MLAX to lean on experience and growth in 2024
The Golden Eagles return a veteran core with a combined 24 seniors and graduate students
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Last season was a challenging one for the Marquette men’s lacrosse program.
Three-straight overtime losses against BIG EAST Conference foes ranked in the top-12 nationally capped a season that included neutral site wins over a pair of NCAA regional finalists.
The Golden Eagles suffered a tough two-goal defeat in the league opener on April 1 in rain-soaked Providence, Rhode Island. That defeat coupled with losses to Nos. 9, 12 and 10 in the final three games meant MU was on the outside looking in at the BIG EAST tournament it hosted at Valley Fields for the first time.
FINAL: @DU_MLAX 15, @MarquetteMLax 14 (OT)
— Inside Lacrosse (@Inside_Lacrosse) April 29, 2023
Stephen Avery the game-winning goal to halt Marquette's comeback attempt — and give the Eagles all but a slim, outside chance of a Big East Tourney berth.pic.twitter.com/f8p3c24Olyhttps://t.co/57X3i1Yggu
I really feel like we’re playing awesome lacrosse the last three weeks and that’s just the way the game goes unfortunately. Sometimes it just doesn’t bounce your way and we’re just a little bit snake-bitten over the last three weeks. I couldn’t be prouder for (the way) this group (fought) and for those guys who potentially wore the jersey for the last time.Marquette head coach Andrew Stimmel said following MU's 2023 senior day loss to then-No. 10 Denver
A lot of last year's seniors will get one final season in Blue & Gold this spring thanks to the NCAA's additional COVID year.
Three-time USILA All-American Mason Woodward and defensive partner Noah Verlinde are back for fifth years, as are fellow captains and program stalwarts Devon Cowan, Jake Stegman and Luke Williams, each of whom made late decisions last spring to return for 2024.
This season, Marquette returns 10 graduate students in addition to 14 other seniors looking to get MU back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since consecutive appearances in 2016-17.
“In the world we live in in college athletics, it’s easy to not be a four-year guy or not take your fifth year at the same place you graduated from,” Stimmel said. “In every sport we’re seeing that change. Mason and the rest of those guys chose to come back because they love this program, and they love each other.”
The Golden Eagles hope their cumulative experience and motivation from last year’s finish will fuel a successful 2024.
It’s really hard to win without experience anymore. Teams have just gotten older with guys that have been there before and that’s an advantage over teams that haven’t. It’s time to build on that experience of being a team that can say this isn’t a first for us. We want to be at our best when it matters most. And that’s really what we’ve been focused on moving from last year to this year.- Andrew Stimmel
The key to this season for the Golden Eagles will be the ability to get stops defensively and transition those into the offensive end. Both were the main points of emphasis during the fall season, which included a pair of scrimmages against Lafayette and Ohio State in mid-October that left Stimmel feeling positive about the strides made since last spring.
“At the top of the list (this fall) was making one-stops defensively and really getting better in the middle of the field. I felt like we took a step there playing Lafayette and Ohio State, two really high-quality opponents,” Stimmel said.
Beyond the incomparable Woodward, it is the returning offensive pieces that garner most of the attention.
Cowan and Stegman return alongside junior scoring dynamo Bobby O’Grady to lead an offense that ranked as the highest scoring in program history last spring with 13.29 goals per contest and brings back 94 percent of its point production. Cowan and O’Grady each have 88 career goals and are within striking distance of Ryan McNamara’s program record of 102, while Stegman has 57 career assists, just six behind Conor Gately’s MU record of 63.
Bringing those guys back, they understand what it takes to play great offense. At the end of the day it’s all about execution at this point. The learning phase for this group – not that it’s ever over – but they could sit our team down and talk to them about what we are trying to accomplish on offense and what everyone’s role is.- Andrew Stimmel
O’Grady’s shooting ability and Cowan’s physical gifts are augmented by the deft passing of Stegman, who set a single-season program record with 32 assists in 2023 (12 more than the previous record set by Gately in 2013). The Naperville, Illinois native switched to a spot in MU’s first midfield unit during league play and responded with an all-conference season.
“Jake made a huge difference coming through the midfield for us,” Stimmel said. “He had a pole on him consistently and still had 32 assists, which is pretty incredible through the midfield. He’s one of the top facilitating midfielders in the country.”
Jake Stegman broke the Marquette single-season assist record by 12 with 32 ?? in 2023. Big things in store for the graduate student this spring in the midfield! #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/cRYMgZbxBa
— Marquette Lacrosse (@MarquetteMLax) January 19, 2024
Will Foster and Luke Blanc join Stegman in the first midfield after ranking fourth and fifth, respectively, on MU in points last season. Foster missed three games due to injury but was still second on the squad with 10 assists and played a huge role in Marquette’s upset win over then-No. 5 Penn State on Long Island with a goal and three helpers. Blanc was third on the team with 18 goals and played for Team France in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego over the summer.
With that first midfield unit and two starting attackmen back, the Golden Eagles will be selective in their search for a complementary third attackman and second line midfield.
Andrew Bowman missed a month early last season due to injury but became reliable as the season progressed, scoring 11 goals on just 21 shots as a true freshman. Wisconsinite Nolan Rappis showed flashes as a starting attackman early in his first season in 2022, but never got fully on track last year while working his way back from a knee injury, scoring three goals in five games.
Other individuals who played significant offensive minutes in 2023 include current upperclassmen Matt Winegardner, Pierce Washburn, Hayden Miller and Griffin Fries and sophomore Jake Bair, a physical midfielder who started the first three games of the year.
?? ANDREW BOWMAN ??
— Marquette Lacrosse (@MarquetteMLax) March 18, 2023
?? The Canadian scores his third of the day with a quick stick on the EMO. Golden Eagles back up a pair on PSU. #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/jHZ9XFXDZw
True freshman attackman Carsen Brandt impressed during fall camp and could be the third starter alongside Cowan and O’Grady. The 6-foot-3 native of Edina, Minnesota is the No. 54 incoming freshman in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse, and can act as another offensive catalyst for MU’s returning goal scorers.
Fellow freshmen Zach Hulme and Beau Westphal displayed advanced offensive instincts during the fall and will compete for playing time. Hulme scored a Pennsylvania state-record 273 goals during an accolade-laden career at Kennett High School, including a record 123 as a senior in 2023. Hulme played more on attack during the fall, while Westphal ran through the midfield. Hulme would join O’Grady as the primary left-handed shooters in the MU lineup.
Woodward is the keystone of the MU defense, but not the only talented, long-tenured returner. Noah Verlinde may get overshadowed by his All-American defensive partner but plays a big role for the Golden Eagles. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder made his presence felt around the crease last season with 22 ground balls and six caused turnovers in 13 starts and is back for a fifth season as a first-time captain.
The departure of sixth-year Zach Granger as MU’s third defenseman leaves an opening next to Woodward and Verlinde, which is expected to be filled by sophomore Mike Piraino. Piraino decided to forgo a redshirt season midway through last spring and made his presence felt at the long-stick midfield position from his first shift, recording a caused turnover in MU’s 14-9 win over Michigan on Feb. 25.
Mason, Noah and Mike give us a really versatile group down low. They all can cover the ball, all have good sticks and can play off the ball. They can be disruptive when they double, and that is a great benefit for our defense. If you have three guys that can all play one of the other team’s best players you can play faster and more aggressively.- Andrew Stimmel
Piraino’s shift to a more permanent role as a coverman on close defense will allow David Lamarca to reprise his spot as MU’s top LSM. Lamarca was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection in 2023 and his 13 caused turnovers finished second to Woodward’s 16 last season.
Lamarca leads a rope unit that will no doubt be scrutinized in 2024. The Golden Eagles cleared the ball at a mark of .809 in 2023, while allowing their opponents to successfully clear at a rate of .881.
Junior Brenden Boyle oscillated between LSM and a short stick last season as MU pushed for answers. He is expected to see a more permanent role with a long stick this year alongside fellow returning poles Billy Rojack and Ryan Kilcoyne, and freshman Brad Johnson from Calvert Hall.
The Golden Eagles will lean on development from their short sticks, led by rising sophomore Peter Detwiler, who displayed strength and athleticism in some of MU’s toughest matchups as a true freshman.
MU will also rely on fifth year Max Kruszeski, a large group of upperclassmen and four-star freshman Jack Schoenwetter.
“It's a lot of guys for a small number of spots,” Stimmel said. “As a staff it’s something we’re really excited about. That competition is going to bring the best out in everybody and really drive that group to be improved from a year ago.”
MU’s other specialist group got a much-needed boost with the return of graduate faceoff specialists Luke Williams, a 2022 All-BIG EAST selection, and Grant Evans. Two of the four seasons that Marquette has faced-off at above a 50-percent clip have come in the last two campaigns, and Williams ranks fourth in MU history with a career mark of .516 and seventh all-time with 122 ground balls.
“Luke lays it all on the line for his teammates,” Stimmel said of the Mendota Heights, Minnesota native who has fought through multiple injury-plagued seasons during his MU career. “Having him back healthy, you see the athleticism when the ball is 50/50 off the ground and he can create offense. Grant had some big moments for us last year and that unit does a great job of working together and giving each other feedback.”
Evans was a graduate transfer from NCAA Division III Grove City College, where he was the NCAA statistical champion in faceoff win percentage (.795) as a freshman in 2019. Evans saw his first significant playing time on March 11 with eight wins on 12 draws against Bellarmine. He followed that up with a 10-of-13 performance with six ground balls and a goal in the victory over then-No. 5 Penn State. Evans posted a season-long win percentage of .542 (77-of-142) last season and was second on the squad with 47 ground balls.
Beyond the rope unit, the Golden Eagles are in search of stability in net.
Freshman Lucas Lawas stepped into the starting job during the final three games of the season, a run that included a road contest at then-No. 12 Villanova in addition to home matchups against then-No. 9 Georgetown and No. 10 Denver. He posted at least 11 saves in all three, while facing at least 43 shots and pushing each game to extra time. His freshman year numbers might not jump off the page, but it was an immediate trial by fire for the former Hill Academy goalie.
“It’s a big confidence boost to know that he played in a lot of big games as a true freshman. He’s used that momentum to his advantage this fall,” Stimmel said.
Lawas is engaged in a goalie competition with Lehigh-transfer Caleb Creasor, freshman Jack Kask and returner Jamie Grant. Creasor and Kask possess more size that Lawas and Grant and both have Canadian box lacrosse backgrounds. Creasor’s role as a field player in box lends itself to his unique aggressive style in net.
“I was really impressed this fall with our goalie group,” Stimmel said. “We brought in two newcomers and I think Coach (Will) Roberts has done a phenomenal job with those guys. Lucas (Lawas) has taken a step this offseason and has gotten better, building on his experience at the end of last year. I think Jamie Grant has become the veteran in that room. He’s a really calming presence for those guys and maintains a high standard.”
The Golden Eagles spent the week prior to the spring semester training in Texas and have a scrimmage at Duke on Jan. 27 before beginning the season on Feb. 3 at Air Force, the only different opponent from last year’s schedule.
Marquette then hosts defending NCAA Champion Notre Dame and Utah in addition to neutral site games with Penn State and Michigan in non-conference play before jumping into BIG EAST action on March 30 at St. John’s.
2024 Marquette Men's Lacrosse Schedule
