Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team opens its third season at the Division I level on Friday at 1:00 p.m. against Queens University of Charlotte at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium on the campus of Gettysburg College.

The Dolphins are coming off a 9-6 overall record in their second year of Division I competition and a 6-1 mark in league play to a share of the regular season conference championship and the top seed in the league tournament.
 
The Dolphins will play a 15-game schedule in 2026, including seven NEC matchups and eight non-conference affairs and will include six games at Ted Grant Field. The Dolphins will host Siena University, Manhattan University and NEC foes VMI and LIU in March and NEC opponents Detroit Mercy and Mercyhurst University in April. Following Friday's neutral-site game with Queens, the team will visit non-conference foes Jacksonville University, The College of the Holy Cross, Canisius University and St. Bonaventure University in February. In March, the Dolphins will head to Hobart College for a non-conference matchup and Robert Morris University for a battle of last year's NEC regular season co-champs. The 'Phins will visit Wagner College and Cleveland State University for NEC matchups in April.
 
Le Moyne returns 35 student-athletes from the 2025 squad, including three who earned recognition from the NEC last year. Junior goalkeeper Lucas Winger (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) leads the trio after being named the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and to the NEC First Team last year, while also earning a pair of All-America Honorable Mention honors. Winger was also named to the USA Lacrosse All-America Honorable Mention last two weeks ago. Graduate student faceoff specialist Sam Getty (Orchard Park, N.Y./Canisius HS) is back for his fourth season of competition after being named to the NEC Second Team a season ago after winning almost 52-percent of his attempts, while sophomore Emmet McDermott (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville) leads the midfield unit after being selected to the NEC All-Rookie Team following a 24-point freshman campaign.
 
The Dolphins return five others who started at least 11 games, including a pair who started all 15 games. Senior attackman Thomas Berry (Tully, N.Y./Tully) led the Dolphins offensively during his second year on the field with 31 points on a team-best 20 goals and 11 assists as a starter in all 15 games. Graduate student Billy Savage (Plaistow, N.H./Timberlane Regional) returns for his final year following a breakout season in which he had 18 ground balls and five caused turnovers as a starter in all 15 games. Senior attackman Owen Wilson (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) is back for his final campaign after turning in career bests of 15 points, 13 goals and two assists as a starter in 11 of 14 games played. Junior Jake Baker (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia) joins Savage in front of Winger after scooping up 23 ground balls (the most by a defender) and causing four turnovers in his first season on the field. Junior AJ DeMeo (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) leads the short-stick defensive midfielder group after collecting 22 ground balls last season.

The Dolphins added 19 newcomers for 2026, including one graduate student and two sophomores through the transfer portal to go with 16 freshmen. Graduate transfer Conlon Crowley came from UAlbany and Conner Vaughn and Ben Mcilhargey came from Division II powerhouse and longtime Le Moyne rival Limestone, which closed following the Spring 2025 semester. The freshmen class is made of attackmen Luke Sprong, Matt Ciarelli and Cole Mayclim, midfielders Ollie Bolduc, Connor Lukas, Kai Archer, Beau Dubois and Jack Adams, defensemen Ben Clark, Connor Jenkins and Leo Long, short-stick defensive midfielders Quinn Cheney and Jack Ostromogilsky, long-stick midfielder Joseph Malecki, faceoff-specialist Jason Beaman and goalkeeper Eli Cohen.
 
Friday's matchup with Queens is the first in the program's history.
 
Queens, which finished sixth in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll, comes into the contest with an 0-0 record after having its season opener against Mount St. Mary's last Saturday postponed due to inclement weather.

The Royals return 25 players from the 2025 roster, which finished with a 3-11 record, including an 0-5 mark in the ASUN, while adding eight transfers and 16 freshmen. They return two All-ASUN Team honorees in first team goalkeeper Nicky West and second team short-stick defensive midfielder Michael White. The Royals return three of their top-four scorers: Carter Petersen (25p, 22g, 3a), Ryan McDaniel (19p, 7g, 12a), and Dylan Behnke (18p,108g, 8a). They also return faceoff specialist Grant Isika (160-316, 67 gb). White is the top returning defenseman after posted 27 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. West had a 12.07 goals against average and 111 saves in going 2-6 between the pipes.