By Ryan Eichem and Tommy Jacobellis
With the NCAA men’s lacrosse season underway, we highlighted one player from each MAAC school to look out for this season.
Marist – Joshua Balcarcel
The Red Foxes’ leader in every major offensive category is returning for his graduate year, hoping to bring home his second MAAC championship in three years. Balcarcel is a shifty, sturdy midfielder standing at 5-foot-7, and is everything you want in an elite playmaker.
In his senior season, Balcarcel scored 30 goals and dished out 21 assists, both career highs. The former Puerto Rico National Team representative ranked ninth in the conference with 1.4 assists per game, earning All-MAAC First Team honors.
The two-time team captain is the quarterback of this Marist offense. With elite footwork and excellent vision, he is a matchup nightmare, constantly drawing the slide and feeding others.
Balcarcel has also performed on the big stage, scoring a hat trick in both the semifinal and conference championship games during his junior year. For a young Marist team, his leadership is vital throughout the season, especially as they bring in a new head coach.
It’s no surprise if Balcarcel’s name is among the top ten in both goals and assists and is in the running for Offensive Player of the Year in the MAAC.
Manhattan – Kylee DuPree
Following a conference championship loss to Sacred Heart, midfielder Kylee DuPree looks to lead the Manhattan Jaspers over the hump and to a MAAC championship. Starting all 17 games as a junior, DuPree made an impact all over the field, ranking second on the team in goals, assists, shots, and points.
In Dupree’s sophomore year, he finished third on the team in goals and fourth in assists, establishing himself as one of Manhattan’s most valuable weapons. Now, heading into his senior season, he becomes an offensive focal point with a chance to cement his name among the top goal scorers in the MAAC.
Scoring 24 goals and tallying 14 assists this past season, Dupree achieved career highs across the board. These performances earned the New York native All-MAAC Second Team honors.
At 5-10 and 160 pounds, Dupree possesses a powerful and remarkably accurate shot for his frame. He is quick and elusive when dodging and demonstrates excellent footwork to get past defenders. Coupled with his quick decision-making and outstanding vision, Dupree has all the tools of an elite midfielder.
It was an excellent season for the Manhattan Jaspers last year, falling just one game short of the championship. With key starters returning and Kylee Dupree leading the way, winning the MAAC championship is well within reach.
Quinnipiac – Mason Oak
One of the most decorated and dominant players in the MAAC is dialed in for his senior season between the pipes. Oak took home a plethora of awards in 2024, winning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and MAAC All-Conference First Team. For 2025 he is a preseason All-American honorable mention.
Oak led the MAAC with a .587 save percentage, good for fourth in the country and 15.43 saves per game, ranking second in the nation.
What makes Oak so dominant is his poise and composure in net. He is steady, never guessing. Always in his stance with his hands extended, attacking the ball. Another important aspect of Oak’s game is his outlets. After every save, Oak’s eyes are downfield, looking to get a fast break going the other way.
With one of the best keepers in the game, the Bobcats will stay competitive in any matchup. If their offense picks up a little more, Quinnipiac can make a run in the MAAC tournament.
Siena – Caden Olmstead
The 2024 MAAC Offensive Rookie of the Year, Caden Olmstead, was one of the most lethal goal scorers in the MAAC this past season and has a shot you cannot teach. The long, lengthy attackmen ranked third in the MAAC in goals per game with 2.64 as a rookie.
Olmstead is a premier option on this high-powered Siena offense, leading the team in points with 53, second with 41 goals, and third in assists with 12. Olmstead’s impressive season earned him All-MAAC Second Team honors and a spot on the All-MAAC Rookie Team.
This past season, Olmstead scored two game-winning goals, one against Wagner and the other against Manhattan to complete Siena’s incredible comeback. They scored four goals in 48 seconds, and the young rookie was the hero as he netted the game-winner with three seconds to go.
Olmstead has a rocket of a shot with a quick release. He is not the quickest player, but thanks to his long arms, he generates power when he finds minimal space to shoot.
This season, expect Olmstead to take on a bigger leadership role, and not play like an underclassman in his sophomore season.
Sacred Heart – Luke Romanek
After transferring from Rutgers University before his junior year, Luke Romanek fit into the Pioneers program, placing on the All-MAAC second team, winning .552 of his faceoffs and scooping 87 ground balls.
Led by Romanek at the faceoff X, the Pioneers went 13-5 and a perfect 9-0 in MAAC play. They continued their run into the MAAC tournament, securing the title before falling to the University of Albany in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
During his underclassmen years at Rutgers Romanek featured in 10 contests, winning 19-43 faceoffs. Canisius junior Micah Hanson will defend his MAAC Face-Off Specialist of the year award, but don’t be shocked if Romanek competes with him this season.
Canisius – Micah Hanson
After winning 183 of his 357 faceoffs in 2024, Micah Hanson was awarded the MAAC Face-Off Specialist of the Year.
In addition to his faceoff wins, Hanson tallied four goals and three assists. Hanson recorded his best career game against Long Island University, tallying a goal and an assist while winning a career-high 22 faceoffs. He also added 18 ground balls, a decent chunk of the 120 he snagged in 2024.
Hanson was named a captain for the 2025 season, leading a Golden Griffins team looking to improve upon a 5-10 (3-6 in MAAC) 2024.
Hanson also limited his turnover number to nine in 2024, a low number for someone with 15 games played and 357 faceoffs taken.
In games when Hanson won 15 or more faceoffs, Canisius went 0-4. If you lower it to 14 faceoffs, the Griffs went 1-5. One major thing to improve on for Canisius is taking advantage of their star face-off man.
Mount St. Mary’s – Brody Atkinson
After winning Co-Rookie of the Year in the MAAC with 30 goals and 43 total points, sophomore attacker Brody Atkinson is already a known commodity in the conference. Atkinson recorded six hat tricks in 2024 and scored four goals against Binghamton and Marist.
Atkinson finished second on the team in assists with 12. His shooting was extremely efficient, netting 42% of shot attempts, which helped make his case for his All-MAAC rookie selection.
The Mountaineers struggled mightily in 2024, going just 1-14 and 1-8 in conference play. They ended the year winless in six as well as on the road. Looks can be deceiving, though; five of their games were decided by one goal. They took Binghamton to overtime and Monmouth to two overtime periods, although both games ended in 13-12 losses.
In a year that frankly can’t be worse than last year‘s, the Mount has a bright spot in star sophomore Brody Atkinson.
Merrimack – KJ Delane
Despite going cold toward the end of last year’s season, junior attacker KJ Delane is one to watch for Merrimack in 2025. Standout sophomore Kasey Mongillo transferred to Rutgers, leaving a sizable gap in the Warriors’ attack.
Delane played in 15 games last year, starting in all. He scored 17 goals and racked up 24 total points.
The 6-foot-3 attackman enters his junior season playing in the MAAC for the first time, as Merrimack has just switched conferences. Despite that, Delane still did play some MAAC opponents last year. He scored three goals in a win against Sacred Heart and tallied a goal and an assist in a home loss to Quinnipiac.
Merrimack looks to build on a mediocre 6-9 season, in which they split their home games and won just a third of their away games. Without numerous leaders from last year‘s team, and in a new conference, KJ Delane will certainly have to step up.
Iona – Cullen Lawry
The Iona Gaels are set to begin their first season as a Division I program and look to compete in the MAAC. With an extremely young team, look for freshman Cullen Lawry to be a key contributor to this Gaels offense.
Lawry earned MAAC rookie of the week after nine goals and one assist across two games, including pouring in five goals in Iona’s first-ever win, beating Hampton University 13-9. His heavy right-handed shot stretches the defense and he finds spaces in the defense as a good off-ball cutter.
Iona has the youngest team in the MAAC and has a long road to being a contender in their first season. With that being said, Lawry will work to build a foundation in the Gaels’ debut season.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist, Siena, Mount St. Mary’s, Canisius, Manhattan and Quinnipiac Athletics
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