Frank Fedorjaka begins his 20th season as Bucknell’s head men’s lacrosse coach on Saturday when the Bison make their 2025 debut at home against Merrimack (12 p.m., ESPN+), and the veteran mentor has a very clear understanding of the areas in which his team must improve in order to make the climb back into title contention in the talent-rich Patriot League.
Struggles on faceoffs and in the clearing game led to the Bison playing an awful lot of defense last season, and an average of 13.0 goals allowed per game proved to be too much to overcome. The result was a 4-10 record and a 2-6 mark in the Patriot League that left them out of the postseason picture. Bucknell was 0-6 on the road in 2024, but the last three of those were a 9-8 loss at Lehigh, a 15-13 loss at Loyola, and a 13-12 overtime setback at Navy. The Bison were only a few plays away from flipping the narrative, and with virtually the entire starting lineup returning this spring – and with the brand new Pascucci Team Center now open and already paying dividends -- optimism is high heading into 2025.
“We’re a better team than last season, especially when you look at where we are now compared to this time last year,” said Fedorjaka. “Our attack and middies are a strength; I think we will score a lot of goals this year. Defensively, we have a lot of guys back who know our system, and I think we will see that group improve even more as the season goes on. I think we are going to win more faceoffs, I think we are going to be better in the goal, and we will clear the ball better. All of that leads to not being on defense as much.”
Those time-of-possession struggles contributed to the Bison being outscored on average 13.0 to 10.4 last season. Fedorjaka’s teams have always been terrific riding teams, and last year was no exception. Bucknell ranked seventh nationally in caused turnovers per game (10.2) and 15th in opponent clearing percentage (.828), but the Bison themselves cleared at a 79.1-percent rate, which ranked third from the bottom nationally.
Fedorjaka also predicts his team will be better on special teams. Bucknell’s man-down unit was solid a year ago, but the team took the second-most penalties in the Patriot League. At the other end, the Bison converted only 28.2 percent of their EMO chances in 2024, but that number should also improve with an experienced and versatile top six that features good lefty-righty balance.
Bucknell was picked seventh in the Patriot League preseason poll and will need to make up at least one of those spots to get back into the six-team PL Tournament. Army West Point was tabbed as the favorite, followed by Lehigh, Colgate, Boston University, Navy, and Loyola. Last season, the top six teams were all separated by just one game in an incredibly tight race, and it figures to be more of the same in 2025.
“We lost our top two short-stick d-mids and a good defenseman in Duncan Hill, but we have a lot of experience coming back and a defensive system that is based more on IQ than raw athleticism,” said Fedorjaka. “Timing, togetherness, and coordination are the keys, and we bring back three guys who have started on close defense along with our top two long-stick mids and last year’s third and fourth shorties. Our top 10 scorers are back, including one of the best in the league in Connor Davis, so I think this team will deal with adversity better. We were so young last year and we had trouble holding leads. The other team would score a goal or two to get them going, and then they would start to win faceoffs, and then we fail to clear it one time, and all of a sudden it’s a 5-0 or 6-0 run. I think we’ll be better at avoiding those runs this yea.”
Let’s take a spin through this year’s squad, starting with the attack.
ATTACK
Fedorjaka doesn’t hesitate to call the attack unit the strength of the team. All-Patriot League senior Connor Davis, who was recently named to the Preseason All-PL Team, joins juniors Michael Meyer and Will Hopkins on the lead attack unit. The trio has combined for 168 goals, 58 assists, and 226 career points so far, and Davis has a chance to become Bucknell’s all-time leading goal-scorer this spring. Hall-of-Famer Justin Zackey’s career record of 138 goals has stood since 1994, and Davis enters his final season in the No. 5 spot in team history with 108.
Davis, who is in his second year as a team captain, was also an Academic All-Patriot League selection a year ago, when his 2.71 goals per game trailed only Loyola’s Adam Poitras (2.73) by a sliver for the league lead.
“Attack is probably our strongest unit, and it starts with Connor Davis,” said Fedorjaka. “What separates Connor first and foremost is that he is a terrific shooter. He has really hard velocity but also great accuracy and a quick release. He has improved his left hand and his lefthanded shot on the run, so now when defenders rush out at him, he can tuck his stick and go down the alley lefthanded. Each year he’s developed his dodging game, and he’s gotten so much better at moving his feet and shooting it on the run. And on top of that, he’s big and strong and runs well, he rides hard, and he scoops the ball well. He just makes all of those winning-type plays, and he makes the guys around him better, even though he is primarily an off-ball player. In my 20 years as a head coach, we’ve only had a unanimous team captain maybe three times, and Connor was voted unanimously this year.”
Meyer led the Bison in assists (12) and ranked second to Davis in goals (18) and points (30) last season. He had a five-goal game at Loyola last season and tallied six in a game against Mercer as a freshman in 2023, so he is capable of scoring in bunches and setting up his teammates.
“Mike is big, strong, and fast,” Fedorjaka said of Meyer, a former High School All-American from talent-rich Long Island. "Last year he came back a little bit too big, weight-room wise, and that impacted his legs somewhat. He has slimmed down this year and he is just a machine. His fitness is exceptional, and he competes hard and is physical every day in practice. He’ll be behind the goal quite a bit again, but he is also exceptional at skipping the ball from wing to wing. He has also worked hard on changing his shooting angles so he can finish underhand, overhand, sidearm, and on the run, which is important.”
Hopkins moves from the midfield to attack this season, essentially swapping places with sophomore Sean Berrigan. Hopkins was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection as a middie in 2023 when he tallied 17 goals and 12 assists, and he added 12 more goals last season, including five in a 15-13 win over Dartmouth.
“Will is a natural lefty, he’s one of the best off-ball players that I’ve coached, and his great hands allow him to get the ball out of his stick quickly and accurately,” said Fedorjaka. “He has a knack for cutting and getting open at just the right time, when his teammate is ready to feed the ball. He can win one-on-one matchups, and if you put your third defenseman on him, that could be a problem.”
Not only can this unit score goals, but they are also a tenacious trio at the tip of Bucknell’s vaunted ride.
“This is as good of a three-man riding unit that I’ve had here in terms of their toughness and their tenacity and their commitment to it,” said Fedorjaka.
The Bison should have plenty of depth beyond the starting attack unit. Not only could Berigan slide back down if needed, but junior Owen Kovacs and freshmen Graham Garrigan and Crispin Kaye are also in the mix.
Kovacs is a junior who has yet to make his mark at Bucknell due to injury, but he is healthy and emerged late in the fall season as a quality left-handed option off the bench and on the man-up unit.
MIDFIELD
Senior co-captain Cam Doolan and sophomores Berrigan and Peter Grandolfo are among the top candidates for the first midfield line to start the season. Grandolfo (13) and Berrigan (12) both recorded double-digit goals as freshmen a year ago, and Doolan is a veteran with 47 goals, 28 assists, and 75 points in 42 career games (41 starts). Grandolfo tallied a hat trick in his collegiate debut against Merrimack and had another at Harvard, while Berrigan emerged later in the year, scoring seven of his 12 goals against Patriot League opponents, including three against Army.
“Cam Doolan looks great and has really improved,” praised Fedorjaka. “He’s catching the ball consistently off a skip pass or in tight around the crease, and he’s finishing at a very high rate from different spots on the field. He rides hard and has shown great leadership as a captain. He’s soft-spoken, but he holds his teammates accountable and is a true leader by example.”
“Sean Berrigan had a great rookie year playing at attack last year, and we thought instead of having three righty attackmen, let’s move Hopkins there to give that group a lefty,” said Fedorjaka. “Hopkins was an attackman in high school, and Berrigan is really good in the midfield also, and now we have more balance in the group. I think Peter Grandolfo is going to have a breakout year. He has one of the hardest shots on the team and is really elusive. He was very productive as a freshman, and I would anticipate him scoring closer to 20 or 25 goals this season.”
Luke Brunner and Henry Boykin are two more sophomores along with Grandolfo and Berrigan who gained a ton of experience as rookies a season ago. Both tallied 11 points, with Brunner recording six goals and five assists and Boykin four goals and seven helpers. Brunner had a goal and two assists against Holy Cross, all coming in the final seven minutes of the game when Bucknell scored three straight goals to turn a 9-9 tie into a 12-9 win. Also a Division I football recruit, Brunner scored three goals in a preseason scrimmage at Penn State. Boykin earned a spot on the first middie line late last season and had three-point games against Loyola, Navy, and Lafayette in league play.
Freshman Anthony Panetti was the 2024 Kelly Award winner as the Maryland Player of the Year after piling up 80 points (39 goals, 41 assists) at The Landon School. Fedorjaka notes that what Panetti lacks in size at 5’8”, he makes up for in toughness, vision, and his ability to shoot on the run.
Junior Chris Begier and freshman Sean Kerwick are both the sons of lacrosse coaches who will be in the mix for shifts in the midfield. Begier played for his father and won a state championship at Radnor High School, and last year he logged four goals and five assists in 11 games while fighting through some injuries. Kerwick will get a chance to play for his father this season, as Matt Kerwick, the former head coach at Cornell, Jacksonville, Hobart, and Randolph-Macon, has joined Fedorjaka’s staff as an assistant. Sean Kerwick was a High School All-American from the ultra-competitive Syracuse area. He was a three-sport athlete at Skaneateles High School, where he won state titles in soccer and hockey. Fedorjaka says that Kerwick can play all over the field but will start out as a middie.
Luke Brennan is another big, skilled freshman who is looking to work his way into the mix, and senior Jack Dudas is working his way back after missing last season and fall ball due to injury.
“The best way to summarize our midfield is we have a lot of experience returning and a lot of depth,” said Fedorjaka. “We have good balance between lefties and righties, so there’s some balance there, and we have a lot of combinations we can go to depending on matchups.”
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Bucknell’s biggest graduation loss comes in the defensive midfield, where the Bison must replace last year’s top two short-sticks in co-captains Richie Striano and Ethan Gyllenhaal. Bucknell does return two experienced poles in juniors John Young and Jack Morvillo, and freshmen Ollie Hau and Leyton Zorumski are also ready to contribute.
Young, a Houston, Texas native, led Bucknell’s non-FOGOs in ground balls with 42 last season, and he also recorded two goals, two assists, and 16 caused turnovers. Morvillo collected 17 ground balls and caused seven turnovers a year ago.
“John Young is just really good at everything,” praised Fedorjaka. “He covers, he scoops the ball, he’s got great savvy, and he understands the defense. He’s a team-first guy who really works hard and keeps himself in great shape. Ollie Hau will be in there a lot. He’s a smart player, gets the ball off the ground, and he throws great checks. For a freshman he understands the defense very well, he asks the right questions, and he’s been very reliable. Zorumski is a great ground ball guy who should play on the faceoff wings.”
Leading the short-stick group are seniors Ben Bonafede, who will miss the start of the season due to injury, and Grant Malas. Both played in all 14 games last season and are smart, veteran presences in the defensive box. Malas played attack during his first two seasons before converting to d-mid a year ago.
“Grant is on the bigger side for a short-stick d-mid at 6’2”, but he’s smart and handles the ball well,” said Fedorjaka. “Winning is very important to him, and I really expect him to have a great senior year. Bonafede is a guy who maximizes his ability. He’s really tough, he cares, and he’s a great leader as a captain. He’s not the biggest or fastest, but he’s always in good position, and he’s really good at sliding within the team defense.”
Bonafede’s injury has opened the door for freshman Jack Tully to step into a more prominent role. Tully is still learning Bucknell’s complex defense, but he brings excellent speed and cover ability and is very good at clearing. Tully comes from a strong Chaminade program on Long Island, where he also played defensive midfield, so he knows the role well. Freshman Charlie Miller is a tough, hard-working d-mid with a ton of potential.
“The freshmen short-stick d-middies and long-stick d-middies have a lot of talent,” said Fedorjaka. “They are getting a lot thrown at them and they are figuring it out. I think they will all be a lot better by the time league play starts.”
Sophomore Patrick Mullen has improved quite a bit from last season, when he saw action in seven games, freshmen Alex Latchford and Brennan Lane are also in the mix.
DEFENSE
Bucknell’s close defense unit sees the return of three starters in senior George Talarico and juniors Will Pickering and Louie Germain.
Pickering led the team with 21 caused turnovers last season, and his average of 1.5 per game ranked eighth in the Patriot League. He was a one-man wrecking crew in the Le Moyne game with six ground balls and five caused turnovers, and he could be an all-conference candidate with another big season. Talarico started 10 games last season, and Germain started the first three before suffering a season-ending injury.
“Will Pickering is the total package on D,” said Fedorjaka. “He and I talk a lot about our defense. He really gets it and helps the other people around him be better. He’s as good as I’ve ever had in terms of understanding the defense, and on top of that he’s big hitter and just a really tough kid.
The Talarico era will come to an end this year when George plays his final season at Bucknell. Older brothers Alec ’19 and Travis ’22 played with the Bison, along with two other older brothers who also played college lacrosse in Christian (Navy) and Guy (Saint Joseph’s).
“George is a terrific leader and has gotten so much better,” said Fedorjaka. “He’s big, strong, and fast and is really good at covering. He struggled to understand the defense earlier in his career but now he gets it, which allows him to fly around on defense and use his athletic ability. I don’t know what Louie Germain squats, but it’s a lot. He is strong in the weight room and was playing great for us last year until he broke his thumb at Harvard.”
Brandon Riggione is a sophomore transfer from Mount St. Mary’s. He red-shirted last year, so this is his first year on the field, and he has moved up the depth chart with impressive cover skills and a lot of hard work.
Sophomore Corbin Lukanski played in 11 games last season, including a start against Dartmouth. Classmates Caleb Lewis, Mac McGahren, and Mac O’Neill are pushing for time.
Freshman Grayson Falk was pushing for a starting spot after a great fall showing, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the last practice in December.
GOALIE
Junior Jaz Zanelli has been the team’s primary starting goalie in each of the last two seasons. He played in 11 games with seven starts a year ago and totaled 76 saves. His best outing came in a win over Le Moyne, when he made 18 saves with only five goals allowed.
“Jaz is playing his best lacrosse now as a junior,” said Fedorjaka. “He’s really embraced a leadership role, he understands the defense, and he just seems very comfortable in the goal. Goalies are going to give up goals, and now he’s not letting it get to him. He just comes back and makes the next save.”
Junior Luke Renaud, another Skaneateles native, is new to the program after playing his first two seasons at UMass Lowell. He was an America East All-Rookie Team selection in 2023, when he started every game and set a school record with 24 saves against Holy Cross. Renaud played very well in the scrimmage against Penn State with eight saves and only two goals against, and he is a big and athletic shot-stopper who was also a very good high school hockey player.
“Luke is a great addition to the goalie room,” said Fedorjaka. “He is a great athlete and an even better teammate. He really pushes the other goalies to be better, even though he is technically competing against them for playing time.”
Two other young goalies are also pushing for time. Parker Day is a 6’5” freshman goalie who made 486 career saves at Bergen Catholic in New Jersey. Sophomore George Herron is a sophomore who walked on to the team last year and got into five games, totaling 18 saves.
FACEOFFS
At the faceoff X, the Bison won 44.9 of their draws last season. Brendan Coyle, who took two-thirds of the team’s faceoffs, has graduated, but sophomore Colin McLoy is back after taking 115 draws as a rookie a year ago. McLoy, who won 70 percent of his faceoffs at Pingree School, had some good showings last season, including an 8-for-13 day with six ground balls against Richmond.
“Colin has quick hands, good exits, and good distance control,” said Fedorjaka. “He has gotten a lot better since the end of last year, and I’m looking forward to him being the No. 1 guy this season. I think he’s going to have a good year.”
Ben Concepcion saw action in two games last season, going 3-for-7, and Fedorjaka notes that he has transformed his physique since last season. Steven Pepe is a junior transfer from NJIT, freshman Brandon Edwards is also in the mix after a strong day in the scrimmage against Penn State.