Coming off its 12th Liberty League title since 2012 and its 15th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, it comes as no surprise that the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) men’s lacrosse team was selected as the top team in the Liberty League for the 2026 campaign, as voted by the conference’s head coaches.
RIT headlines the 2026 Liberty League Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll with six first-place votes and 48 total points. The race at the top of the standings is expected to be competitive, with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and St. Lawrence University not far behind the Tigers in second and third, respectively. RPI received one first-place vote and totaled 41 points, while St. Lawrence also earned a first-place vote and tallied 40 points. All three programs were the top three seeds in last year’s conference tournament and qualified for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Ithaca College (28 points) was picked to finish fourth, followed by Skidmore College in fifth and Union College in sixth with 24 and 23 points, respectively. Clarkson University (11) and Vassar College (9) round out the poll. All eight league teams will battle it out in the regular season for five coveted conference playoff spots.
For the second straight year, five Liberty League teams earned recognition in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division III Preseason Poll, while three programs were also featured in Inside Lacrosse’s preseason rankings. In the USILA poll, RIT is among the top-five teams at No. 4, followed by RPI at No. 7 and St. Lawrence at No. 12. Skidmore and Ithaca are also receiving votes. Inside Lacrosse likewise ranks RIT at No. 4, with RPI checking in at No. 9 and St. Lawrence at No. 15.
Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the fifth straight year to wrap up the 2025 season. The Tigers finished with a 21-2 overall record as well as an unblemished 7-0 mark in conference play. Despite the graduation of 13, the Tigers are poised to continue their run of success within the Liberty League and Division III. RIT will be led by a pair of All-Liberty League second team selections and USILA preseason All-Americans in goalie Alex Zborowski and long stick midfielder Logan Fletcher. Zborowski started and played in all 23 games last season and was second among Liberty League goalies in goals against average (8.31) and total saves (221). He was also among the top ten in save percentage (4th, .583) and saves per game (7th, 9.61). Nationally, he was among the top 25 in Division III for both goals against average (11th) and save percentage (22nd). Zborowski totaled 10 or more saves 10 times in 2025. Fletcher also returns to bolster the Tigers’ defensive corps. In 23 games, he recorded a team-best 30 caused turnovers and scooped up 54 ground balls, good for fourth on the team. Among league leaders, Fletcher finished second in caused turnovers and eighth in caused turnovers per game (1.30). In addition, he contributed to the offense with five goals and two assists for seven points. Ethan Harkins is back to pilot the offense after finishing second on the team in goals (42) and fourth in points (54) last year. He also dished out 12 assists, along with 24 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Harkins was among the conference’s top scorers, ranking 4th in points per game (3.39) and eighth in goals per game (1.83).
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
RPI wrapped up the 2025 season with a 16-4 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Liberty League play. The Engineers earned their third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the national quarterfinals. They will look to build on that momentum heading into 2026, but there will be big shoes to fill with the graduation of 15 seniors, including All-Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year goalie Joseph Perry (16-4, 7.77 goals against average, .585 save percentage). A strong nucleus returns to Troy to lead the 2026 squad, highlighted by three All-Liberty League honorees: Tyler Ruffini (first team), Easton Morse (second team), and Sean Smith (honorable mention). Ruffini paced the Engineers’ offense with 37 goals and 44 assists for a team-best 81 points. He ranked second in the league in goals, assists, and points, and led the conference in assists per game (2.20), while adding 26 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. Morse scored a team-high 48 goals and added 23 assists for 71 points in 2025. He finished second in the Liberty League in goals and points, and third in goals per game (2.40) and points per game (3.55). Smith appeared in 16 games and contributed 21 goals and 11 assists for 32 points, along with 30 ground balls and two caused turnovers. Defensively, Robby McDonald returns after recording 20 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers in 20 games.
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence finished the 2025 season at 12-7 overall (5-2 Liberty League), and the Saints have appeared in 13 consecutive conference tournaments. They advanced to the Liberty League title game for the second time since 2022 and secured an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. They will look to build on both postseason streaks in 2026. The Saints do have some holes to fill with the graduation of USILA All-Americans Michael Marinello, 2025 USILA Goalie of the Year (8.85 goals against average, .600 save percentage), and faceoff specialist Paddy Condon (.578 faceoff percentage). The Saints return a fully loaded offense with seven of their top eight scorers back from last season. Daniel Mahoney, an All-Liberty League Second Team selection, and Jamie Rosenzweig lead the squad’s attack after finishing first and second on the team in scoring in 2025. Mahoney recorded a team-best 38 goals and 57 points, along with 19 assists, 42 ground balls, and 15 caused turnovers. Rosenzweig totaled 23 goals and a team-high 28 assists for 51 points, while also collecting 27 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Cam Croasdile and Quin Fedor add experience to the midfield and defensive units, respectively. Croasdile appeared in 19 games; he posted 19 goals and six assists with 11 ground balls. Fedor played in 18 contests, where he scooped up 17 ground balls and caused eight turnovers.
Ithaca College
Ithaca returned to the Liberty League Tournament for the first time since 2021 last season, finishing 10-9 overall with a 3-4 mark against conference opponents. The Bombers will be a veteran squad in 2026, led by 13 seniors and 12 juniors. A pair of All-Liberty League Second Team selections headline the returning core, with Lucas Proctor directing the offense and Jace Dockx anchoring the back line. Proctor led the team with 50 points in 18 games, totaling a team-best 29 goals, and he dished out 21 assists. He also produced 25 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Dockx started all 19 games and paced the team with 40 ground balls while recording 14 caused turnovers, good for third on the team. Goalkeeper Andrew Minard, a USILA All-America honorable mention selection, joins Dockx in spearheading the defense. Minard started all 19 games in net and recorded 204 saves (10.7 per game) with an 8.53 goals against average and a .564 save percentage. Among Liberty League goalies, he was fourth in both goals against average and saves per game, while ranking fifth in save percentage. Nationally, he was 18th in goals against average and 39th in save percentage. Ethan Adrid is also expected to be a key offensive contributor after posting 32 points on 15 goals and 17 assists last season.
Skidmore College
Skidmore wrapped up a strong 2025 campaign with an 8-7 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference games. The Thoroughbreds made their first Liberty League Tournament appearance since 2011 and will look to return to the postseason with an experienced squad in 2026, with all four All-Liberty League selections—Mike Aiello (Rookie of the Year), David Koffler (second team), Michael Dearborn (honorable mention), and Marty McFadden (honorable mention) back in Saratoga Springs. Aiello headlines the offensive returners after recording a team-best 35 goals, scoring at least one goal in 14 of 15 games, and totaling 46 points last season. He led the Liberty League in shots per game (8.93) and was fourth in goals per game (2.33) and fifth in points per game (3.07). Koffler is another key returning piece of the Thoroughbred offense after notching 20 points on 14 goals and six assists in 2025. He also posted 28 ground balls. Dearborn and McFadden will power Skidmore’s defensive unit after ranking second and third in the Liberty League in caused turnovers per game at 1.93 and 1.86, respectively, last year. Dearborn led the team with 29 caused turnovers (3rd, Liberty League), while McFadden recorded 26 (6th, Liberty League). The duo combined for 62 ground balls, with Dearborn collecting 36 and McFadden picking up 26.
Union College
Union will aim for a return to the postseason after narrowly missing the Liberty League Tournament in 2025. The Garnet Chargers enter the season with 14 newcomers and a solid returning nucleus that includes five starters. That group is highlighted by long stick midfielder John Sula and goalie Nick Lynch. Sula, an All-Liberty League First Team selection, ranked third on the team with 41 ground balls and finished second with 13 caused turnovers. He also posted a career-high four points on two goals and two assists. Sula scooped up at least one ground ball in every game last season. Lynch, an All-Liberty League Honorable Mention pick, stepped into the starting role in goal for Union and finished the year with a .592 save percentage and an 11.81 goals against average across 12 starts. He led the conference and ranked 12th nationally in saves per game at 16.7 (200 total saves). He also finished second in the league in save percentage, good for 17th in Division III. Other key returnees include Walker Popko and John Lucey. Popko was the team’s offensive leader in 2025 with 34 goals and eight assists for 42 points. He also added 22 ground balls. Lucey contributed two points on one goal and one assist, collected 34 ground balls, and led the team with 14 caused turnovers.
Clarkson University
With the return of six starters, Clarkson will look to improve upon an overall record of 8-8 heading into 2026. The Golden Knights will be a young team with 15 first-year players, but a core group of returners led by last year’s leading scorer, Rob Fox, goalie Griffin Emerson, and defenders Jack Garvey and Dylan Coan bodes well for the team. Last season, Fox led Clarkson with 48 points on 19 goals and a team-best 29 assists, while causing seven turnovers and scooping up 33 ground balls. He was third in the Liberty League in assists per game (1.81) and eighth in points per game (3.00). Emerson went 8-7 in net with an 8.20 goals against average and a .548 save percentage. He also added an assist, three caused turnovers, and 41 ground balls. He ranked third in the conference in goals against average and 12th in Division III. Garvey and Coan played in all 16 games last season, registering double-digit totals in both ground balls and caused turnovers. Garvey caused 27 turnovers and scooped up 21 ground balls. He finished fourth in the Liberty League in caused turnovers per game (1.69) and fifth in total caused turnovers. Coan added 26 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers.
Vassar College
Vassar closed out 2025 with a 6-9 overall record, including two wins in the final three games of the regular season. The Brewers open the 2026 campaign with a veteran group with eight returning starters. They will be led by Gavin Arcuri, who paced the team in assists (15) and points (38) a year ago. He was also second in goals with 23. Arcuri recorded at least one point in 14 of 15 games to go along with 36 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Midfielders Anderson Eads and Baker Morton are back after playing in all 15 games last season, providing the team with an additional offensive boost. Eads netted 16 goals and dished out six assists for 22 points, while Morton produced 13 goals and handed out two assists for 15 points. Defender Dan Bader looks to return to his 2024 form after appearing in just two games last season due to injury, where he recorded three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Bader started all 15 games in 2024, where he was third on the team in caused turnovers (11) and fourth in ground balls (32).
The 2026 campaigns kick off on Friday, February 6, with RPI visiting Kean University in Union, N.J. The following week, RIT opens its season on Saturday, February 14, in Granville, Ohio, against Denison University. Skidmore and Union host their season openers on Tuesday, February 17, and Wednesday, February 18, respectively, against Hartwick College and Bates College. St. Lawrence begins its 2026 campaign on Thursday, February 19, at Springfield College. Vassar (at Hartford, February 21), Ithaca (vs. St. John Fisher, February 21), and Clarkson (vs. Nazareth, February 28) all start later in the month. Liberty League play gets underway on Saturday, March 21, with all eight conference teams in action: Vassar at RIT, RPI at Skidmore, Union at St. Lawrence, and Ithaca at Clarkson.
2026 Liberty League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Place. Team, Points
- 1. RIT, 48 (6)
- 2. RPI, 41 (1)
- 3. St. Lawrence, 40
- 4. Ithaca, 28
- 5. Skidmore, 24
- 6. Union, 23
- 7. Clarkson, 11
- 8. Vassar, 9
(First-place votes are in parentheses)