One Player to Watch on Every Team in the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament

The NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament starts tonight with opening-round games to cement the first-round field of 16.

Every team enters with hopes of a deep run — and at least one standout capable of turning the tide. Here’s one key player from every tournament team you’ll want to keep your eyes on as the chase for the championship begins.

Bo Columbus, FO, Robert Morris

You know a faceoff guy is special when he’s named the conference player of the year. Columbus’ 64.6 faceoff winning percentage ranks third in the country and is the best of anyone still playing. He’s on pace to set the school’s single-season and career faceoff percentage records and he’s been as consistent as he has been dominant. He has finished at least .500 from the dot in every game this season and won 33 of 46 in the Colonials two Northeast Conference tournament games.

Rory and Liam Connor, A, Colgate

The brothers earned All-Patriot League honors at attack – Rory (1st team) and Liam (2nd team) – though Liam is listed on Colgate’s roster as a midfielder. No matter where they’re playing, they can scorch the net. They’re the top two scorers – Liam (38 G, 47 A) and Rory (47 G, 32 A) – for the nation’s third-highest scoring offense (14.2 goals/game).

Sam King, A, Harvard

Harvard made him a two-time captain for a reason. And it’s not the 42-game goal scoring streak that only recently came to a stop courtesy of Princeton’s Colin Mulshine. No, it’s much more than that, including his desire to put the team on his back when needed. That’s a trait he has possessed going all the way back to his freshman year, when the Crimson last played in the NCAA tournament. King has 35 goals and 29 assists as a senior.

CJ Kirst, A, Cornell

Few players have combined the size, skill and IQ of Kirst in recent memory. Cornell is No. 1 in large measure because they have the No. 1 player in the country on the roster. Already the NCAA Division I men’s career goals leader – 233 and counting – he has a chance to add to his legacy by delivering Cornell its first national title since 1977.

Coulter Mackesy, A, Princeton

Tied with National Lacrosse Hall of Fame attackman Jesse Hubbard atop Princeton’s career goals list (163), Mackesy will get a chance to break the record when the Tigers host Towson in an NCAA tournament first-round game Saturday. With 40 goals and 15 assists this season, he headlines an attack unit that includes three 40-point scorers.

Aidan Maguire, SSDM, Duke

The Blue Devils’ superpower is their rope, with Maguire and Jack Gray often cited as the best 1-2 punch in the country at short-stick defensive midfield. ACC coaches recognized as much by voting Maguire as the conference’s co-defensive player of the year along with Notre Dame defenseman Shawn Lyght. He ranks second on the Blue Devils in caused turnovers (26) and also has six goals and four assists.

Logan McNaney, G, Maryland

The 2022 NCAA championship MVP has enjoyed a renaissance grad year, ranking sixth nationally in save percentage (58.3) and fourth in goals against average (8.05). McNaney makes a ton of controlled saves and pushes transition. Whether it’s a settled clear in a tight window, a shot or a save-controlled rebound up-and-out, he’s efficient and smart in the clear. Maryland gave him the jersey No. 1 knowing he could handle the spotlight.

Anderson Moore, G, Georgetown

Georgetown hasn’t give up double-digit goals in game since the calendar turned to April and its Top 10 defense is led by a pair of sophomores, defender Ty Banks and Moore. Moore’s play has been rock solid down the stretch. Since April, he has a 59.3 save percentage and despite his relative youth, the U.S. U20 training team member has 32 career starts under his belt and the first-round game against Duke will be his third NCAA tournament start.

Wes Peene, M, Air Force

The Falcons’ top-scoring midfielder (24 goals), Peene is the fourth member of his family attend Air Force and play lacrosse there. Older brothers Griffin, Quincy and Gavin Peene all suited up for the Falcons before him. None got to play in the NCAA tournament. (Griffin Peene was a freshman but did not suit up when Air Force last made the dance in 2017.)

Pratt Reynolds, A, Siena

As slick a finisher as you’ll find, the senior attackman surpassed Siena legend Tony Asterino (1980) to set the school’s single-season record with 55 goals. He’s one shy of Asterino’s career mark of 168.

Silas Richmond, A, UAlbany

Richmond is the latest human-highlight reel under Scott Marr at UAlbany and he leads the Danes with 82 points on 39 goals and 43 assists. It’s been a breakout season for the junior from Canada and his 82 points this year is the most for a UAlbany player since 2018 when Connor Fields went for 86 and Tehoka Nanticoke had 82. Needless to say, that’s pretty good company.

Hunter Smith, D, Richmond

North Carolina has two of the best attackmen in the country in Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala, so the Richmond defense will be put to the test. Smith, the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10, is one weapon Spider coach Dan Chemotti has to throw at the Heels. The junior has been a starter in most of his three seasons at Richmond and has a career-high 24 caused turnovers for the nation’s No. 2 ranked defense.

Joey Spallina, A, Syracuse

Lost in the hoopla about No. 1 recruit and No. 22 jersey is that Spallina is one of the most dedicated, hardest-working players in the country. His sabbatical last summer lasted less than a week before he felt compelled to cross the border and help his Orangeville (Ontario) box team climb the Junior A ranks. The Northmen may need to wait a little longer this go around, as the Orange have all the makings of a team that could return to the championship weekend for the first time since 2013. Spallina (30 goals, 48 assists) has become an expert distributor. His 3.0 assists per game are tied for third in Division I.

Jake Taylor, A, Notre Dame

On a team of ridiculously talented offensive players, Taylor is the one most likely to leave you with your jaw dropped. His numbers aren’t gaudy, in part because Notre Dame doesn’t play as many games as other programs, but the creativity he brings to the field is special. He can flat out dominate games as he has since his very first collegiate start – an eight-goal effort against Syracuse back in 2022.

Matt Traynor, A, Penn State

Penn State has had at least one Traynor on the roster every year since 2015 and Matt is representing the family name quite nicely. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, he leads the Nittany Liions with 49 points (33g, 16) in just 12 games and is just three points away from tying his career-high of 52 points set last year.

Bobby Van Buren, D, Ohio State

The home-schooled curiosity from North Carolina has blossomed into one of the best lockdown defensemen in the country and must-see TV in front of dynamic goalie Caleb Fyock. He got the lacrosse world’s attention when he forced Virginia’s McCabe Millon to go 0-for-10 shooting with three turnovers in Ohio State’s 14-5 victory that let people know the Buckeyes were for real. A third-degree black belt in Taekwondo who's been known to pull off somersaults when he gets pushed to the turf, Van Buren and fellow defenseman Cullen Brown will take on Chris Kavanagh, Jake Taylor and Notre Dame in the first round. Ohio State prevailed 10-9 in their regular season encounter.

Brady Wambach, FO, North Carolina

Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala provide the high-octane offense for North Carolina, but who gets them the ball? The sophomore, a member of the 2025 U.S. U20 training team, is winning 64.3 percent of his faceoffs. He’s already won over 400 career faceoffs and could rewrite Carolina’s record book by the time he’s done.

Mikey Weisshaar, A, Towson

Tigers coach Shawn Nadelen realized the most important player on the team needed to be on the field full time. Weisshaar hasn’t disappointed, building on his sensational freshman season with a 46-goal, 22-assist sophomore campaign. With a midfielder’s endurance, he’s become Kavanagh-esque in the riding game, ranking fourth on the team with 37 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers. He might have saved Towson’s season with a one-handed check that got the Tigers back the ball in overtime before they beat Hofstra 11-10 in the CAA semifinals.