BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Army West Point men's lacrosse team was selected as the 2024 Patriot League men's lacrosse preseason favorite with 126 points and 14 first-place votes. The defending Patriot League champions also had two student-athletes garner major award accolades, while Lehigh and Loyola Maryland both earned one award when honors were announced on Thursday.
Boston University earned the second spot in the poll with 103 points and one first-place vote, while Loyola Maryland tallied 99 points. Navy placed fourth with 84 points and one first-place vote followed by Lehigh with 82 points and one first-place vote to round out the top five. Lafayette earned 60 points and one first-place vote for sixth place, followed by Bucknell (44), Colgate (33), and Holy Cross (17).
Army junior defender AJ Pilate was named the 2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while teammate junior Will Coletti earned preseason faceoff specialist of the year.
Lehigh senior attack Scott Cole was named preseason offensive player of the year. Loyola senior goalkeeper Luke Staudt rounded out the major awards as the preseason goalkeeper of the year.
Army led the way with five players on the 16-member preseason all-league team: Pilate, Coletti, senior attack Reese Burek, senior midfielder Jake Morin and sophomore midfielder Evan Plunkett. Loyola placed four players on the all-league team, including Staudt, sophomore attack Matt Minicus, graduate student midfielder Evan James and graduate student short-stick defensive midfielder Mustang Sally.
BU placed three players on the all-league team: graduate student attack Vince D’Alto, graduate student defender Patrick Morrison and graduate student long-stick midfielder Roy Meyer.
Lehigh’s Cole and sophomore defender Richard Checo and Navy seniors midfielder Max Hewitt and defender Jackson Bonitz earned a spot on the preseason team.
The preseason poll and individual awards were voted on by the men's lacrosse coaches and sports information directors from each institution, with restrictions on voting for their team and student-athletes.
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Scott Cole, Lehigh, Sr., A/M, Dallas, Texas/McDonogh
* Cole, the reigning offensive player of the year, led the League and was eighth in the nation in goals per game (3.27) last season. The senior also led the League in points per game and was fifth in the nation (5.00).
* The senior recorded 14 multiple-point games and scored seven goals in 2023.
* Cole heads into his senior season with 90 goals, 38 assists and 128 career points.
2023 Season Awards: Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, All-Patriot League First Team member, Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year,
Patriot League All-Tournament Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI Honorable Mention All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-American, USILA Honorable Mention All-American
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Jr., D, Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa
* Pilate posted 35 ground balls and a team-leading 17 caused turnovers in 17 games last season.
* In last season's Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Championship Game, Pilate recorded a team-high two caused turnovers in the 10-8 win over Loyola.
* The junior heads into the 2023 season with 62 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers in his career.
2023 Season Awards: Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, All-Patriot League First Team member,
League All-Tournament Team member, USILA Third Team All-American
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Faceoff Specialist of the Year
Will Coletti, Army West Point, Jr., FO, Monrovia, Md./Linganore High School
* In 17 games in 2023, Coletti won 252-of-413 faceoffs for Army for a .610 winning percentage, good for 10th in the nation.
* The junior finished fifth in Division I in groundballs per game with 9.29.
* With 158 ground balls last season, Coletti established both the Patriot League and Black Knights’ single-season ground ball record.
* Coletti’s 261 career ground balls tally ranks fourth at Army.
2023 Season Awards: Two-time Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week, All-Patriot League Second Team member, Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Most Valuable Player,
Patriot League All-Tournament Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI Honorable Mention All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine Honorable Mention All-American
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Luke Staudt, Loyola Maryland, Sr., GK, Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee
* In 15 appearances in goal, Staudt finished his junior year with 174 total saves, a League-leading 554 save percentage and an 11.14 goals-against average.
* The goalkeeper's GAA ranked third in the Patriot League last season.
* Staudt set the League tournament record in total saves at the four-minute mark in the first quarter of the championship game. He finished the tournament with 49 saves in three games. The record was previously held by Lehigh’s Matt Poulion in 2014 with 39 saves.
2023 Season Awards: Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse All-Tournament Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI Honorable Mention All-American
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Scott Cole, Lehigh, Sr.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Jr.
Preseason Faceoff Specialist of the Year – Will Coletti, Army West Point, Jr.
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year – Luke Staudt, Loyola Maryland, Sr.
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Student-athletes are listed by position; then alphabetically by school
Attack: Reese Burek, Army West Point, Sr.
Attack: Vince D’Alto, Boston University, Gr.
Attack: Scott Cole, Lehigh, Sr.
Attack: Matt Minicus, Loyola Maryland, So.
Midfielder: Jake Morin, Army West Point, Sr.
Midfielder: Evan Plunkett, Army West Point, So.
Midfielder: Evan James, Loyola Maryland, Gr.
Midfielder: Max Hewitt, Navy, Sr.
Defense: AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Jr.
Defense: Patrick Morrison, Boston University, Gr.
Defense: Richard Checo, Lehigh, So.
Defense: Jackson Bonitz, Navy, Sr.
Goalkeeper: Luke Staudt, Loyola Maryland, Sr.
FaceOff Specialist: Will Coletti, Army West Point, Jr.
Long-Stick Midfielder: Roy Meyer, Boston University, Gr.
Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder: Mustang Sally, Loyola Maryland, Gr.
2024 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Army West Point – 126 (14 first-place votes)
Boston University – 103 (1)
Loyola Maryland – 99
Navy – 84 (1)
Lehigh – 82 (1)
Lafayette – 60 (1)
Bucknell – 44
Colgate - 33
Holy Cross – 17
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.