According to the sharpies in Las Vegas: Duke, Virginia and defending champion Notre Dame are the leading title contenders. Let’s take a look at the next wave of teams that can make a run to Philadelphia.
Johns Hopkins
At Hopkins (+1800) everybody is back, even Garrett Dagnon, who graduated from DeMatha in 2018. In high school he had mono one summer and was off the event circuit. Another summer he caught salmonella and was hospitalized, losing 25 pounds. Undeterred he worked on his shot in the backyard with his Dad George, a former Air Force fighter pilot. If he gets hands free and feet set…prepare for takeoff.
The top 11 scorers return to Homewood including Jacob Angelus, Russell Melendez, Brendan Grimes, Matt Collison, and Jonathan Peshko. However, the two most important players on the roster are defender Scott Smith and SSDM Brett Martin.
I’m interested to see progress from defender Carson Brown, LSM Nick Kaufman and Patrick Deans. Goalie Chayse Ierlan shows up via the portal from Victor NY and Cornell with nearly 50 starts.
Hopkins is good. That’s not debatable. Last year’s group brought the program closer to “the standard” but another step is necessary to contend for gold. Can they go from good to great? Jays were not in the same galaxy as Virginia and Notre Dame in 2023. The gap will shrink.
Hopkins regular season win total is only 7.5, indicative of their challenging schedule that opens on February 3 against a sneaky stacked Denver roster(ESPN+). They face Syracuse in Charlotte, NC. Coach Peter Milliman has built a team with unity, a program that played hard and smart in 2023. Accountability and internal demands have returned to the appropriate level. We want more.
Army
Army (+2500) defeated Maryland in the NCAA tournament first-round last May and brings back the full squadron. In West Point, tough means giving 100%, all the time. That includes being tough in the weight room, classroom and with the military leadership component. There may be an environmental hidden advantage at USMA as players have less time for worthless mind-numbing pursuits like IG, Tik Tok and video games.
Coach Joe Alberici begins his 18th season on the banks of the Hudson, with eyes glued to the three pillars of Army lacrosse – family, toughness and tradition.
Can Army March to Champ Weekend? They always play great defense and have AJ Pilate, John Sullivan and LSM Christian Fournier as foundational parts plus SSDM Christian Mazur is a hammer. A multi-pronged goalie battle in pre-season may reveal a starter.
Offensively, they over achieved in 2023 while playing an assortment of depth due to injuries. That’s beneficial now.
Evan Plunkett, Jacob Morin and Reese Burek are the headliners. Plunkett could be an all-timer at West Point. Paul Johnson, Bailey O’Connor and Ryan Sposito are key role players.
“Keep the Change” mantra will be reworked into an identity statement that focuses on humility. Black Knights regular season win total opened at 10.5. Non-league games of merit include UMass in Atlanta, Rutgers, Syracuse on Wednesday February 28 in the Dome, and at North Carolina in March.
Penn State
TJ Malone, who scored four times in a quarterfinal win over Army and six times against Duke in the 2023 semifinals, returned to school as a graduate student. After battling injuries that resulted in three surgeries, he has transformed the doubt, uncertainty and frustration into a pro-level offensive player. This late bloomer from Haverford, has eye-catching speed and is most productive in space running off picks.
Malone does not fly solo in State College. Matt Traynor is a is a blossoming star in the Big Ten. Will Peden, Ethan Long, Jeb Brenfleck and Luke Mercer gained crucial playoff reps last spring.
Let’s see what the defense looks like as Jack Posey comes back off an injury suffered in the NCAA quarterfinal win over Army. Coach Jeff Tambroni and Joe Bucci improved the defense dramatically in 2023. Alex Ross and Kevin Parnham may start down low. LSM Ryan OConnor will run with SSDM’s Grant Haus, Mark Sickler, Brent McVicker and Kyle Aldridge. This position group was the major upgrade last year. It’s now a strength.
Not to mention that opponents have to score on kick-saving goalie Jack Fracyon who puts the Happy in the Valley. Fracyon, a righty from Bullis, is light on his feet, instinctive and plays the position with the unscripted flare of a bullfighter. Nittany Lions are (+1400).
Cornell
‘Hard Hat 21’ culture of selflessness, being a great teammate and work is timeless. Big Red have a lineage of success and star power than can’t be ignored. CJ Kirst elevates this franchise into the discussion.
Somebody has to win the Ivy League and quite honestly I’m having difficulty separating the Big Red from Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Penn. All have likable qualities, all have question marks. Only one has CJ.
Never discard the Big Red (+1300). They find a way. CJ is surrounded by experience on offense with Hugh Kelleher and Aidan Blake. Freshmen Willem Firth wears #51, a good sign. I do worry about the defense as goalie Chayse Ierlan graduated and is now playing for JHU. D-Man Gavin Adler moved on to the PLL.
Keep in mind, Ivy League defenses were all below par in 2023. The NCAA tournament confirmed that assumption: GT 19 Yale 17, Michigan 15 Cornell 14, and Penn State 13 Princeton 12. Ivy offenses were greased lightning and fun to watch. Making defensive stops were sold separately.
Coach Connor Buczek will roll out Brendan Staub, Jack Follows and Jayson Singer on defense with a short stick group that must be sturdier. A defense is only as good as the weakest link.
Cornell dusts off titles in 1971, 1976, 1977 and opens with Lehigh on February 17. They host Syracuse on Tuesday April 2 and play Notre Dame on LI in April.
Maryland
Maryland (+700) experienced up-and-down results during a reset year where lineup shifts and injuries took their toll. Terps peaked in March.
I’m excited to watch Braden Erksa, now a sophomore and Eric Spanos, now a redshirt sophomore, push to the goal. Eric Malever will be the glue. A handful of midfielders are ready to take the extra step to greatness. Ajax Zappitello wears #1 on defense and Luke Weirman is the premiere PLL FOGO prospect. Goalie Logan McNaney is on the mend.
Elijah Stoboaugh, a 6-5 lefty freshman midfielder from IMG, had a strong debut scrimmage against Duke on January 20.
My biggest concern would be the SSDM position as Dante Trader is currently focusing on football. Perhaps he comes out for lacrosse in March or April.
With 2022 firmly out of mind, I expect “Be the Best” to be back in the upper echelon in May. While they didn’t match the portal success of free agency czars Duke or Notre Dame, the Terps have the ingredients to crash the ACC party.
Maryland manages sudden change – always whistle ready to launch a counterattack, always thoughtful and organized, a step ahead. They win the inches with specialists and strong EMO / EMD stats. All that, plus crazy effort is why they are tough to beat.
Jake Bernhardt left for the head coaching position at Colby. OC Mike Phipps is a seamless hire. The schedule is incredibly tough with non-league games against Richmond (Feb 3), Syracuse, Loyola, Princeton, Notre Dame, and Virginia.
Syracuse
Syracuse (+1800) will score goals in bunches and they’ve upgraded dramatically in the middle of the field. Naysayers will ask if they have a #1 cover man to handle O’Neil, Shellenberger and Kavanagh in the ACC. Doesn’t matter, Otto will outscore you. Their season total for wins is set at 9.5. Coach Gary Gait’s top 10 on offense will be Joey Spallina, Owen Hiltz, Christian Mule (70 points last year), Finn Thomson, Jake Stevens, Sam English, Michael Leo, Luke Rhoa, Jackson Birtwhistle and Trey Deere.
Face-offs were an issue in 2023 as opponent possession time wore down the SU defense. Tufts transfer Mason Kohn from Torrey Pines, CA could be the solution to rework the math. And if defender Riley Figuerias is close to 100%, I see goalie Will Mark’s save percentage clicking up by 5 percent. New DC John Odierna will simplify schemes and strategize to LSM Saam Olexo strengths. Orange bandwagon is overflowing.
Quint covers lacrosse for the ESPN family of networks and can be followed on X @QKessenich Check out his weekly podcast on LaxAllStars media section.
