BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Army West Point men’s lacrosse team was selected as the 2025 Patriot League men’s lacrosse preseason favorite with 125 points and 14 first-place votes. The Black Knights had three student-athletes who garnered major awards, while Colgate received one honor when the accolades were announced by the League office on Wednesday.
Defending Patriot League champion Lehigh earned the second spot in the poll with 100 points and one first-place vote, while Colgate tallied 95 points and three first-place votes. Boston University placed fourth with 86 points, followed by Navy with 72 points to round out the top five. Loyola Maryland earned 69 points, followed by Bucknell (49), Lafayette (35), and Holy Cross (17).
Army West Point junior attack Evan Plunkett was tabbed as the 2025 Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and teammate senior defender AJ Pilate was selected as the 2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
Black Knights’ senior Will Coletti earned 2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Faceoff Specialist of the Year honors for the second consecutive year. Colgate senior goalkeeper Luke Staudt rounded out the major awards as the 2025 Patriot League Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
Army West Point had five players on the 16-member preseason all-league team: Plunkett, Pilate, Coletti, senior attack Jackson Eicher and senior short-stick defensive midfielder Christian Mazur. Colgate matched with five players on the all-league team, including LaCombe, senior attack Rory Connor, junior midfielder Hunter Drouin, senior defender Aidan Murnane, and senior long-stick midfielder Max Yates.
Lehigh placed two players on the preseason all-League team, including senior midfielder Dakota Eierman and junior defender Richard Checo.
Loyola Maryland’s junior attack Matt Minicus and senior defender Remi Reynolds, Bucknell’s senior attack Connor Davis and Navy’s junior midfielder Jack Flaherty earned a spot on the preseason all-league 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.
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Evan Plunkett, Army West Point, Jr., M, Roswell, Ga./Roswell
*Plunkett, the reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, tallied 28 goals and 18 assists for 46 points to become the first midfielder to win the award since 1997.
*The junior had six games with a hat trick and nine games with at least four points.
*The Roswell, Ga. native ranked seventh in the Patriot League in assists per game (1.36) and ninth in points per game (3.43).
*Plunkett heads in his junior season with 45 goals, 38 assists and 83 career points.
2024 Season Awards: Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, All-Patriot League First Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI First Team All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine First Team All-American, USILA First Team All-American
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Sr., D, Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa
*Pilate notched 36 ground balls and a team-leading 23 caused turnovers in 14 games last season.
*The senior heads into the 2025 season with 98 ground balls and 53 caused turnovers in his career.
*Last season, the Massapequa, N.Y. native became the first Black Knight defender to win back-to-back Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year awards since 2010-11.
2024 Season Awards: Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, All-Patriot League First Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI Third Team All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine Second Team All-American, USILA Second Team All-American
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Faceoff Specialist of the Year
Will Coletti, Army West Point, Sr., FO, Monrovia, Md./Linganore High School
*In 13 games in 2024, Coletti won 215-of-347 faceoffs for Army West Point for a .620 winning percentage, good for third in NCAA Division I
*The Monrovia, Md. native finished third in the nation in groundballs per game with 9.00 and scored a career-high eight goals.
*Entering his senior campaign, Coletti holds Black Knights’ career records for groundballs (378), groundballs per game (8.22) and faceoff wins (664), while ranking fourth in faceoff win percentage (.598).
*Among Patriot League career ranking, Coletti is third in groundballs and tied for third in faceoff wins (664).
2024 Season Awards: Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Year, Four-time Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week, All-Patriot League First Team member,
Inside Lacrosse Media DI First Team All-American, USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team All-American, USILA First Team All-American
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Matt LaCombe, Colgate, Sr., GK, Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville Manlius
*In 15 appearances in goal, LaCombe finished his junior year with 196 total saves, a .525 save percentage and an 11.80 goals-against average.
*The Manlius, N.Y. native finished third in the Patriot League and 10th nationally in saves per game (13.07).
*LaCombe has started in 39 games over the last three seasons for the Raiders compiling 495 saves, a .523 save percentage and an 11.70 goals-against average.
2024 Season Awards: Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, All-Patriot League First Team member, Inside Lacrosse Media DI Honorable Mention All-American
, Two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week, Academic All-Patriot League Team member
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Evan Plunkett, Army West Point, Jr.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Sr.
Preseason Faceoff Specialist of the Year – Will Coletti, Army West Point, Sr.
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year – Matt LaCombe, Colgate, Sr.
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Student-athletes are listed by position; then alphabetically by school
Attack: Jackson Eicher, Army West Point, Sr.
Attack: Connor Davis, Bucknell, Sr.
Attack: Rory Connor, Colgate, Sr.
Attack: Matt Minicus, Loyola Maryland, Jr.
Midfielder: Evan Plunkett, Army West Point, Jr.
Midfielder: Hunter Drouin, Colgate, Jr.
Midfielder: Dakota Eierman, Lehigh, Sr.
Midfielder: Jack Flaherty, Navy, Jr.
Defense: AJ Pilate, Army West Point, Sr.
Defense: Aidan Murnane, Colgate, Sr.
Defense: Richard Checo, Lehigh, Jr.
Defense: Remi Reynolds, Loyola Maryland, Sr.
Goalkeeper: Matt LaCombe, Colgate, Sr.
Faceoff Specialist: Will Coletti, Army West Point, Sr.
Long-Stick Midfielder: Max Yates, Colgate, Sr.
Short-Stick Defensive Midfielder: Christian Mazur, Army West Point, Sr.
2025 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Army West Point – 125 (14 first-place votes)
Lehigh – 100 (1)
Colgate – 95 (3)
Boston University – 86
Navy – 72
Loyola – 69
Bucknell – 49
Lafayette –35
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.