Previewing the 2024 MIAA lacrosse season

Prior to 2017, only one program — 2007-08 Loyola Blakefield — had earned consecutive MIAA A Conference championships.

That was before Calvert Hall’s three-year blitz from 2017-19, which was halted by the COVID shutdown in 2020.

Now, McDonogh is primed to be the second team to accomplish the feat after winning back-to-back titles last spring and in 2022 under coach Andy Hilgartner — and the Eagles have the talent and experience to do just that.

Starting with Inside Lacrosse’s top-ranked player in the Class of 2025, Brendan Millon, McDonogh is loaded from top to bottom.

Seniors Like Miller (Notre Dame) and Blake Resnick (Dickinson) and sophomore Hunter Metz round out the attack unit.

Seniors Max Allen (Georgetown) and Paul McLucas (Navy) and junior Michael Tan (Ohio State) form a strong backline stationed in front of junior goalie Aidan Seibel (Maryland) while senior Ben Firlie (Georgetown) patrols the midfield with juniors Bogue Hahn (Syracuse), James Tolker (Navy), Camp Lacorazza (Brown) and Eli Schaller (Maryland).

Senior D-middies Chase Green (Navy) and Andrew Kasten (Fairfield) will also play a pivotal role between the lines.

The Eagles are still trying to regroup from a 14-7 setback to Haverford School in Philadelphia earlier this week.

“They got on a roll late in the second quarter and early in the third quarter,” Hilgartner said. “It went from 6-3 to 11-3 pretty quickly when they won a bunch of face-offs in a row. They took it to us. We have a bunch of guys who really didn’t play much last year, so in some ways we’re a work in progress.”

The rival most likely to challenge McDonogh for A Conference supremacy is Boys’ Latin, which has already routed D.C.-area power St. John’s College, 12-4.

Seniors Liam White (Ohio State), George Insley and Colin Kenney (Merrimack) and junior Lincoln Herring (Yale) pace a potent midfield contingent that complements senior attackmen Spencer Ford (Maryland) and Connor Sydnor (Air Force) and junior Matt Higgins (Maryland).

The defense is just as stout, featuring seniors Desi Arrup and Nick Chan (Towson) and sophomore Bryce Barrett manning poles to mesh with senior shortsticks Duncan Barnes (Delaware), Connor Schoenwetter (Marquette) and Mason Proutt (Bates).

Close defenders such as seniors Michael Meredith (Jacksonville), Drew Wehberg (UMBC) and Brady Wesloski (Delaware) patrol the turf in front of senior goalie Will Ohnmacht (Notre Dame). 

Look for senior Parker Hoffman (North Carolina) to handle face-off duties.

“This is a veteran group with good chemistry,” BL coach Brian Farrell said. “They are focused and have worked very hard in the off season. Good player leadership from our senior class.” 

Last year’s A Conference runner-up, Calvert Hall, will need to get the most out of a slew of younger and less experienced players to make another deep playoff run in 2024.

So far, dropping a narrow 14-12 decision to Inside Lacrosse’s top-ranked Lawrenceville (N.J.) before falling to Canada powerhouse Hill Academy, 13-8, has not diminished the Cardinals’ potential for a successful season.

“I told the players that there are no moral victories,” Calvert Hall coach Bryan Kelly said, alluding to the Lawrenceville game. “Some people thought that we shouldn’t even be in the game, but we have a lot of really good players.”

Seniors Owen Scott (High Point) and Preston Huffman (Salisbury), juniors Mark Botek (Richmond), Peyton Forte (Navy) and Will Schwanke and sophomore Jack Williams will rotate on attack for the Cardinals.

Two-time MIAA wrestling individual champ Sisto Averno (Maryland) heads a midfield unit with fellow seniors Cody Collier (Navy) and Ronan Butler (Swarthmore), juniors Jackson Mitchell (St. Joseph’s), Max Murray (Fairfield) and Will Schoonmaker, sophomore Oliver Francis and freshman Michael Steer.

Seniors Gavin Batelka (UMBC), Griffen McNeir (UMBC), Cole Matter (High Point), Greg Gaspar (Delaware) and Logan Duffy (UMBC) will play close to senior goalie Alex Swartz in the back while junior Jermaine Anderson (North Carolina) will wield the pole on the defensive midfield.

Senior Brody Dail, sophomore Jaxson Snellbaker and freshman Micha Morozov will also log plenty of time as D-middies for a team with depth in the back.

With eight starters returning to the fold, Severn could be a handful for A Conference rivals to deal with this spring.

Coach Joe Christie points out that the top midfield line of seniors Andrew Beard (Penn State) and Chase Hallam (Hobart) and junior Tanner Huber (Richmond) has the potential to be elite, presenting “opposing defenses with a host of problems due to each player’s ability to dodge and score from multiple positions on the field.”

And getting that trio the ball consistently will fall to the capable hands of four-year starting FOGO Reid Gills (Penn State).

Meanwhile, Gettysburg-bound seniors Jackson Barroll and Carter Johnson lend experience to an attack that also features sophomore Sam Long.

Senior Bo Fowler (Richmond/football) paces the close defense with juniors Casey Gattie and Cole Morris guarding senior Jack Read (Vermont) in the net.

Losing reliable scorer Jacob Todd (Princeton), plus two starting close defenders, to graduation could be an issue for the Admirals.

“The defensive side of the ball has a host of new faces,” Christie said.

However, Severn is “athletic depth at every position, and will look to push transition and run the field this year,” the coach added.

While longstick Hee-Cheol Shin (Air Force) and goalie Gordie Smith (Lehigh) will carry the senior leadership role for St. Paul’s defense, junior attackmen Luke Bair (North Carolina) and Jack Iannannuto (Penn State) will pace the Crusaders’ offense this spring.

Look for junior SSDM Roman Dodson (Towson) to be a key in the transition game.

"We are experienced at attack and defense, but inexperienced at midfield, losing two top midfielders to season-ending knee injuries,” St. Paul’s coach Steven Settembrino said. “We play a good amount of freshmen at defense and midfield, as we are deep at the midfield position." 

St. Mary’s home field, what coach Victor Lilly calls "The Pascal Pit,” typically lends itself to some exciting moments during the A Conference campaign. 

“We have an outstanding out-of-conference schedule to prepare us for a very tough league schedule,” he added. “I believe you need to play great competition to improve and prepare for our league season. Through preseason success and with positive MIAA League outcomes, we hope to challenge for a playoff spot and see just how good this 2024 squad can be.”

Juniors Than Souza (UMBC) and Jamison McAndrews (Salisbury), sophomore Henry Dion and sophomore James Brimhall are the mainstays on attack with captains Ganon Cope (Mercer) and Cole Kucinski (St. Bonaventure) joining fellow seniors Owen Buczynski, Mitch Waynik and Palmer Austin on an experienced midfield contingent.

Junior Pierce Johnston Clark and sophomore Liam Hahn will also log time as middies.

Senior captain Caden Cunningham (Christopher Newport) and junior Todd Freeman (UMBC) head the defensive midfield with senior captain Steve Schummer (Georgetown), senior Kyle Harrison (Utah) and sophomores Connor McAndrew and Mason Kravitz shielding senior netmiders Logan Earl (UMBC) and junior Gus Haas.

“St. Mary's is looking to field a competitive team in 2024 and continue the tradition from the former players on DOG Street (Duke of Gloucester),” Lilly said.

Archbishop Spalding’s Evan Hockel said that he’s looking forward to his first season coaching at his alma mater.

A slew of college commits will lead the way for the Cavaliers, including seniors Jameson Coffman (UMBC), Alec Howard (UMBC), Ben Duffy (Vermont) and Connor Wilbur (St. John Fisher).

The junior class has even more future collegians, with Robby Hopper (Virginia), Ryan Criswell (Navy), Ethan Ostrowski (VMI), Jacob Neuman (Mercer), Brock LaRochelle (Navy), Diego Garza (Navy), Joey Matassa (Bucknell), Jack Newell (Fairfield) and Gordon Bennett (Hobart).

“The boys have worked really hard in the off-season and we are ready to show everyone we will be much improved from last year,” Hockel said.

Fellow first-year coach Will Haus will also have a group of top-notch players at his disposal this spring at Loyola Blakefield.

It starts with slick attackman Mason Cook (Loyola) pacing a unit that also boasts fellow seniors Ty Bleach (Fairfield) and Luke Rush.

Rush will play in the midfield as well with classmates Jake Doran (Holy Cross), Reid Shaughness and Jack Gunning (Middlebury).

Seniors Peter Laake (Maryland) and Liam Powell (Delaware) are mainstays on the close defense with senior pole Brady Nicholas (Marquette) running the pole in from of senior goalie Jack Donovan (St. John Fisher),

“We return a handful of players who have significant experience,” Haus said. “Their energy and effort is contagious — A group of young men who give it their all. (I am) hoping this experience will translate to the way we play and lead. We look to continue to maintain and build upon the legacy of Loyola lacrosse.” 

John Carroll senior class of Dougie Kolb (M), Logan Boltz (M), Eli Gilbert (D) will be “setting that standard on what our level of compete is in every practice and game, which is going to be the foundation of our program,” according to coach Gunnar Waldt.

Help will be provided by juniors Jackson Harcarik (A), Aedan Gilbert (M), Jaden Riley (M) and Owen Chesla (LSM), sophomores Noah Harmel (A) and Buster Barger (G).

The freshmen duo of Ty Rizzuto (A) and Jacob Norris (D) will also contribute to the Patriots’ cause in the A Conference.”

“Our goal is to be physically and mentally tougher than our opponents this year in order for us to have a successful season,” Waldt added. “We have to do the little things right on a daily basis for us to have on field success throughout the season."

Park’s quest to find a way back at least to the B Conference final will rest largely on the shoulders of all-round standout Greg Mann, who will log plenty of quality minutes in a variety of roles — even as a wing on face-offs — for the Bruins.

After all, the senior scored five goals in last year’s championship loss to Archbishop Curley while also playing sticky defense for the 13-3 Bruins.

“He’s our best player,” third-year coach Josh Lauren said. “He’ll stay on the field for most of the game.”

Max Baran and Skylar Redmond are the other seniors with the skills to buttress the Park offense — Baran for his finishing ability and Redmond for his quality stickwork.

Senior goalie Jake Fruman, who Lauren said has been looking strong in the net this spring, is the most experienced player on a defense that will be challenged at times.

“Those four guys are our core players,” Lauren added. “There will be a steep learning curve for some of our guys. We have a lack of depth, but we also have high expectations and we feel that they’ll pick things up quickly.”

Playing each league rival twice this season will bring some familiarity to the proceedings in a good way, Lauren said.

And the Bruins have already circled the first of two games on the schedule against the champion Friars on April 12.

“We have tremendous respect for (Curley) coach Ogle and what they do at Curley,” Lauren said. “I think the B Conference is a little underrated. We have good teams and good schools, and we’re excited for the season.”

A solid nucleus from last year's team should keep Curley up or near the top of the B Conference again, coach Chris Ogle said. 

The Friars will be solid in the midfield with seniors James Zingo (St. Joseph’s), Carson Giannelli (St. Mary's) and Jack Wojciechowski (St. Mary's) taking control.

Seniors Carter Baynes (St. Mary's) and Bryce Schmitt are the top defenders for Ogle’s backline while junior Cooper Granados and senior Dominic Broadwater lead the charge on attack. 

Junior Ryan Cosey will be in goal as a first-year varsity starter.

“This year we expect to be in the mix for another run at the conference title,” Ogle added. “We must be ready to take every team's best shot and stay hungry. With the loss of last year's seniors, this group has to approach the season with something to prove. We must earn everything.”