebrate Senior Day against St Bonaventure. 

19) Ohio State

Buckeyes (6-7) have seven losses to the who’s who of the Top 20 – Virginia, Cornell, Notre Dame, Denver, Penn State, Maryland and Johns Hopkins. OSU sits inside the RPI top 20 based on quality losses not wins. They’ve beaten Utah, Air Force and Rutgers. Proof that being in the cool kids club has value. They own a top ten rated scoring defense and play arch rival Michigan this week. 

20) Harvard

Crimson are (7-4) with wins over Bryant, Vermont and Michigan. Harvard is in danger of being left out of the Ivy League tournament. They have a top ten offense and Sam King is second in the nation averaging six points per game.  A trip to Cornell is this week’s assignment. 

Playoff Push

Only two weekends left in the regular season. The sport would benefit from pushing the playoffs into June, thereby playing more warm weather games on campus in May.  With college athletics at a major cross roads and non-revenue sports vulnerable to potential future cuts, attendance will be scrutinized by university administrators. They’ll ask, “Why do we have a lacrosse program?” “Why are we spending money on lacrosse and nobody is coming to our games?” Attendance matters. 

Because so many games are played in frigid February and March, lacrosse hasn’t been given the ideal stage. It’s a spring sport. Not a winter sport. Play fewer games in February and more in May. 

MAACtion

Caught some MAACtion on Wednesday night as Marist hosted Siena on ESPNU. Thoroughly enjoyed the game.  I did however struggle with the stadium lights and shiny turf making the ball difficult to see. And was wondering afterwards if night games skew towards being higher scoring than day games? Do the darker optics hinder goalies?

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SPIRE Academy doesn’t just stop at lacrosse; we offer an expansive array of programs for athletes passionate about Basketball, Esports, Swimming, Track & Field, Wrestling, and Volleyball. We invite you to join a community where your sports aspirations are nurtured and respected.

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ABOUT SPIRE ACADEMY

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My Top 20 presented by SPIRE Lacrosse, always a treacherous exercise.

Quint Kessenich’s Top 20 presented by Spire

1) Army

America’s team skewered Holy Cross 18-8. Army began playing lacrosse in 1907. They captured pre-NCAA championships in 1923, 1944, 1945, 1951, 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1969. Black Knights played in the 1971 and 1984 NCAA semifinals. They face Lehigh this weekend. Let’s see how they handle the attention.

2) Notre Dame

Notre Dame is now 36-12 all-time versus Ohio State after a career day from Chris Kavanagh (8 points). In front of a sellout crowd in the Buckeyes new tiny stadium, the Irish turned up the heat with four straight goals in the early fourth quarter for the cushion.

Irish 3/3 extra-man is a wicked 13 for 17 on the season. I’m not sure opponents can play this unit straight up. In fact, I know they can’t. I would mix in some junk, shut-offs and striking (hard rotation). You’ve got to scrutinize strategy to disrupt their excellence and wizardry. FOGO Will Lynch has improved drastically from a year ago and had ten grounders. Will Angrick scored his first goal since 2022, coming back from a knee injury.

Michigan is at Notre Dame on Saturday at 2pm. Any BIG 10 against ACC opponent is an important game.

3) Virginia

Wahoos defeated RoMo on Tuesday 16-7 moving on from the sting of defeat. Tuesday afternoon contests are low adrenaline games for national powers. Truitt Sunderland had two points although the second midfield remains missing in action. Cav reserves looked sloppy and anxious. There’s playing time available. Backup goalie Kyle Morris was solid in relief while McCabe Millon did the damage early and often.

On Saturday in the rain at Towson, the first half was awful. Spring break can do that. What was said at halftime? Because the third quarter was fabulous. UVA took a seven goal lead midway into the fourth quarter before their substitutes made the margin look closer than it was.

Tigers had success attacking the inside of the Wahoo defense with cutters. UVA defense needs work off-ball.

When clicking, Virginia has an electric passing offense and a defense that’s strong on ball and slow to slide. Cavaliers and Terps square off this week in a visceral ACC vs Big Ten showdown.

4) Duke

Josh Zwada had six assists in a 16-10 road win at Loyola in the rain. Brennan O’Neil finished with four goals and an assist while Dyson Williams had four goals. This is the nations top scoring offense. Defensively, Duke (6-1) held Loyola (2-5) to a season-low 25 shots.

Providence is at Koskinen midweek and then Richmond hosts Duke on March 16.

5) Maryland

Some games happen contrary to probability. FOGO Luke Wierman did not dress on Saturday in an overtime win against Brown, a baffling near upset that exposes Maryland. 14-13 OT win over a winless team is cause for concern. Braden Erksa scored five times and Daniel Maltz sealed the envelope in extra time. Terps were -4 on face-offs, went 0-4 on EMO and have nobody coming off the bench to augment the top line scoring. Goalie Logan McNaney had a rare sub par game.

Maryland and Virginia, a pairing of mutuel disdain, is on the menu. Terps need to wake up.

6) Syracuse

Otto is now 2-13 under coach Gary Gait against top 10 opponents, snapping a ten game losing streak with a 14-13 victory over Hopkins. No great thing happens suddenly.

Orange were cooking with fish grease in the third quarter, and scored 11 goals in middle 20 minutes, but strategically began to slow down and stall, and that let JHU eat into the margin. Playing zone against Hopkins was foolish given their passing and shooting prowess. This win, monumental for Syracuse after one-goal heartbreaking losses to Army and Maryland, provides affirmation of belief and work while avoiding perilous time on the post season bubble. Mason Kohn, Jake Stevens, Christian Mule, Owen Hiltz and Joey Spallina were the heroes. Stevens was omnipresent and missed in the loss to Army. I see some personnel issues on defense, the same players are giving up too many goals. Wouldn’t be surprised to see subtle shifting of manpower on defense with Saam Olexo playing close against Shellenberger, Zwada, Duffy and a Kavanagh.

#HHH (Head, heart, hustle) tangles with Delaware next in Chantilly, VA after their week at the North Carolina outer banks, training during spring break. A very shrewd move to get out of Central New York.

7) Denver

Wearing their plain white helmets with no decals, the Pioneers grabbed a 10-9 lead in the third quarter against Yale. That got spun into a Yale 12-10 advantage and ultimately a 15-13 loss. Those helmets will have decals next time DU plays at home.

Sunday’s game was physical. DU didn’t face-off well. Let’s face facts – DU was fortunate to beat JHU and Cornell. They did. And they are sitting pretty for the post season barring a major collapse in the Big East. Their close wins over JHU and Cornell didn’t age well this weekend and their other wins are low value. They play at Ohio State on Sunday March 17.

8) Johns Hopkins

Jays caught a break a week ago at Virginia when Cav FOGO Anthony Ghobriel scratched. Orange FOGO Mason Kohn was too much for Hopkins, as SU held on 14-13 in Charlotte in the 62nd meeting between the two former powers.

Simple game. “We Want More” needed the ball more. SU earned ten extra possessions and this margin would have been worse if not for Blue Jay goalie Chayse Ierlan. Clearing wasn’t terrific and the defense slid too much. Syracuse wanted, needed and played like this game meant more.

Jacob Angelus is money from close range, shooting over 60% on the season. Freshman defender Quintan Kilrain has been starting down low on close defense, the lefty did excellent work on UVA’s McCabe Millon a week ago and makes weekly flash plays.

Jays social media is ascending confidently, a marked upgrade, but remember to be humble, as this roster owns a singular playoff win over Bryant.

Navy visits Homewood Field on Friday night at 7pm. I’ll be up-top with Sheehan Stanwick Burch (ESPN+) for this rivalry that dates back to 1908.

9) Penn State

Jack Fracyon made 14 stops in a lopsided 20-9 win over Cornell in the rain at Panzer Stadium. Matt Traynor had 7 goals and TJ Malone had seven points. “We Are” jumped out 4-0 in the first six minutes and 6-1 by the end of the quarter. That’s five straight wins for PSU.

Nittany Lions play Marquette this Saturday. PSU has had issues clearing the ball before going 20-21 on Saturday.

10) Yale

With Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons sidelined, right-handed Canadien finisher David Anderson has been featured. Tensions were high during a 9-9 tie at Denver in the third quarter. Yale led 12-10 and held sway in a rough and exciting Sunday tilt on the funky field at altitude. 15-13 win is giant for Yale and the Ivy League. FOGO Machado Rodriguez did fantastic work. Midfielder Patrick Hackler is a two-way threat, the heart and soul of this team. Matt Brandau was slick, smart and managed different scenarios well. Freshman Patrick Moynihan, aka the ambassador, scored two crucial goals.

Defenders Patrick Pisano and Jack Stuzin causing all sorts of yard sale turnovers each week. Yale has struggled to clear the ball efficiently at times and gives the ball away too much. Holding wins over Nova and Colgate.

Harvard comes to New Haven on Saturday for some pizza and the rivalry game.

11) Georgetown

High Point and Brayden Mayea. put a scare into the Hoyas on Tuesday, the game was 8-6 HP before the Swamp Dogs put up a no hunting sign, quieting the unrest in a 14-8 win behind ten straight goals in the final 25:00 minutes. Aidan Carroll found the net four times.

Hoyas, are idle for a graduate student academic trip abroad before facing Dartmouth on March 19. Never heard of slipping out-of-town mid-season, a near two-week hiatus, which will allow Coach Warne time to surf eBay for throwback Starter outfits.

12) Harvard

Crimson jumped out 4-0, 7-2 and 10-3 flexing their defensive muscles in Ann Arbor. They held Michigan off, winning 13-11. Harvard was dusted on face-offs overcoming the possession advantage with efficiency on offense. Michigan took 55 shots. It was Ali “Rope a dope” for coach Byrne and company. Sam King might be the best player that nobody’s talking about.

Crimson swarm ground balls. This program is one of the oldest in America, founded in 1878 and won 13 pre-NCAA national titles between 1881 and 1915. Dust em off.

The undefeated teams in D1 are NJIT, Army, Harvard and Quinnipiac. Harvard travels to Yale on Saturday.

13) Richmond

Spiders collared the Retrievers 13-4 on Friday. Goalie Zach Vigue, a 6-0’ right-handed redshirt junior from Apex, NC made 15 saves and is posting impressive save percentage stats each week. Spiders rank high in combined efficiency. RU is at Bucknell on Tuesday and host Duke on Saturday.

14) Cornell

“Hard Hat 21” got plastered in Happy Valley 20-9, falling behind 6-1 early in the rain. They made a goalie change but the damage was done. Michael Long and CJ Kirst were bright spots in this forgettable outing that featured no bench scoring, six failed clears and an o-5 extra man.

Prior to the PSU loss, Cornell shooting percentage has been north of 40% which is rarified air. Their SSDM’s inability to redirect or slow ISO’s will make sliding and recovery skills essential. I could see them shifting to more zone defense.

Cornell meets Princeton on Sunday (ESPNU) at 2pm with Cotter & Carc on the mic.

15) Princeton

Tigers and Rutgers compete for the Meistrell Cup, named after Hall of Famer Harland (Tots) Meistrell, who helped restart the lacrosse teams at both schools in the 1920s. Princeton had disbanded its team in 1894 before its resumption in 1920, while Rutgers discontinued its program in 1889, before its 1920 revival.

Goalie Michael Gianforcaro would not flinch, making 14 saves (67%) on Sunday in a 14-8 Tiger win. Coulter Mackesy flourished with five points. The mechanics of his shot release are efficiently beautiful, smooth, the transfer of weight from back to front, mimicking a golf or squash shot.

Face-offs are an area of concern. The lack of success is leading to heavy opponent possession time. Princeton and Cornell meet Sunday on ESPNU with Chris Cotter and Paul Carcaterra calling the action.

16) Penn

Quakers modest 11-8 win over Villanova was coach Mike Murphy’s 100th career victory. Defender Brendan Lavelle had six ground balls. Penn needs to ramp up their FO and ground ball departments. Their overall efficiency isn’t top tier. Brown visits Franklin Field this weekend.

17) Michigan

Shooting 2 for 25 in the first half and missing the goal 35 in total proved costly in a Sunday home loss to Harvard. Low shot placement on a Flopper isn’t smart. Second half game plan was more on point with Mikey Boehm finding the island and Ryan Cohen running out of the box.

Give them credit for mounting a comeback down 10-3 to make it 11-9. Christian Ronda led that charge.

(5-2) with wins over unranked Delaware, Jacksonville, Marquette, Hobart and Canisius.

Michigan squares off with Notre Dame on Saturday in South Bend.

18) North Carolina

Heels blasted Hofstra 21-9 leading 6-1 early and 11-3 at halftime. Owen Duffy had a career day with nine points and more than 50 Tar Heels saw action.

FOGO Brady Wambach has played very well in 2024. Heels have to ramp up their shooting percentage and roll out an offense that’s still under construction.

They face Wagner on Tuesday and then Stony Brook on March 16. This non-ACC schedule is an RPI debacle.

19) Ohio State

Bucks scrapped and clawed, losing at home to Notre Dame 13-10 in front of a compact crowd at their new facility. This was actually a positive step, they fought and played hard, especially in the second and third quarters. Matt Caputo and Blake Eiland had hat tricks. Other than man down defense, this was a strong game for OSU.

They challenge Detroit on Tuesday and Denver is in Columbus on Sunday.

20) Quinnipiac

Welcome to the big show. (5-0) with wins over St John’s, Brown, Bryant, Merrimack and Canisius – I’ll give them respect. Coach Mason Poli has this squad vying for a MAAC title. Bobcats appeared in the 2016 NCAA tournament.

As the weather perks up, use the time before and after practice to work on your craft. Individuals get better before and after practice. Teams get better during practice.

On the radar:

• Colgate (5-3)
• Rutgers (5-2)
• Delaware (3-2)
• Quinnipiac (5-0)
• Umass (4-2)
• LIU (4-1)
• NJIT (7-0)

Bill Tierney is my guest on the Quintessential Podcast. The 7x NCAA championship coach is currently writing a book/memoir. Coach T discussed that project along with his observations from the 2024 season.

About Spire

SPIRE’S world class High School and Post Grad lacrosse program are ideal for serious lacrosse players looking for an intense training environment to prepare for the next level of competition. The academies sere college-bound high school student athletes, as well as high school graduates looking to train & compete for an additional year while seeking the best possible college scholarship opportunities.  The High School Academy features a blended learning environment of college preparatory academies, along with unique personal development and career preparation features.  PG students can earn college credit by taking two core classes per semester at Kent State – Ashtabula or online

Lacrosse All Stars - Grow The Game® Powered by Fivestar

The Florida Southern College men’s lacrosse team began the 2024 season with a thrilling 8-7 victory over third-ranked Wingate University. Despite trailing 5-0 in the first 15 minutes, the Moccasins staged a comeback through solid defense and timely offense, eventually securing the lead at 8-7 with just over three minutes left.

The result comes as no surprise to those close to the program who have seen Coach Ward building towards moments like these for years:

We have been talking about the next play mentality for a couple of seasons here, this team never wavered, they just kept digging in and winning small moments within the game. We stuck to our plan and the result ended in our favor, super proud of our team for staying in the fight and never quitting.

~FSC Head Coach Marty Ward

Junior Matt Flammenspeck led the offensive charge, scoring two goals and providing an assist. Senior Brendan Glasser and sophomore Nolan Tighe contributed two points each, with Glasser netting two goals and Tighe supplying two crucial assists. Freshman Maddux Walton shined in his debut by scoring the game-winning goal in the closing minutes.

Defensively, Nick Shannon stood out with three caused turnovers, including a pivotal one in the final moments to seal the victory. Michael Simone, after a challenging start, displayed an outstanding performance in the cage.

Sophomore Jacob Czyz excelled at the face-off, winning 12-of-18 against the Bulldogs.

Wingate dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Mocs 5-0, but Florida Southern came back aggressively in the second. The Mocs successfully capitalized on man-up opportunities, narrowing the deficit to 5-2 by halftime. The teams traded goals in the second half, with the score tied at 7-7 in the closing minutes. Walton’s debut goal secured the win for Florida Southern.

The Mocs will now prepare for their home opener against the University of Montevallo on February 10.

To have your team or individual performance highlighted this season make sure to email nzoroya@fivestarapp.com with the details!

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