Six Things You Need to Know About the 2025 Men's Lacrosse Team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT Men's Lacrosse Team, ranked third in the Inside Lacrosse and USILA Preseason Coaches polls, opens its 2025 campaign on Sunday (Feb. 16) against Denison. Here are the top six things you need to know about the Tigers heading into the season. 

1. A LOOK BACK
RIT finished with a 21-3 record in 2024. The Tigers made their 26th NCAA Tournament appearance and 15th straight, advancing to the national championship game for the fifth time overall and third time in four seasons.

Ten Tigers were named USILA All-Americans led by First Team selections Michael Grace and Clifford Gaston. Grace was named the William C. Stiles Memorial Outstanding Defenseman of the Year.

Grace was the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year and led a list of 10 Tigers to earn All-Liberty League accolades, including three first team selections. 

2. WHEN THE TIGERS HAVE THE BALL 
2025 USILA Preseason All-Americans Clifford Gaston and Seth Grottenthaler return to lead the offense in 2025.

Gaston tallied a single season record 112 points (75 g, 37a) last season. His 75 goals were second most in a season in program history and recorded two or more points in 23-of-24 games. Senior Ethan Harkins finished eighth on the team in scoring last with career highs in points (34), goals (24) and assists (10).

A 2024 Honorable Mention All-American, Grottenthaler recorded 35 points on 18 goals and 17 assists in 17 games. He scored a season-high three goals against Ursinus and had three assists versus Grove City. Senior Ian Dinga recorded career highs in points (26) and assists (14) last season, while junior Chase Bruno tallied 12 goals and 14 points. Sophomore David Charney scored 11 goals in his first season in 2024.

Senior Eric Burbank returned from an injury to play in three games last season, while senior Michael Finneran recorded career highs in points (15) and goals (10) in 2024. Senior transfer Nate Senez tallied 121 points (31g, 90a) in three seasons at Limestone and sophomore Erich Acton had two assists in seven games last season. 

3. DEFENSE & GOALIES
Senior co-captain Jamie Hunt returns along with classmates fifth years Drew Leahy and Hunter FitzGibbons and sophomore Joe Holenstein. Hunt caused a career-high 15 turnovers last season and had a career-best 19 ground balls. FitzGibbons caused 12 turnovers and grabbed 42 ground balls, each career highs, to go along with a goal and two assists. Leahy had three ground balls against Babson in the NCAA Tournament, while Holenstein grabbed eight ground balls and caused five turnovers in 12 games last season. First year defenseman Caden Hewitt will see time on defense in 2025.

Junior Alex Zborowski recorded a 19-3 record in 2024 earning USILA Honorable Mention All-American honors. An Honorable Mention All-Liberty League selection, Zborowski made a season-high 19 saves against Washington & Lee.  

4. LONG-STICK MIDFIELD/DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD & FACE-OFF
Senior Axel Sanderson returns along with junior Tyler Kuchar. Sanderson tied his career-high scooping up 31 ground balls last season and finished tied for third on the team with a career-best 14 caused turnovers. Kuchar played in a career-high 23 games last season grabbing 16 ground balls and causing five turnovers. Sophomore Logan Fletcher played in four games last season while sophomore transfer played in 17 games at University of Indianapolis last season.

Senior Connor Finneran returns along with senior Dominic Comella, Sean Tierney and Kaden Dietrich at defensive midfield. Finneran tallied a goal and an assist, caused a turnover and had a ground ball against Tufts in last year's national championship. Comella recorded career highs in points (7), goals (3), assists (4) and ground balls (22). Tierney grabbed 20 ground balls and caused five turnovers last season, while Dietrich had 13 ground balls and caused four turnovers. Sophomore Evan Wright played in nine games last season, while junior Cole Teeple played in a career-high 12 games.

Fifth year face-off specialist Allyn French was a 2024 USILA Honorable Mention All-American. He won 261 face offs last season and led the team with 146 ground balls. Junior Ethan Spillane won a career-high 94 face offs last season and grabbed a career-best 52 ground balls. Fifth year Nick Farrell won a career-high 22 draws last season and had a career-high 11 ground balls. 

5. FAST STARTERS
RIT outscored its opponents 246-122 in the first half last season, including 129-70 in the first quarter. The Tigers averaged 10.25 goals per game in the first half, while allowing 5.08 goals. 

6. 2025 SCHEDULE
Sixteenth-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 seven home games, and 10 on the road. Six of RIT's 17 opponents are ranked in the USILA Division Poll, while eight teams played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

RIT begins its 2025 campaign against Denison on Feb. 16 followed by a road-game at Grove City (Feb. 22). The Tigers finish February with home game against Nazareth (Feb. 26).

RIT hosts York on March 1 followed by a road-game at Geneseo (March 5). The Tigers will play Ursinus at Panzer Stadium on the campus of Penn State March 8.

RIT will play No. 10 Dickinson and No. 1 Tufts at the Mustang Classic (March 14-15), hosted by Stevenson.

The Tigers play at No. 14 St. John Fisher (March 19) before opening Liberty League play at home against No. 6 RPI (March 22). The Tigers close out March with a pair of road games at Cortland (March 26) and at Vassar (March 29).

RIT hosts a pair of Liberty League contests against Skidmore (April 4) and Ithaca (April 9) before hitting the road to face Clarkson (April 12). The Tiger's close out the regular season against No. 11 St. Lawrence (April 19) and on the road against No. 17 Union (April 26).