ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT Men's Lacrosse Team, ranked fourth in the USILA Preseason Coaches polls, opens its 2026 campaign on Saturday (Feb. 14) at No. 20 Denison. Here are the six things you need to know about the Tigers heading into the season.
1. A LOOK BACK
RIT finished with a 21-2 record in 2025. The Tigers made their 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and 16th straight, advancing to the national semifinal game for the fifth straight season and 14th overall.
Eight Tigers were named USILA All-Americans led by First Team selection
Clifford Gaston. Eleven Tigers were named to the All-Liberty League team, including four first team selections. Gaston was named the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year and head coach
Jake Coon and assistant coaches
Shawn Wilkins and Connor Whipple were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.
2. PRESEASON RANKINGS
RIT was ranked fourth in the USILA Division III Preseason Coaches Poll and seventh in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll. Senior
Alex Zborowski was a USA Lacrosse Third Team Preseason All-American selection. Junior
Logan Fletcher was a USA Lacrosse honorable mention preseason All-American and a Third Team USILA Preseason All-American.
3. WHEN THE TIGERS HAVE THE BALL
Senior attack
Ethan Harkins returns after recording career highs in points (54), goals (42) and assists (12) in 2025. He was second on the team in goals last season and was eighth in the Liberty League averaging 1.83 goals per game.
Sophomore
Ryan Bullock returns in 2026 after tallying 23 points on 16 goals and seven assists last season. He tallied a season-high four goals against St. Lawrence in the Liberty League Championship.
Junior
Nick DiLauro tallied 21 points on 11 goals and 10 assists in 2025, including a season-high three assists against St. John Fisher and three goals against Grove City. Junior
David Charney recorded career-highs in points (18), goals (15) and assists (3) in 2025.
Junior
Erich Acton had career-highs in points (17), goals (10) and assists (7) last season and senior
Tyson Allison tallied 16 points on 11 goals and five assists. Sophomore transfer
Ryan Sanders will see time at attack and midfield while a host of others will fight for playing time.
4. DEFENSE & GOALIES
Graduate student co-captain
Jamie Hunt returns along with junior
Joe Holenstein. Hunt caused 12 turnovers last season and 11 ground balls. Holenstein caused 12 turnovers and had 30 ground balls last season. Sophomore defensemen
Caden Hewitt and
Michael Guglielmone and senior transfer
Alexander Chairs will see time on defense in 2026.
Zborowski recorded a 21-3 2ecord in 2025 earning Second Team All-Liberty League honors. He was second in the league with an 8.13 goals-against average and fourth with a .583 save percentage. Junior
Chase Strychaluk played in 11 games with an 8.92 goals-against average and a .581 save percentage.
5. LONG-STICK MIDFIELD/DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD & FACE-OFF
Fletcher returns along with junior
Adam Wong, senior co-captain
Tyler Kuchar and junior
Sam Rosa. Fletcher led the team with 30 caused turnovers, finished eighth in the league averaging 1.30 caused turnovers per game and was fourth on the team with 54 ground balls. Wong had 36 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers last season, while Kuchar had a caused turnover against Ohio Northern in the NCAA Tournament. Rosa played in a career-high 14 games grabbing 13 ground balls and causing four turnovers.
Senior
Cole Teeple returns at short-stick defensive midfield. He played in 22 games last season grabbing a career-high 20 ground balls. Junior
Evan Wright had six ground balls and caused three turnover last season. Junior
Paulie Weinrich and senior
Joe Gibbons will see time along with first year
Anthony DeRosa.
Senio face-off specialist
Ethan Spillane returns after an injury-shortened season in 2025. First year
Philip Minardo and sophomore transfer
Jordan Raport will compete for time at the face-off "X".
6. 2027 SCHEDULE
Seventeenth-year head coach
Jake Coon and the Tigers are scheduled to play 17 regular season games, including seven in the Liberty League. The Tigers will play six home games, and 11 on the road. Seven of RIT's 17 opponents are ranked in the USILA Division III Poll, while 10 teams played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
RIT begins its 2026 campaign at No. 20 Denison on Feb. 14 followed by a home game against Grove City (Feb. 21) at the newly opened Judson Stadium. The Tigers finish February at Nazareth (Feb. 25) and against Babson on the campus at Union College.
RIT hosts Geneseo on March 4 followed by a game against No. 8 Wesleyan at Franklin Field in Philadelphia (March 8).
RIT will play No. 9 Gettysburg and No. 10 Washington & Lee at the Mustang Classic (March 13-14), hosted by Stevenson.
The Tigers play at St. John Fisher (March 18) before opening Liberty League play at home against Vassar (March 21). The Tigers host No. 15 Cortland (March 25) before a road game at Skidmore (March 28).
RIT hosts Clarkson (April 4) before a game at Ithaca (April 8). The Tigers play at No. 12 St. Lawrence (April 11) and host Union (April 18). RIT closes out the regular season at No. 7 RPI (April 25).
