The 2024-25 offseason for Marist men’s lacrosse featured two monumental announcements: long-time head coach Keegan Wilkinson stepped down, with assistant coach Dave Scarcello taking his place and senior midfielder Joshua Balcarcel returns for a fifth year.
On July 10, 2024, Wilkinson announced his departure after 17 years with the program, 10 as the head coach. He is the winningest head coach in program history with 99 including three MAAC championships, most recently in 2023.
His successor? Scarcello, a hire from within who played for Wilkinson as a goalie from 2012-15 and coached on the staff since 2019. This season ushers in a new era but with a familiar figure.
Five days later, Balcarcel announced his return for a fifth year on his Instagram. The attackman tallied 30 goals and 21 assists last season, both career highs. He is the engine of the Marist offense, able to dodge from multiple spots on the field and create offense with his lightning speed and agility.
Marked by those two pieces of news, the Red Foxes entered the preseason with a fresh yet familiar vibe. Coach Scarcello is no stranger to the program as a former player.
“He’s been a part of the program… having that sense of continuity helped us in the sense of not skipping a beat,” said Balcarcel.
Balcarcel wears No. 34 to honor Eddie Coombs, a privilege for one player each season. Scarcello was the first to don the ‘34’ in 2015, exemplifying leadership and sacrifice that sets the standard.
Scarcello steps into his role with a talented roster, losing just two starters and one rotation piece to graduation. Marist returns their top six scorers from last season, three of them freshmen. The Red Foxes landed third in the preseason MAAC poll, behind Sacred Heart and rivals Siena.
The roster features 13 players from the 2023 MAAC championship team. After an average 8-7 record in 2024, that group has the hunger to return to competing for championships after losing to Siena in the first round of the MAAC playoffs a year ago.
Coach Scarcello said the group of 13 will be looked upon as leaders, but “allowing them to reflect on what it took to get there” is the important perspective.
Despite the number of veterans on the team, Marist’s youth made waves last year and contributed up and down the lineup. Two of the Preseason All-MAAC selections, midfielder Sean Mullan and Michael Cassano were freshmen last year, and sophomore midfielder Collin Patrick earned All-MAAC rookie honors after starting every game.
“I have that year under my belt, this past offseason I was able to be more comfortable and try different things,” said Patrick.
He and Mullan combined for 37 goals and 20 assists in 2024. Patrick worked behind the goal with his speed and low center of gravity. Mullan provides shifty two-handed dodging from the midfield and uses his 6-4 frame to attack downhill.
The Red Foxes had four players earn preseason All-MAAC honors: midfielders Balcarcel (Graduate Student) and Mullan (Sophomore), senior defender Aiden McCaffrey, and Cassano.
McCaffrey earned All-MAAC second team in 2024 causing 34 turnovers and scooping 48 ground balls with his ridiculous stick skills. He’s a bonafide leader on this defense and takes the top attackmen matchup each game.
Cassano, a sophomore, made the All-MAAC second team after a great freshman campaign. He forced 10 turnovers, collected 26 ground balls, and scored two goals in a win against Canisius. He patrols the midfield and makes winning plays every game. Cassano earned an invite to tryout for the USA lacrosse U-20 team over the summer.
Behind them is senior goalkeeper Noble Smith. Smith, a North Carolina native, has appeared in 27 games in the last two years, making 25 starts. With a career goals-against-per-game average of just under 12, Smith is a key part of the team’s defense. He is a streaky goaltender who can get as hot as anyone in the country but sometimes struggles to find consistent performance. With a full year of playing last year, expect his floor to rise with his confidence up.
Scarcello has two talented assistant coaches this season, Tyler Perelle and JD Colarusso.
This is Perelle’s first year rejoining the staff since coaching at Marist from 2019-2020. Perelle was at Binghamton in between, where he played in college. Marist defeated no. 9 Army in 2020, its highest-ranked win in program history.
Colarusso joined the staff before the 2022 season, but before Marist, he started in goal for the PLL’s Atlas lacrosse club. He played at UAlbany and finished his college career in the top 10 in Division I in goals-against average and save percentage.
Marist’s schedule features six home games and six non-conference games. After opening at home, the Red Foxes face a tough five-game road trip.
Most notably a road game against Denver, an elite program that is constantly a top 15 team in the country. The Pioneers polled in at no. 10 in the preseason, coming off a 13-4 season where they reached the national semi-finals before falling to the national champs Notre Dame.
They lost one home game in 2024 with a high-altitude environment and suffocating defense. Marist finishes their road trip out West with a game against Air Force.
Playing bigger schools in non-conference play is important to Scarcello and his team, as it provides a litmus test and a chance to make history.
“If we’re able to compete with them, we feel like we can compete with the top teams in the country,” said Scarcello.
The Red Foxes have a non-conference game squeezed into their MAAC schedule against Delaware, taking on the Blue Hens for the first time since they knocked Marist out of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
“We have not beaten Delaware in our entire history. We want to get over that hump,” said Scarcello.
With new leadership and a mostly unchanged roster, the Red Foxes look to advance further than last year. Marist opens their season hosting Mercer on Saturday, February 8. First faceoff at Tenney Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Edited by Michael Burns and Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
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