The men's college lacrosse players you should buy a ticket to see

It’s easy to just watch the same teams every week. It’s especially true in college lacrosse. Just watch the ACC, the Big Ten, the Ivy, maybe spice it up with a Patriot League game in there. But for a lot of fans, the viewing experience is either watch their favorite team, the game between the two top ranked teams if it’s different, and that’s it. Let’s broaden our horizons together!

Every team in DI men’s lacrosse has noteworthy talent. They all have players worthy of fan attention. In fact, I thought the other day that every team in America has at least one player on the roster I’d buy a ticket just to go watch play. And then I got to listing them. While this list is skewed by my own personal taste (the type of players I like, the positions I like to watch), it makes the point nonetheless. There’s at least two players in every game who are worth the price of admission. Note that for this list, I am just going by what’s already official in the portal and what rosters are available. Not considering fall ball injuries or anything else keeping someone off the field. Here’s a place to get started, in alphabetical order by team:

Air Force - Caelan Driggs. An absolute bucket. Driggs hung 60 goals a year ago and nobody could hold him down. Five goals against OSU, four against Duke, he had at least a hat trick in 13 of 17 games.

Albany - Silas Richmond. There is nobody in the nation more likely to make you say “how did he just do that??” A potential first round PLL draft pick and one of the most creative playmakers in the sport.

Army - Evan Plunkett. Going to the offensive side of the field at Army feels out of the norm, but Plunkett is special. He already has been an All American, a Patriot League Rookie of the Year, and Patriot League OPOY. Before him, the last midfielder to win Patriot League OPOY was, are you ready for this, Ross Yastrzemsky in 1997. Plunkett could play attack, could play midfield, he’s a brutally difficult matchup because of his comfort all over the field. 

Bellarmine - John Alie. Both Alie boys can fill it up (John’s brother Joe is also an attackman and had 29 goals as a freshman). John posted 77 points last year, including 52 goals, and is one of the ASUN’s top weapons.

Binghamton - Nolan Sharkey. He had an outstanding sophomore campaign, and led the team in ground balls. Not among non-faceoff guys, just flat out let the team. The LSM had five points, and also led the team in CTs. 

Boston U - Tim Shannehan. One of the most overlooked players in the 2024 class, Shannehan wasn’t even a top 100 recruit but was BU’s top weapon and led all rookies in the NCAA in points last spring. 

Brown - Charlie Cave. An All American and All Ivy defender who should get some extra credit for guarding some of the nation’s toughest matchups every game. Cave has pro level cover ability.

Bryant - Dawson Rielly. There were 28 players in DI lacrosse to crack 40 goals last year, Rielly is one of them. The Byrant offense lost some key pieces to the portal and graduation but Rielly will be a key piece.

Bucknell - Peter Grandolfo. Really, you can pick any of the solid young midfielders for the Bison. Grandolfo was dodging a pole as a freshman in 2024 with Bucknell, and he remains one of the more underrated one on one players in the country. 

Canisius - Micah Hanson. A senior faceoff specialist from Wisconsin, Hanson went 54% last year. 188 wins and 115 ground balls, with a few goals to his name, he can win it to himself and do damage.

Cleveland State - Liam Moffatt. A redshirt freshman who caused 10 turnovers and picked up 28 GBs last year, Toronto native Moffatt is the key piece of the Vikings defense headed into 2026. 

Colgate - Hunter Drouin. First team All Conference and 48 points in the midfield last year, Drouin’s role could get even bigger this year with the Connor boys transferring to Georgetown.

Cornell - Ryan Goldstein. A whirling dervish who plays bigger than his stature, Goldstein is an elite dodger. He also was a key factor in an effective Cornell ride in the NCAA tournament last year, and he is poised to be the new alpha of the Big Red offense. 

Dartmouth - Thomas Power. It’s been quite a rise for Power. He transferred to Dartmouth from D3 Colorado College, and has flourished in the Sean Kirwan offense. He broke the 50 point barrier last season and is one of the Ivy’s top offensive weapons.

Delaware - Brendan Powers. First Team All CAA and the Hens top scorer a year ago. Powers could put up some big numbers this year, and will have an opportunity to shine against some tough defenses in the A-10.

Denver - Cody Malawsky. One of the best nicknames in lacrosse (his father, Curt Malawsky, was nicknamed Mouse. That makes Cody Mini Mouse). Cody is more than a family name. A Tewaaraton watch list player last year, Malawsky is one of the craftiest and smartest offensive players in the country. 

Detroit Mercy - Marcus Thundercloud. He took the field with the Haudenosaunee at the U20 World Championships, and was NEC Rookie of the Year in 2025. A versatile threat, he was one of the best scorers in the conference despite missing multiple games with an injury last year.

Drexel - Jack Joyner. Second team All CAA in the midfield last year and a regular in the lineup since he got to Drexel, Joyner could move between attack and midfield this year on a weekly basis. 

Duke - Charlie Johnson. After redshirting and dealing with injuries, Johnson truly arrived on the field for Duke last year. An All American, he developed into one of the nation’s best cover men, leading the team in CTs with the second highest total in Duke history. 

Fairfield - Julian Radossich. Who doesn’t love caused turnovers? Radossich set a program record in the stat last year with 42, including a record seven against Lehigh in the opener, and received All American honors. Not bad for a sophomore.

Georgetown - Rory Connor. Arguably the biggest prize of the transfer portal, Connor joins Georgetown after an 82 point season with Colgate. He had as many games with 8+ points last year (3) as he did with one point. 

Hampton - Quincy Newland. A freshman attackman this spring, Newland is a load of an attackman at 6’2, 200 lbs. Newland played for Jamaica at the U20 World Championships.

Harvard - Jack Spiedell. Scored 46 goals and was one of Team USA’s top weapons at the U-20 World Championships. With Sam King off to the PLL, Spiedell’s role should expand beyond just being a shooter and scorer; he is capable of being a ball carrier too.

High Point - Luca Accardo. An elite faceoff specialist who hasn’t gotten many headlines, Accardo was north of 60% last year and rewrote High Point’s record book. All American ability and can tilt the field. 

Hobart - David Peterkin. A crafty Canadian midfielder and excellent shooter. Last year’s A-10 All Conference team had 12 players on it, 10 were from Richmond or Saint Joseph’s. Peterkin is one of the others. Peterkin was excellent for Team Canada at the U-20 World Championships as well. 

Hofstra - Anthony Mollica. A tower of an attackman at 6’4, Mollica posted a 50 point season a year ago as the primary offensive weapon. Bonus pick: freshman midfielder Gus Langtry. His father, Brian, is a legend at Hofstra and was an MLL pro.

Holy Cross - Michael Rincon. The Crusaders bring back some solid defensive talent, Rincon is the best of the bunch for me. The Oregon kid caused 25 turnovers last year, including a three CT and six GB day against BU.

Iona - Cullen Lawry. As a new program, everyone at Iona is basically an underclassmen. Lawry posted a 30 goal season, including scoring 4+ goals in four times. 

Jacksonville - Lucas Fraser. The Canadian LSM is an outstanding example of the modern day iteration of the position. At Hill Academy, he played on extra man…with a pole. He scored twice in his freshman season at JU, you’ll take note of his athleticism immediately. His teammate Daylin John-Hill also had an outstanding first year and is worth a ticket purchase. 

Johns Hopkins - Hunter Chauvette. I love defense, and there’s a lot of defenseman on this list. But man, it will always be fun to watch a great shooter just let it rip. Chauvette can rip it as well as anyone in America, and I’d buy a ticket just to watch him do pre game shooting drills. 

Lafayette - Josh Heaney. With Riley Sullivan’s 70+ points graduated this could go a number ways. Heaney, Nick Blalock, and Ben DiBattista were all freshmen a year ago with 20+ goals. Heaney’s motor is outstanding, he could lead this youth movement for Lafayette in a post Sullivan era. 

Le Moyne - Lucas Winger. The Dolphins were one of the best stories of the year last year in DI, putting together an impressive record early in their DI days thanks to solid defensive play. Winger is the key. He put up 147 saves, and was just under 64% in net on the year while making first team all conference as a sophomore. 

Lehigh - Richard Checo. The CT stat hasn’t been kept for very long (started in 2010). But, following in the footsteps of fellow Mountainhawk Craig Chick, Checo is climbing the all time ranks. He recorded 45 last year and 48 the year before. He is the premier takeaway artist in college lacrosse. 

LIU - Aidan Zuhoski. First team All NEC in the midfield, as a sophomore, with over 20 goals. Never turns the ball over. The St Anthony’s product is legit.  

Loyola - Matthew Minicus. The youngest of the Minici, older brothers Colin and Brian both made their way to the pro game, while brother Michael was an impact player at Colgate. The youngest of the brothers, Matthew was a day one starter at Loyola, rocking the legendary #7. Matthew has some of each of his brothers’ games, quickness, scoring, vision, all rolled into one. 

Manhattan - Matt Pantorno. An aggressive defender, he’ll be a key piece for the Jaspers as they lost a lot to graduation. You can also go see Manhattan and just expect to see great goalie play. Sight unseen. Connor Hapward graduated, I don’t know who starts this year, but for the past few years it’s been death, taxes, and damn good Jasper goalies. 

Marist - Collin Patrick. A 61 point sophomore campaign, with balanced scoring to boot, put Patrick 1st team All MAAC. His follow up season leading an offense that returns a ton of scoring is going to be interesting. 

Marquette - Peter Detwiler. There aren’t a lot of SSDMs on this list but Detwiler is a special one. A pro ready build of 6’0, 200 lbs, Detwiler is main line PA tough and brings it to the field every play. 

Maryland - Will Schaller. Tough to pick from such a stacked roster, but Schaller will be the backbone of the Terps this year. The latest in a line of elite defenders like Zappitello, Muller, Young, Dunn, and more, Schaller can be trusted with any matchup in the country. 

Mercer - Dillon Bush. Every year I track the greatest “buckets” in NCAA lacrosse. Guys with a boatload of goals but little or even no assists. Bush lived near the top of the list last year. 39 goals, only three assists, 144 shots taken, one of America’s best pure buckets. 

Mercyhurst - Brenton Paladino. The Lakers lost some firepower on offense following the graduation of Ethan Landymore and Jeremi Phoenix-Lefebvre. But they return a potential future star down on defense. Paladino, a freshman last year, stands 6’6, and uses his massive frame to smother his matchup. He led the Lakers in CTs. 

Merrimack - Colin Kruger. The BU transfer led the Warriors in points last year with a balanced 18 goals and 14 assists.  

Michigan - Hunter Taylor. The Wolverine netminder has been a defensive mainstay in Ann Arbor, and tends to have his best stuff once those prime time Sunday night Big Ten Network games hit the schedule. 

Monmouth - Ty Caffarelli. California kid comes east to New Jersey, scores a ton of goals. Tale as old as time. Caffarelli set freshman scoring records at Monmouth, missed most of his sophomore year, and returned last year with a 34 goal season. Could a 40 spot be in play for 2026?

Mount St Mary’s - Bennett Wright. Ohio State may have their own big man in the net, but the Mount is right there. Wright is listed at 6’0, 265 lbs, and posted over 200 saves last year with a 55% save percentage. 

Navy - AJ Marsh. Part of a junior class of close defenders nationwide that just keeps excelling, Marsh is a monster athlete and a matchup eraser. He runs the field well too - he had nine points a year ago.

NJIT - Emmerick Dopona. A Texas native that’s going to get after you. Led the team in CTs, had three points, and also led the team in penalties. 

Notre Dame - Shawn Lyght. He has the ability to be a three time Schmeisser winner, which has never happened before. He won his first last year as a sophomore. If players could leave college early for the pros, Lyght would go first overall in whatever year he wanted. 

North Carolina - Owen Duffy. Duffy was one of the nation’s most electric dodging attackmen a year ago and he spent a sizable chunk of the schedule playing on one leg. Fully healthy and in attack mode, he will draw slides at will.

Ohio State - Caleb Fyock. Big Tasty himself, Fyock was the best goalie in America last year, and plays with a hyper physical and athletic defense in front of him. Don’t let his size fool you, he moves well for a big man, and makes the spectacular save with regularity. 

Penn - Leo Hoffman. Hoffman arrived in Philadelphia highly heralded as a recruit, but hasn’t yet turned it into production. His speed and explosive first step are both elite, if new coach Taylor Wray can unlock it, look out. 

Penn State - Hunter Aquino. The 6’5 midfielder burst onto the scene last year. Not that it means anything, but Aquino was a midseason 1st team All American. That’s how good his first half was. Injuries slowed him a bit in the second half, but make no mistake, Aquino will enter the season as one of the top pure midfielders in America.

Princeton - Nate Kabiri. Another team where it’s tough to pick just one, but Kabiri will no longer be in the shadow of players like Coulter Mackesy. With the keys to the offense, this sharpshooter has the chance to make his mark at a national level. 

Providence - Rhett Chambers. He’s been on a stark upward trajectory. Full time starter at attack last year, made the U20 national team the USA, and is in line for a major leadership role on the offense following the graduation of Ryan Bell.

Queens - Nicky West. The Junior netminder posted a .551 save percentage and 136 saves a year ago. Queens lost some solid defensive talent, West will be a key in leading that unit this spring. 

Quinnipiac - Ryan Downing. The Smithtown product was excellent between the lines a year ago, causing 22 turnovers. He scored a pair of goals on the season as well, while taking 12 shots, a testament to how he likes to get forward. 

Richmond - Hunter Smith. I skew toward the defensive end, but if you want to see goals, Lucas Littlejohn is definitely worth a ticket too. Smith deletes matchups and plays mean while he does it. He’s a bruiser, physical and aggressive. 

Robert Morris - Calum Brennan. Bobby Mo always has a couple Canadians who just bury a ton of goals. Brennan is this year’s. 49 goals a year ago. He’s joined by multiple NLL draft picks and Team Canada players on a Colonials squad that could be a sleeping giant this spring. 

Rutgers - JJ Aiello. While Colin Kurdyla is the alpha of the offense, I’m excited to watch the development of Aiello. He started at attack as a freshman, and I was impressed with him last fall as a dodger. He also was an outstanding football player and stands 6’1, 220 lbs. That frame and athleticism at attack is fun to watch. Bonus one from the portal, Deacon Adams. When a team has an LSM that’s tied for 5th on the roster in goals, it can catch eyeballs. That’s Adams at Queens last year. 6’2, 200, seven goals a year ago to go along with 19 CTs and 42 GBs. 

Sacred Heart - John Murray. Murray had 23 goals last year for the Pioneers and will once again be a key offensive weapon. He’s smart and very good with the ball in his stick, finding ways to pressure a defense at all times. 

Saint Bonaventure - Owen Tasse. An LSM from Canada that can seriously run. He led the team in CTs, picked up 27 GBs, and got on the score sheet with a goal and an assist. Aggressive and always on the attack. 

Saint John’s - Jayson Cardenas. Registered 17 goals last season, including impressive outputs against quality opponents. A hat trick against Jacksonville, three points against Rutgers, and three points against Villanova, all from the midfield.

Saint Joseph’s - Ben Dutton. Saint Joe’s had not one but TWO incredible buckets a year ago. Mark Watters finished the year with 25 goals and no assists, but he is off to Penn State. Dutton, a freshman a year ago, is back following a 47 goal campaign. It’s quite a weapon for new HC Scott Meehan’s offense. 

Siena - Logan Banek. The Saints attack put up some bonkers goal totals last year, and in a way it overshadowed a ridiculous freshman season facing off from Banek. 139 ground balls in a 60% season and just nine turnovers, he enables make it take it scoring runs for the Saints. 

Stony Brook - Justin Bonacci. The Sea Wolves points leader a year ago, I’ve been impressed with Bonacci’s play since his freshman year. He can play at midfield or attack, is an effective dodger, and a smart player. 

Syracuse - Joey Spallina. The likely Tewaaraton favorite, Spallina enters his senior year with equal parts star power, ability, and expectations. The Cuse hasn’t won a title since 2009 and Orange fans will want Spallina to lead the charge that changes that.

Towson - Mikey Weisshaar. Absolutely in play to be the top pick in the PLL draft, Weisshaar is electric as a dodger and shooter in the midfield. Towson played him at attack most of last year, adhering to the “have your best player on the field all the time” school of thought. Wherever he plays, Weisshaar is a high level pro taking the field in college games and it’s obvious from the opening whistle. 

UMass - Owen Salanger. UMass had a few freshman in key spots last year, to me the most prominent were Robbie Granara at attack and Salanger in goal. UMass turns out quality goalies with regularity, including pro Goalie of the Year Sean Sconone. Salanger finished 10th in the nation in save percentage and was an HM All American, he’s already making big waves in the A-10.

UMass Lowell - Danny Burke. The Riverhawks had a ton of underclassmen, and Burke was the teams leading scorer as a freshman. The leadership of Garrett Murphy graduated, and Burke will be the player to QB and lead this offense. 

UMBC - Connor McMahon. The reigning America East Goalie of the Year. He does his best work against in conference opponents, and is a redshirt senior this year who will be leaned on to lead the defense. 

Utah - Ryan Stines. My favorite way to make the case for people to stop just looking in NY and MD for top talent. Stines, from North Carolina, went out to Utah and has been piling up goals since. My pick for ASUN OPOY, Stines actually put up a 40 assist season last year after a nearly 50 goal season the year before. 

Vermont - Eddie Schwasnick. An outstanding 6’4 cover man who missed most of last year with an injury, Schwasnick is one of the best defenders in America East. Don’t be surprised to see him take home conference hardware and end up in the All America conversation.

Villanova - David Evanchick. A junior captain, but he missed almost all of last year with an injury. Evanchick is an outstanding cover defender and runs the field. His older brother, Mark, was a two sport star and pro lacrosse draft pick.

Virginia - McCabe Millon. He had a 50 point season a year ago, and was by far the team leader in shots. There are other offensive players worth the price of admission in Charlottesville. But the internet trolls have taken to really disliking Millon, branding him McCabe Villain at times. It doesn’t seem to bother him, he even seems to lean into it at times. Like a great pro wrestling heel, I’ll buy a ticket to watch that every time.

VMI - Dayton Bagwell. Without All American Luke Rusterucci, there’s a big scoring gap to fill. Bagwell had 41 goals last year and led the team in shots. He’s not just a volume guy, he shoots for a high percentage, and may get even more opportunities this spring. 

Wagner - Tristan McMahon. Excellent on ground balls and in transition, the defender had four points last year and was second on the team in CTs. 

Yale - Cole Cashion. A lot of key players aren’t in New Haven anymore (Brad Sharp to OSU, Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons to Maryland, Max Krevsky to the PLL, Johnny Keib and Carson Kuhl graduated). The Bulldogs have had some young players in role player spots, it’s time for them to step up. Cashion is a great dodger from the midfield, and a very smart player. He has impressed since he arrived in New Haven. 

HONORABLE MENTION!  A trio D2 and D3 kings

Adelphi - Kyle Lewis. An explosive midfielder who hit the OT game winner in the NCAA title game last year. Lewis was courted by top tier D1 teams in the portal, but stayed with the Panthers. Every year he has elevated another part of his game. Go see Adelphi for Kyle Lewis, stay for attackman Braden Donnellan who won the Turnbull as a sophomore.

Maryville - Justin Simonson. Posted a 40/40 season a year ago in a serious breakout campaign. Maryville got their first NCAA win in program history, and then upset Limestone in the quarters behind an OT winner from Simonson to reach their first NCAA semifinal. 

Wingate - Kyle Spence. The Bulldogs churn out some great attackmen. Spence is the latest, starting all 20 games last year and posting 118 points including 79 assists. An elite feeder of the ball who will have D1 teams checking on eligibility rules.

Tufts - Jack Regnery. One of the best pure scorers in America, in any division. Regnery has 159 goals in his last two seasons and has taken 627 career shots. Go see Tufts and watch him rip it. 

Christopher Newport - Kevin Miller. Scored 50 points as a freshman in ‘24, more than doubled it to 115 in ‘25 including a CNU record 81 assists. Miller was the Virginia SID State Player of the Year as a sophomore, the only other person to ever do that was Connor Shellenberger. 

Randolph Macon - Mike Allen. Highest motor in D3 ball. Allen is 6’4, lean, and always around the ball. Even as a defender, he had more games with points than without, and posts video game numbers in CT and GB categories.