WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION: 9-7 Paul VI
(UNOFFICIAL) LINE SPREAD:  Paul VI -2.5

(UNOFFICIAL) OVER/UNDER:  16.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  

Players to Watch:

Episcopal: 
Jack Bonello, Sr. Attack. Captain, leading point scorer, 2nd Team Preseason All-DMV, Providence commit.
Gavin Lewis, Jr. Midfield, 3rd Team Preseason All-DMV, Providence commit.
Henry Cunningham, Sr. Captain. FOGO, Preseason 2nd Team All-DMV, Colgate Commit
Lawson Marshall, Sr. Captain. Defense. Preseason HM Team All-DMV, W&L Commit

Paul VI: 
Connor Pinto, Sr. Captain. Goalie. Preseason 1st Team All-DMV, CNU Commit 
Zakk Chesteen, Sr. Defense. Preseason 1st Team All-DMV, Vermont Commit
Adam Corkhill, Jr. SSDM. Preseason 2nd Team All-DMV, Johns Hopkins Commit
Gavin Gilmore, Jr. Midfield, Preseason 3rd Team All-DMV, Richmond Commit

Game Preview: 

This week’s DMVLAX ‘Game of the Week’ brings us an intriguing rivalry matchup between two of the top teams in Virginia as #5 Paul VI travels to Alexandria to take on #9 Episcopal in historic Hummel Bowl. Both teams are off to solid starts to their 2025 campaigns and have high hopes for making a run at the VA state title as well as their respective conference titles. Madlax Media will be on site providing a complete Livestream with announcers, video highlights, photos, and much more during and postgame. Here’s what to look forward to in Saturday’s big matchup.

Paul VI enters the game with a record of 4-1 and has one of their strongest teams in recent years, anchored by a fantastic defense and excellent netminder in senior CNU commit Connor Pinto. They bolster a trio of Division 1 bound poles in Zak Chesteen (Vermont), Tyler Elgas (Vermont) and Josh Shearer (Jacksonville) who are joined by a formidable rope unit headlined by SSDM Adam Corkhill (Hopkins) and speedy LSM Kyle Pinto (CNU) who we expect to matchup with Episcopal’s top midfield threat and elite shooter in Gavin Lewis (Providence).  Paul VI has run a 10-man ride this season with all these athletes on defense so look for that. Episcopal's ability to clear is a major factor in this game and could determine the outcome.  

While the defense is the strength of this Paul VI squad, their offensive lineup is quite strong and bolsters a serious threat. The top threat for the Panthers is Richmond bound midfielder Gavin Gilmore, a hardnosed dodger who also takes face-offs with a knack for the creative. Expect Gilmore to draw the assignment of Episcopal's excellent LSM tandem, made up of juniors Carson Cowburn and Drew Vercher. Joining Gilmore on the first line are senior Ryan Rubino (F&M) and John Henry Schroder. At attack, lefty Heath Holland (High Point) is an excellent finisher, while Braiden Gailada (CNU) provides a burst of speed and Colton Sirois (Stony Brook) has a team leading 10 assists. 

The one area that the Panthers have struggled at so far this year is at the faceoff dot, while on the flip side, Episcopal bolsters one of the top faceoff men in the area in Henry Cunningham, a 2nd Team ALL-DMV preseason player. They key to the game for the Maroon will be relying on their faceoff dominance and dominating time of possession. The guy to watch for Episcopal is Jack Bonello, a shifty and creative senior attackmen highly capable of lighting up the net who will likely draw the assignment of PVI’s top coverman.  Joining Bonello at attack will be a pair of lefties in Chase Bazant (Utah) and freshman Colton Maddux, making up a solid unit that will need to shine against a potent Paul VI defense. 

As previously mentioned in the preseason preview below, another strength of this Episcopal squad this season is their midfield depth shown in Nate Tenzer, Tate Wardell and the pair of excellent LSMs.  They will be joined on the defensive end of the field by senior captain Lawson Marshall (W&L), senior Logan Fruehwirth, and sophomore transfer Edward Grasty, who make up a strong close  defense unit for the Maroon. In addition to winning faceoffs, the other key for Episcopal will be junior netminder Tate Donaldson having a quality outing if they want to pull off the upset this Saturday.

Based on the strength of both team’s defenses, we expect this to be a low scoring affair, with Paul VI sneaking out a 9-7 victory on the road in a highly contested affair.  If Episcopal can clear the ball and bury open shots this game could be closer and extremely exciting.  

(We apologize for name spelling errors or factual mistakes, so please email dmvlax@madlax.com, if you see any, and we will quickly correct.)

1. Bullis Bulldogs
   Bullis enters the 2025 season as the team to beat in the DMV, bolstering a loaded returning roster full of D1 talent and plus the vast majority of starters from last year including a stacked senior class. The highlight of this Bullis squad is their depth which is not normal for a relatively small school. Coach Bellistri has mastered the art of winning championships with short benches so this year he has the luxury of a massive bench. The impressive attack line which features last year's DMVLAX ‘Attackmen of the Year’ and 1st Teammer, Jackson Maher (UPenn) is joined by fellow star seniors, Jackson Tolmach (Michigan) and Navy commit Quinn Anzelone. That may be the best starting attack in the DMV. The other major strength comes at the specialist position, as scrappy Princeton bound senior Cooper Revis is one of the top faceoff men in the area, facing off at a 68% clip last spring. At the midfield, they are uncharacteristically deep and have senior, lefty sniper Thomas Petty (St. Joes), shifty righty Ike Silverman, stretch shooter Jack Magnin (Navy) along with UPenn commit Cooper Khuel and sophomore Luke Myre. The biggest hole to fill for the Bulldogs will be at the goalie position, as they graduated longtime starter and ALL-DMV selection Brayden Furgeson last spring. But look for talented  junior Dickinson commit Jake Zamoiski to step in and fill the starting spot. Playing in front of Zamoiski on defense will be seniors Blake Paris (Tampa), Brayden Serwer (Navy), and junior transfer Caleb Caplan, while the havoc-wreaking,  Ohio State bound senior, Ryder Hanin, will lead the charge at LSM. Rounding out the defensive group will be a strong defensive shortstick midfield made up by senior Chase Darke, junior Haden Wade (Navy), and sophomore Grant Stephenson. 
   
   So, as you can see there are no weaknesses in this line-up and that is why we are choosing Bullis as the top team in the DMV before we roll out a ball. If Bullis plays up to expectations, we expect them to run the table vs DMV opponents (they don’t play SJC) and win the highly coveted IAC in 2025. They should be a top 5 team nationally if they win all of their difficult out of league games as well.
    

2. St. John’s College High School Cadets
   SJC comes into the 2025 season with revenge on their minds, dropping the WCAC Championship in a thriller to archrival Gonzaga. While the Cadets did graduate several of their premier players, they return a majority of starters and have a stockpile of highly talented younger players. The key to the Cadets success this spring will start on the defensive end of the field, where they are anchored by junior netminder Rocket Inzer (Penn State) who proved last year to be one of top goalies in the entire DMV. The guy to watch in front of Inzer is arguably the top cover guy in the area in 5 star Syracuse recruit Jayden James, a beast of a defensemen with fantastic footwork. Joining James down low will be senior captain Mathew Bailey, and both sophomore phenom Cole Guckenberger and Mac Cronin (Navy). And if you didn’t think their defense was stacked enough, St. John’s also has a two-headed monster at LSM featuring a pair of Division 1 bound juniors in Chris Strycharz (Georgetown) and Ryder McGowan (Lehigh). Offensively, the Cadets did lose star power to graduation, but are returning their entire starting attack in Charlie Ball (Boston), Anthony Mancinelli (Navy), and Eddie Chi (Towson) who proved to be a formidable attack unit last spring. Headlining the midfield is John Offut, a two handed gunslinger headed to Maryland with seniors Jameson Carl (Mt. St. Marys) and Alex Guy (Mt St. Marys), junior Brendan Dufour (Bucknell) and sophomore Wyatt Douglass looking to make big impacts this spring. The biggest question for SJC heading into 2025 is at the faceoff dot, an area in which they struggled last spring. Disappointingly, they do NOT play Bullis, Landon or Prep in games which hurts them but we still expect them to win the WCAC and be one of the best teams in the nation if they can knock off out of area opponents. 
    

3. Landon Bears
   Landon was indisputably the top team in the area last year, winning the IAC, finishing with a record of 17-2, top 5 in the country, and beating WCAC Champ Gonzaga in an OT thriller; however, no one is hit as hard by graduation. They had 14 seniors, 2024's, almost all of which are playing in college now making up the best class to go through Landon in at least a decade. That being said, they do return multiple starters and have a number of talented young players looking to step up. The key this spring for the Bears will come at the faceoff department, where they have a beast of a tandem in offensive minded seniors Talan Smith (Lafayette) and technician Hayden Goozh (Michigan) who both went well over 55% last spring, often better in playoff games! Replacing the scoring of four 1st team All-DMV players, ‘Player of the Year’, Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), Kevin Miller (Georgetown), Chase Robertson (Utah) and Davis Owens (Tufts), will be a tall task, but the Bears might have firepower to refuel and not just rebuild. At attack, look for long time starter and senior Sean Murray (Bucknell) to quarterback the offense while being joined by junior Makana Neverosky (Navy), with sophomores Jonas Hawkins and Tripp Silva competing for the third spot. The Bears roll out a potent first midfield headlined by one of the best 2-way middies in the area, Princeton bound, Caden Southworth, to combine with a very athletic senior, UPenn bound Devin Stewart, and senior Aedan Cassidy (Holy Cross). Defensively, Landon returns their entire starting close defense, one of the best in the DMV, led by seniors Logan Cassidy (UPenn) and Eli Smink (W&L), with junior Carter DeSanto rounding out the group. Adding size and toughness, JT Mathura (Hopkins) is one of the best LSM's in the DMV. Landon bolsters one of the stronger SSDM units once again in the area with seniors Riley Lugar (Delaware) and Nikko Baskot (Anderson), and juniors Dom Jenkins and Robert Swift. They have yet to figure out the goalie position, with Stephen Riso and Eli Green competing for the starting spot. If they can fill out the voids due to graduation and rely on their experienced close defense, expect the Bears to have a shot at repeating as IAC Champs and being #1 in the DMV at the end of the season once again.
    

4. Gonzaga Eagles
   Gonzaga will look to defend their WCAC Championship this year after a fantastic 2024 campaign, but many questions remain as they graduated a stacked ‘24 class. The biggest hole to fill comes at the attack position, as last spring, Johnny Gardiner (UMD) and Freddy Fowler (Colgate) led the way all spring long for the Purple Eagles. Look for Fairfield bound senior Chase Noyes, Rutgers bound junior JM Costa and sophomore Tommy Leland, the team’s #2 FOGO, to surprisingly start at attack. Rounding out the offensive grouping for Gonzaga will be an athletic, senior driven first line midfield of Carter Cadin (Colgate), Jake Mendenhall (Navy), and Caleb Olive (Dickinson), one of the top first lines in the DMV. On the defensive end of the field, the Purple Eagles are older and more experienced, with the entire starting group having played significant minutes last year and being made up entirely by seniors. Mt. St. Marys bound Kevin Kane will likely start in cage, with Sam Luwaski, Alex Irisari (Bates), and one of the top defenders in the DMV, Gaetano Cicotello (Yale) playing in front of him, with Drexel bound Jake Gularson taking primary LSM responsibilities. One of the biggest strengths for Gonzaga this spring will come at the faceoff dot, as they return All-DMV first team selection Bobby McCarthy (Williams). If Gonzaga consistently wins faceoffs and can lean on their more experienced defense, it should give the new look offense enough time to gel and WIN a WCAC Title again. If they can beat Prep, Landon, Bullis and win the WCAC they will be the #1 team in the DMV at the end of the season!  Their non-league schedule is always brutal so if they win those games Gonzaga could be a top 10 team nationally! 
    

5. Paul VI Panthers
   Paul VI is not a team to sleep on in 2025, as the Panthers are loaded with talent particularly in their stacked junior and senior classes. We expect them to compete for both the VA D1 Private State Title as well as the WCAC. Leading the way for the Panthers is a loaded defensive unit, led by senior netminder Connor Pinto (CNU). At close defense, the grouping of Zakk Chesteen (Vermont), Tyler Elgas (Jacksonville), and Josh Shearer (Vermont), might be the strongest in the DMV.  Pinto’s twin brother Kyle, also bound for CNU, will serve as the primary LSM, while Hopkins commit Adam Corkhill, one of the top SSDMs in the area, rounds out a staunch defense. At attack, look out for a junior bound trio of Heath Holland (High Point), Colton Sirois (Stony Brook), and Braiden Galaida (CNU), to produce at a dangerously high clip. At the midfield, hard nosed Richmond bound Gavin Gilmore is one of the top midfielders in the area, and will be joined by Ryan Rubino (F&M) and John Henry Schroder on the first line. Rounding out the starting lineup for the Panthers is junior faceoff man Cash Colbert. If Paul VI plays up to their potential, they should have a great shot at competing for both the VISAA and WCAC Titles.
    

6. Good Counsel Falcons
   Good Counsel is a program that has been consistently on the rise the past few years since Dane Smith took over and we think this is the year they turn the corner from good to elite largely thanks to one of the most talented junior classes in the DMV. The headlining group for the Falcons is their extremely dangerous midfield unit, which is led by possibly the strongest first line in the DMV featuring a trio of division 1 recruits in Drew Demarinis (Maryland), Dylan Cruz (Towson), and Jack Hampton (Drexel). Additionally, watch out for sharpshooting uncommitted junior Drew Stewart to make some noise on the second line. Quarterbacking the offensive group will be junior Yale bound attackmen Will Mackey, a smooth ball handler with great vision, who will be joined by fellow junior Jake Bendler talented lefty sophomore Chase Sphar. Defensively, the Falcons did graduate their top coverman in Jack Brick (Rutgers) so look for one of Cooper Sinclair, Darian Dudd, and Dillon Coates to step up and fill that void, while Declan Devine and Brendan Stanislav split LSM duties. In the specialty department, Richmond bound FOGO Hunter Manning should provide the Falcons with a ton of possessions limiting many defensive questions while we expect highly talented freshmen Ben Pensey to start in the cage. Watch out for the hungry Falcons to make a serious run at the WCAC title in 2025 and then definitely in 2026.
    

7. Georgetown Prep Little Hoyas
   Prep is another program that will look to fill several key losses to graduation as they look to add another IAC Title to the mantle this spring. With that said, the aspect of a 150 student boarding school has helped them add some serious talent with off-season transfers from around the country. Offensively, they will need to fill the void of two of their top scorers in Owen Horning (Georgetown) and Ciaran McCleary (Hopkins), while on the defensive end, they graduated their top coverman in Ryan Welgos (Villanova) and starting LSM, Luke Crowe (Notre Dame), both first team All-DMV selections last spring. At attack, watch for Princeton bound junior Noah Han, an explosive finisher, to lead the way. Joining him will be fellow junior Brayden Lutz and sophomore transfer Rex Adamson, a shifty lefty with a lot of upside. Joining this group on offense will be a first line of Wyatt Bowman (Syracuse-Football), Carter McAndrew, and Brendan Gallagher (Fairfield). The standout of this group is Bowman, a Syracuse football commit, who uses his imposing frame and speed to wreak havoc. Additionally, look for Lawrenceville sophomore transfer, Sam Coluzzi, to make an impact this spring. The Little Hoyas are strong in the specialist department as both their netminder,  Alex Gutierrez (Denison), FO man Cole Repoza (Army), and starting SSDM, Jack Mundy, are all formidable, while LSM Patrick Kelley (Michigan) should be an absolute force in the middle of the field. Joining Kelley on the defensive end of the field will be a trio of juniors in Luke McGlone (Villanova), Jason Lane, and Parker Lee. If Prep can successfully rebound from the losses from graduation, they should be competitive in the IAC and have an opportunity to avenge their defeat in last year’s IAC championship game.
    

8. Dematha Stags
   DeMatha is another program in the WCAC that has been slowly on the rise the past few years, trying to regain their former glory from the 2000s, and 2025 looks like a promising year for the Stags, as they are senior laden and return a bevy of committed starters. The guy to watch this spring is Matt Beachley, a smooth right handed senior attackmen headed to play next year at Penn State. Joining Beachley at attack is fellow senior Bobby Commis, and intriguing lefty sophomore Will Grace, a Loyola Blakefield transfer. At the midfield, the headliner is Nick Church, a senior signed to Mercer, who will be paired with fellow senior bound for Randolph-Macon, and junior Eli Surpin. The biggest strength of this Stags team comes on the defensive end, where they bolster a trio of mean and physical defensemen in seniors Landon McKelvy (Boston), Will Taylor (St. Joes), and Connor Kemezis who play in front of the top goaltenders in the area in Cole Wittlinger, a senior bound for UMASS. This senior laden Stags team should compete in every single game, and if they can put the pieces together offensively, should have a strong enough defense to allow them to compete for a WCAC title.
    

9. Episcopal Maroon
   The ‘High School’ is a dangerous team that is hungry and returns some stars to combine with some impact transfers, which makes us think they could have one of their best seasons in years. Last season EHS made it to the VA D1 State semi-finals, but this year's team has even more potential, and if cohesive and focused, can beat anyone in the DMV in 2025. This is the deepest team Head Coach Scott Conklin has possibly ever had which will be a new-found luxury for him. Reason being, Episcopal, a boarding coed school with only 235 boys, has added off-season out of state junior transfers in highly skilled LSM, Drew Vercher, 1st line midfielder, Nate Tenzer, and sophomore Edward Grasty, defense, all of whom are very solid athletes. The offense will be quarterbacked by senior, captain, leading scoring, Providence commit, Jack Bonello, who plays alongside explosive Utah bound lefty junior Chase Bazant. The third starting attackman looks to be the lefty freshman Colton Maddux rounding out a very respectable attack unit. The other stud on the offensive end is Gavin Lewis, a hard-dodging junior, sharpshooter headed to play collegiately at Providence. Rounding out the 1st midfield line should be senior Tate Wardell. Showing depth, the Maroon have Laird White and another impressive freshman, Gus Taylor in the mix ready to contribute. On the defensive end of the field, senior, captain, W&L commit Lawson Marshall leads the way, and will be joined by senior Logan Fruehwirth, and talented transfer sophomore Edward Grasty making up a very strong close. Additionally, watch for junior LSM Carson Cowburn, one of the fastest players in the school, to contribute significantly at both ends. A question mark is the shortstick defensive position but they have some multi-sport athletes on campus we expect to fill that hole including senior Devon Debes, Oberlin commit. A huge strength of this team is the faceoff middie, Henry Cunningham, a Colgate commit, senior captain. He brings leadership, toughness and athleticism plus he’s very dangerous with the ball in his stick. We expect Episcopal to compete hard in every game and pull some big wins in the ultra competitive IAC and in an improved and deep VA D1 States and possibly win a Championship!
    

10. St. James Saints
    St. James will enter the 2025 campaign as an emerging powerhouse in the MAC, recently bursting onto the scene as a perennial power in the MAC, and continues to produce high level D1 talent year after year including Marquette FOGO Ty Ambush and UMD LSM Trevor Owens in recent years. The biggest strength of the Saints squad comes in the specialty department as all three are bound to play at the next level with senior FO man Seth Aliveto bound for Air Force, senior goalie Evan Kotkin headed to Gettysburg, and LSM Wyatt Maguire committed to St. Johns. This core group will need to be excellent for the Saints to win the MAC title. The other strength of this St. James team is their excellent first line midfield, another group all bound to play in college and made up by UMBC bound Drew Rupp, St. Marys commit Dominic Carusone, and Owen Meczkowski, who will head to Endicott next year. Less is known about the close defense and attack, so the Saints will need to rely on these two excellent groupings. If they can, they are our favorites to take home another MAC Title.
     

11. Robinson Rams
    Over the past decade, Robinson has been the team to beat in Virginia public school lacrosse winning countless state titles and producing more college talent than any other school in the area, including PLL All-Pro Jack Rowlett and his younger brother and PLL stud Nick Rowlett among others. After a brief drought, Robinson once again returned to the top of the mountain, taking home the 2024 state title. They enter the 2025 season as our top ranked public; however, there are a number of questions to ask following a large 2024 graduating class, particularly on the offensive end. Offensively, the guy to watch will be senior York commit Conner Fructuoso, one of the few returning starters who helped lead them to the State Title last spring. Defensively, be sure to give Peyton Larsen a watch, as the bruising junior Penn State commit is one of the top cover guys in the DMV and is an eraser to opposing attackmen. The strength of the Robinson squad comes in the speciality department, lead by junior York commit Tommy Agents, a formidable FO man who can carry the rock, as well as a pair of lock down senior dmids in Jackson and Daniel Scaperotto who will play next year at Lynchburg. If Robinson can replace the offensive firepower with their young talent, and rely on their strong defense and specialists, they should have a good chance at repeating as State Champs.
     

12. Madison Warhawks
    If you’ve paid attention to VA NOVA 6A big boy ball, you should know all about the Madison Warhawks. Year in and year out they have competed for the State Championship, and we believe they have a great shot to do so once again in 2025. After losing in State Semis last spring, they enter the spring hungry for revenge. The Warhawks will be tasked with replacing their three best players from last year in LSM Ollie Hau (Bucknell), and the Rublev twins (Lynchburg) at attack. Despite the key losses at attack, they do return their two best midfielders Henry Maiden and Levi Wentz, a pair of seniors both bound for CNU who are dynamic athletes with powerful shots. Defensively, the guy to keep an eye out on is JD Farrow, a highly fundamentally sound defensemen who should anchor an entirely senior driven defense. If Madison can replace the scoring of the Rublevs, they should have a great chance at winning the Region and State.
     

13. St. Albans Bulldogs
    The Bulldogs are an intriguing team this spring, as they have more talent than they have had in years; however, injuries and losses to graduation leave several questions entering the 2025 season. On the offensive end, the guy to watch is Andrew Allen, Colgate commit, a dynamic dodger, who is very creative around the goal. Look for the Bulldogs to run their offense through Allen throughout the spring but joining him on the offensive end will be a pair of senior midfielders in Rezin Wiegmann (Bowdoin) and Wasson Burns (Bucknell), who missed the entire season last spring and should have a breakout year. Additionally, look for massive  junior attackman, Ben Palma to contribute on the offensive end of the field. Defensively, the guy to watch is Dutch Lohnes (Amherst) a highly talented pole who can play both close and LSM and is highly capable of erasing opposing teams top options. At both specialty positions there are currently battles as ‘25 Peter King and ‘27 Holt Farver are currently competing for the goalie starting job, while ‘26 Simon Smith and ‘27 Jack McBrady, will battle for time at the faceoff X.
     

14. St. Mary’s Ryken
    SMR easily has the strongest team they’ve had in years and is filled with future college players. This team will be incredibly motivated, as they are dedicating their season to the unfortunate passing of John Sothoron, the programs founding coach, and ‘00 alum Tommy Clagett who sadly passed away in the DCA plane crash last month. Watch out for Nick Carmean 2025 (Washington College) to light it up on the offensive end, while midfielder Drew Stark (Dickinson) should provide big contributions  at the midfield following a 60 point season last spring. Sophomore FO/Mid Kaleb Smith should be a force at the faceoff X and will run first line midfield as well. The strength of this SMR squad comes on the defensive end of the field, anchored by senior Salisbury commit Jack Wallace, a 3x All-WCAC honoree. Down low, senior Josh Hedderich (Jacksonville) is a beast of a coverman and will be paired with fellow Delaney Garner (Embry Riddle). SMR could upset a top ranked team or two in the WCAC this spring. Look out! 

15. Riverside Rams
    Riverside has been the most dominant program in the state of Virginia since its inception, winning a state title almost every single year since the school was founded. As they look to repeat, they will need to fill a few key holes due to graduation primarily in the form of leading scorer Drew Mazzocco (Vassar) and All-DMV FOGO Zach Ward (Jacksoville). With that said, they do return a number of talented players heading to play college lacrosse. Offensively, attackmen Nate Woodward and midfielders Jacob Stromberg, both headed to play at CNU, will look to take over as the primary goalscorers, while on the defensive end, another pair of CNU commits in Keegan Smith and Sebastian Quintana look to lock in down for the Rams. Outside of the these studs, the Rams team will be fairly young, with several sophomores earning key minutes; however, we still fully expect the Riverside Rams to once again repeat as 5A State Champions.
     

16. St. Stephens Saints
    After another frustrating 2024 season, in which the Saints struggled immensely, St. Stephens will look to rebuild and return to their former glory under a new head coach. While they are rebuilding, the Saints still have a number of talented players who are primarily talented upperclassmen, allowing them to be more competitive this spring and still earn a top 20 ranking. The biggest strength of this Saints team is their attack unit, which features dynamic quarterback Griffin Boston (Loyola). Adding to the offensive firepower will be Garett Lian, a senior midfielder bound for Connecticut College. The big question for the Saints will be on the defensive end, having suffered multiple losses to graduation and transfers. They do return starting LSM Ben Fenton, a senior bound for F&M as well as fellow senior Jonas Vinson, a netminder headed to play at Hampden Sydney. If the Saints can remedy the defensive woes and improve under new leadership, they should begin to rebuild within a few years.
     

17. Langley Saxons
    Langley was a squad that impressed us immensely last spring, largely thanks to a highly talented junior class. While they did suffer key losses to graduation, the Saxons will look to build on a strong 2024 season and make a run at a state title in 2025. For the Saxons, it all starts with swiss army knife Cole Samberg, one of the best athletes in the area, who plays offense, faces off, and is exceptional on the defensive end as well. Leading the way for the offense will be Jack Milone, a talented right handed shooter who also has the ability to create his own shot when needed. On the defensive end of the field, Matthew Chen is a beast down low, and should give fits to opposing offenses top options.  The top LSM is senior Brigg Carton who is very active between the lines and on wings! If Langley can replace their key losses to graduation and their strong junior class steps up, look for them to make a strong run at winning the Region and potentially even making a run at a 6A title.
     

18. Sherwood Warriors
    Sherwood has become the team to beat in Montgomery County, the past few years, usurping Churchill's dominant run and winning a multitude of MOCO Championships, including last spring’s. The biggest hole to fill if Sherwood wants to once again win the MOCO, will be replacing Jeb Buffington, their All-DMV FOGO who faced off at an ABSURD 85% clip last spring. That being said, they do return 8 starters including the best player in MOCO in the form of Andrew Cavanaugh, a Towson commit and All-DMV selection who tallied a whopping 55 goals and 22 assists last season. Additionally, they return Andrew Bergesen, a Randolph-Macon commit who racked up an impressive 41 goals and 34 assists in 2024. If Sherwood can figure out how to replace the faceoff dominance, they are not only our favorite to win MOCO once again, but also make a deep run in the MD Public State Championship.
     

19. Potomac School Panthers
    Potomac is coming off of one of their better seasons in recent memory, but ultimately came up just short of winning the MAC Title, falling in a close battle to rival St. Andrews, leaving them hungry for revenge in 2025. The biggest challenge for Head Coach Matt Marriott this spring will be replacing 1st Team All-DMV goalie JJ Kim (W&L), who was a brick wall in the cage last spring for the Panthers. Luckily, sophomore Caeden Demory is one of the more talented young netminders in the area and should be able to comfortably fill his shoes. Offensively, they should be fairly strong, returning two starters on attack from last spring including lefty sniper Brooks Forsyth, and their best player in junior Navy commit Aarez Ahmed, a dynamic offensive midfielder who is extremely athletic. Additionally, senior faceoff man Mackie Repke proved to be a formidable drawman last spring. Expect Potomac to be a strong contender to avenge their loss in last year’s MAC Championship this spring.
     

20. West Potomac Wolverines
    West Potomac is a program that shocked a lot of people last season winning the most games in program history and making it to the VA State playoffs and we believe they are primed to continue their upward trajectory as they return the majority of last year's team. The player to watch for the Wolverines is Grant Maloney, a hyper athletic senior midfielder bound for Jacksonville, who does it all for West Potomac. Joining Maloney at the midfield will be ‘25 Charlie Bruce and ‘27 Samuel Bruce, a pair of dynamic athletes. The other guy to keep an eye on this spring is Sean Kovalsky, a First Team All-District and All-Region attackmen. The Wolverines will be well tested this spring, playing a gauntlet of an out of conference schedule including Robinson, Madison, and Maryland powerhouses Severna Park and South River. 

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Mater Dei, #2, AT LANDON, #1, May 22 AT 2:40PM 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION:  8-6 Landon
(UNOFFICIAL) LINE SPREAD:  LANDON -2.5

(UNOFFICIAL) OVER/UNDER:  14.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  7-2 Landon

Game Preview: 
The DMVLAX game of the Week is the official DMVLAX 8th grade Championship between Mater Dei and Landon.

Both teams have cleaned up on DMV opponents this season however Landon won the first meeting between the two at Mater Dei, 9-7 back on May 8th, which was the first win for the Bears 'Brown Team' over the Griffins since 2013! 

‘Sport Automotive’ Players to Watch:
Landon:  Mason DeSanto, Liam Brown, Mack Dockz, Colton Maddux
Mater Dei: Patton Gormley, Ryan Arrata, Emmett O’Donnell, Sully Rump

Georgetown Prep, #4, AT LANDON, #1, May 10 AT 4:55PM 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION: 11-9 Landon
(UNOFFICIAL) LINE SPREAD:  LANDON -1.5

(UNOFFICIAL) OVER/UNDER:  20.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  17-6 Landon

Game Preview: 
The IAC championship will be held Friday, May 10th at 5pm with top seeded Landon hosting rival Georgetown Prep in what should be a thrilling battle. Landon enters the game with an impressive 15-2 record and #7 National Ranking, demolishing St. Stephen’s in the Semis 20-6, while the Little Hoyas sit at 11-4, winning their last four including a thrilling 4th quarter comeback against Bullis in the semis. In the regular season matchup, the Bears bested Prep by a score of 9-3 led by a dominant defensive effort and a hat trick from Georgetown signee Kevin Miller. Since the loss to Landon, the Little Hoyas have been playing their best lacrosse of the season and we expect a much tighter affair between these bitter rivals.

The senior laden Bears squad enters Friday’s contest hungry to revenge their loss to Prep in last year’s IAC Championship game and seeking their first IAC Tournament Title since 2017 when Joey Epstein (Hopkins All-American & Landon all-time leading scorer with 336 points) led the squad. in 2024 Landon has depth, the horses and a loaded senior class. 12 players at Landon even have double digit points scored this season!  However, Landon’s extremely talented starting attack unit has led the way this spring, with the trio of speedster Anthony Panetti (Bucknell, 77 points), quarterback Kevin Miller (Georgetown, 55 points), and leading goal scorer, Sean Murray (Bucknell, 54 points) all having spectacular seasons. Panetti recently eclipsed 200 points and is now 4th all-time in Landon history in scoring with 203 points.  At the midfield, Utah signee Chase Robertson (46 points) has had an amazing senior campaign, highlighted by his 5-goal performance versus Gonzaga. Joining Robertson on the first line is party starter Troy Ulisney (Bowdoin, 29 points), a lefty with a lightning quick first step, as well as Caden Southworth (Princeton, 18 points) a throwback style 2-way mid who plays also takes FO wings for the Bears. 

Landon has been able to consistently run three midfield lines, which gives them a distinct advantage against Prep who relies heavily on their highly talented first midfield made up of 6’3 beast Wyatt Bowman (UNC), super-shifty lefty Ciaran McCleary (Hopkins), and hard-shooting Brendan Gallagher (Fairfield), a group that has paced the Little Hoyas offense all year. The guy to watch at attack for Prep, is lefty slasher Owen Horning, a Georgetown signee who led the comeback vs Bullis in the semifinal with a fourth quarter hat trick. Also watch out for dynamic sophomore Noah Han, who has shown great sparks this season, including a four-goal performance vs Gonzaga. 

The biggest questions for Landon entering the season were on the defensive end of the field, where they only returned one starting defensemen in Eli Smink; however, Logan Cassidy and Carter DeSanto have stepped in and stepped up, and the Bears defensive play has been tremendous thus far this season. The guy to watch for the Bears on the defensive end is senior LSM Davis Owens, a Tufts commit, who is a lethal threat on offense (16 points) and is a takeaway machine in the middle of the field. Expect Owens to have a big impact on Friday’s game on both ends of the field as he has done all year for the Bears. 

The strength of this Prep team comes on the defensive end, where they are as deep as they are talented, with eight players in the defensive group committed to play in college. The poles to watch out for are senior stud Ryan Welgos (Villanova), junior Patrick Kelley (UPenn), and senior Luke Crowe, a 6’4 athlete bound for Notre Dame who will play both LSM and close. Crow had 2 goals vs Bullis in the semi-finals also!  Other guys to keep an eye on include TS Roth (St. Joes), Luke Christmas (Duke) Thomas Yavinsky (Tampa), Graham Lesher (Wake Forest), and Sean Kenney (Dickinson) who all play minutes.

The key to the game for Landon is to limit production from Prep’s stars in Bowman, McCleary, and Horning. If they can limit these three from dominating, Prep simply isn’t deep enough to run with the Bears. Face-offs and possession time are always are a major factor in championship games. Thus, a key for Prep is for faceoff man Jax Lou (W&L) to have a productive game against one of the best duos in the DMV in Talan Smith (Lafayette) and Hayden Goohz (Michigan), who have been dominant all season. If Lou can faceoff at 50% or better, he will give the Hoyas a real shot at winning the title. The other X factor is the chilly weather and rain which could affect defenders footing on 1v1’s while also affecting passing and shooting accuracy a bit. We expect this to be a highly contested affair with the Landon Bears and their 14 seniors prevailing and coming out on top as IAC Champions in 2024.

Dematha, #8, AT Landon, #1, APRIL 16 AT 4:20PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION: 12-5 LANDON
(UNOFFICIAL) LINE SPREAD:  LANDON -5.5

(UNOFFICIAL) OVER/UNDER:  18.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  13-9

Game Preview: 

Last year, the DeMatha vs. Landon game was a tightly contested affair that went down to the wire with the Bears coming out on top by a score of 8-7. This year, Landon enters as the hottest team in the DMV, reaching the #10 spot in multiple national polls, while DeMatha enters the contest with a few unknowns. The Stags have been on an upswing the past few years, but lost a significant amount to graduation including stud midfielder Graham Parker (Navy) and netminder Myles Lancaster (Marist). If they hope to keep this game close, they will need to rely on their stout defense which features a trio of division 1 bound studs. 

This defensive group is anchored by 6’4 beast Landon McKelvy, a junior bound for Boston. Joining McKelvy down low is another junior, Will Taylor, who will play his college ball at St. Joes. Senior longstick midfielder James Westbrooks, a High Point signee, is a huge difference maker in the middle of the field for DeMatha due to his ability to wreak havoc in between the lines and push the ball offensively. The Stags defense is up for their biggest challenge to date, as they face off against a potent Landon offense more than capable of lighting up the net. 

The Landon attack unit of Kevin Miller (Georgetown), Anthony Panetti (Bucknell) and Sean Murray (Bucknell) has been arguably the best in the area in 2024, with each taking turns leading the way on the scoring sheet. Furthermore, their depth at midfield has been problematic for opposing defenses, as all nine of their midfielders are capable scoring threats. The first line, featuring Chase Robertson (Utah), Troy Ulisney (Bowdoin), and Caden Southworth (Princeton) is a matchup nightmare, as all three demand a pole. 

Offensively for DeMatha, the guy to watch is Matt Beachley, a sharpshooting and dynamic dodging junior attackmen committed to Penn State, who has earned the right to wear #40, honoring fallen Navy Seal and DeMatha great Brendan Looney, the highest honor for DeMatha lacrosse. Expect talented uncommitted junior Eli Smink to be tasked with matching up with Beachley. Other guys to watch include midfielders Jadon Meyers and Andrew Ross, bound for Hampton and Randolph-Macon, respectively. 

One of the biggest keys to Landon’s early success has been the excellent netminding of senior Zach Abramson (Wisconsin), and the faceoff prowess of juniors Talan Smith (Lafayette) and Hayden Goohz, who have been fantastic all year. If these three 'special teamers' keep rolling, Landon is simply too deep and talented across the board for DeMatha to pull an upset. 

DMVLAX GAME OF THE WEEK

BULLIS, #3, AT GONZAGA, #2, APRIL 10 AT 6:50PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION:  11-9 Gonzaga
ACTUAL SCORE:  11-9 Gonzaga (we predicted right! )

Game Preview: 

Wednesday night brings us a marquee IAC vs. WCAC battle as #3 DMV ranked Bullis travels to Eye Street to face-off against #2 Gonzaga! The Bulldogs will be hungry for a win following their tough loss to Landon last week, while Gonzaga looks to remedy their slower start to the season and build on the huge momentum from their massive win over G Prep in the Jesuit Classic two weeks ago. This matchup went to overtime last year, with current Georgetown freshman Jack Leland scoring the game winner for the Purple Eagles, and we expect a tightly contested affair once again on Wednesday night. Eye street at night is very tough place to play and you can expect the Eagles to utilize that home field advantage once again with a raucous crowd.

Bullis, 8-2 overall, will be tasked with stopping one of the best attack duos in the DMV in Johnny Gardiner (Maryland, 24 points) and Freddy Fowler (Colgate, 36 points), who have lit up the net all spring. Most teams have attempted to either face guard or slide quickly to Gardiner, so look for Fowler to lead the way offensively for Gonzaga. Bullis has a highly capable defense that should be able to matchup fairly well against the Purple Eagle attack. Expect Bucknell bound senior Alex Latchford to draw the assignment of the larger Gardiner, while junior Tampa commit, Blake Paris or Ohio State commit Ryder Hanin likely to cover the smaller and shiftier Fowler. Joining them on the defensive end will be a duo of college bound poles in Brennan Lane (Bucknell) and Brayden Serwer (Navy), SSDMids Zak Hammerschmidt (Dickinson) and Sophomore Haden Wade, who round out a formidable defensive group that plays in front of one of the top goalie in the area in Brayden Furgeson (Syracuse, 59%). If Bullis wants to walk away with a tough road win, they will need a big game out of Furgeson and his D crew. 

For Bullis, the centerpiece of their offense is Jackson Maher, one of the top juniors in the country who will play his college ball at Penn. Expect for Gonzaga’s top cover man Gaetano Cicotello (Yale) to draw the assignment of covering Maher, making for a fantastic matchup of future Ivy studs who both play extremely physical lacrosse. Joining Maher at attack for the Bulldogs will be a pair of talented fellow juniors in Quinn Anzelone (Navy) and Jackson Tolmach (Michigan) who have both proven themselves as weapons for the Bullis offense. Senior Michael Michaelis (St. Joes) and Joe Matan (Ohio State) round out a Gonzaga defense that plays with a mean streak and loves to lay hits but will have their hands full with those two talented attackmen. The other strongpoint of the Purple Eagle defense is their defensive midfield group which also features a pair of D1 bound seniors in James Gardiner (Maryland) and Mikey Settles (Notre Dame) who are matchup nightmares for opposing offenses. 

In the middle of the field, Gonzaga, 5-4 overall, is extremely deep, running three midfield lines effectively. Seniors Robert Bath (W & L), Devin Geary, Cody Hobson, and Charlie MacNamara, and juniors Ryan Rafferty and Chase Noyes with sophomore JM Costa have been key contributors so far this spring. On the other side of the ball, Bullis doesn’t have the same depth; however, their first line mids featuring Jewel Walker (Ohio State), Thomas Petty (St. Joes), Ike Silverman (19 points) and hard-dodging Jack Mangin are extremely productive and capable of causing serious damage. This game provides an intriguing matchup at the faceoff stripe between Bullis junior and Brown commit Cooper Revis (67%), one of the top faceoff men in the area, and uncommitted Gonzaga junior Bobby McCarthy (57%, who is off to a tremendous start in 2024. If Gonzaga hopes to take home the W on Wednesday night, they will need to faceoff above 50% since the Bullis offense is so loaded. We expect this game to be a back-and-forth battle between two of the best teams in the DMV with the Purple Eagles pulling out the victory 11-9 over Bullis.

Bullis, #1, at Landon, #2, April 5 AT 4:20PM 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM SCORE PREDICTION:  12-10 Landon
(UNOFFICIAL) LINE SPREAD:  Landon -1.5

(UNOFFICIAL) OVER/UNDER:  21.5
ACTUAL SCORE:   13-8 Landon

Game Preview: 
In one of the most highly anticipated games of the spring, DMVLAX ranked #2 Landon hosts #1 Bullis in the DMVLAX ‘Game of the Week’ on Friday, April 5th at 4:30PM. Pregame starts at 4:20pm.

Both teams have had excellent starts this spring and both are ranked nationally by Inside Lacrosse this week. Landon (6-2 record with impressive wins over St. Marys and Highland Park) enters the IL.com poll at the #18 spot, its highest ranking since the Joey Epstein, Drew Wellington, and John Geppert IAC Champion 2018 team. Bullis remains the 22nd ranked team in the country. We expect an absolute battle between two of the most talented and deepest teams in the area, with the victor claiming the #1 spot in the DMVLAX rankings, a top 15 national ranking, and the likely frontrunner for the IAC title in May. 

Bullis enters the game with an impressive 8-1 record, with their sole loss coming last week in overtime to a strong St. Paul’s squad who also beat Landon earlier in the season. The Bulldog’s defense is anchored by their senior net minder and 1st Team All-DMV preseason captain, Brayden Ferguson, a Syracuse commit who is the best goalie in the area when hot and always the vocal leader for the Bullis defense. Playing in front of Ferguson is a talented group of defensemen including seniors Alex Latchford (Bucknell) and Brennan Lane (Bucknell) as well as juniors Ryder Hanin (Ohio State), and Brayden Serwer (Navy). This group is extremely physical, which often pays dividends, but also lands them frequently in the penalty box. 

On the offensive side of the ball, the quarterback and star of the offense is Jackson Maher, a 5-star recruit, 1st Team ALL-DMV, junior bound for UPenn (team leading 40 points), who is a physically imposing dodger who demands a quick slide. Joining Maher at attack are Quinn Anzelone (Navy, 36 points) and Jackson Tolmach (Michigan, 22 points) a pair of fellow juniors who have proven themselves weapons this spring. At the midfield, watch out for Jewel Walker, the massive Ohio State commit, 2nd Team All-DMV, and 2023 IAC Championship game MVP, who makes an impact all over the field as a menace and wrecking ball. Midfielders Thomas Petty (14 points), a sharpshooting lefty bound for St. Joseph’s, Ike Silverman (17 points), and Jack Mangin (14 points) are all dangerous offensively.  

One of the biggest strengths of the Bullis team is their Faceoff man, 2nd Team ALL-DMV, Cooper Revis (73%), a junior committed to Brown who has been exceptional since his freshman year and is one of the best faceoff men in the area. Looking to counter Revis will be a pair of talented Landon juniors Talan Smith (Lafayette) and Hayden Goozh, who have proven to be a strong 1-2 punch with anyone in the DMV. If the Bears can win 50% or more on face-offs, they have the firepower across the rest of the field to take home the win. 

The biggest strength for the Bears on the other hand, is sheer depth, particularly on the offensive end. Landon has 14 seniors, easily the most since 2018. Leading the way are senior, captain, 2nd team All-DMV, attackmen Kevin Miller (Georgetown, 26 points), a smart, crafty player, senior, captain, 2nd Team All-DMV attackmen Anthony Panetti (Bucknell, 30 points), a scary quick dodger and feeder, and senior midfielder, 1st Team ALL-DMV, Chase Robertson (Utah, 21 points) an explosive player who loves the big games. Senior, midfielder, Troy Ulisney (Bowdoin, 12 points), junior attack, Sean Murray (Bucknell, 25 points), and junior midfielder, Caden Southworth (Princeton) are all having excellent seasons. The 2nd midfield group proves the incredible depth, athleticism, and talent at Landon this year with juniors Devin Stewart (UPenn) and Riley Lugar (Delaware) with senior, 3-sport athlete, Hank Maddux (SMU) all contributing. 

On the defensive side of the field, look for close defense to be the impressive junior trio of Eli Smink, Logan Cassidy and Carter Desanto who will matchup with Bullis’s potent attack. Their success could determine the winner of the game, but the Bears defense has been very solid thus far this spring, allowing under 7 goals a game. The big reason is due to arguably the best midfield ‘ROPE’ units in the DMV. Senior, captain, 1st Team All-DMV, LSM Davis Owens, a takeaway machine bound for Tufts, makes an impact in every game. The stacked and uber athletic defensive shortstick midfield group of senior 3-sport athlete, captain and ALL-DMV 1st Teamer, Nate Furgeson (Delaware), senior, All-Met hockey player, Christian Daymude (Indiana), and senior, All-IAC football player, Ahmed ‘AZ’ Zaid will look to shut down the Bullis midfield. 

Picking the winner of this game proves very challenging as these teams match up very well versus each other. Where one team has strength the other can counter and match-up well.  There are many other factors not detailed like 10-man rides, zone defenses, clearing, riding and EMO where we feel Landon has the advantage.  Our media Team is completely split 3-3 but we think Landon, with the senior leadership, experience, and depth plus the home field advantage wins a close game.

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CLICK HERE To see Inside Lacrosse most recent rankings that include two DMV teams, Landon, #18 and Bullis, #22 ! 

GO DMVLAX! 

prep vs gonzaga @gtown, March 28 AT 7:00PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM Score PreDiction:  10-9 Prep
(Unofficial) Line SPREAD:  Prep -1.5

(unofficial) Over/under: 21.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  10-9 Gonzaga in OT! 

Game Preview: 

One of the longest and fiercest rivalries in the DMV returns this week as Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep square off in the annual ‘Jesuit Classic’ Thursday, March 28th at Georgetown University. Gonzaga enters the game below their standards, dropping four of its first six games; however, they have played a gauntlet of a schedule and continue to improve, nearly upsetting Culver last week. On the flip side, the Little Hoyas enter the game with an impressive record of 5-2 which includes two overtime wins of MIAA powers. The rivalry atmosphere under the lights at Georgetown should make for an absolute thriller!

Gonzaga enters this game with a chip on their shoulder, having lost this matchup the previous two years. Offensively for the Purple Eagles, the guy to keep an eye on is Johnny Gardiner, a dynamic senior attackmen bound for Maryland who can hurt you in a variety of ways. Expect one of Prep’s stud defensemen, senior Villanova commit Ryan Welgos, senior Notre Dame commit Luke Crowe or junior Penn verbal Patrick Kelley, to draw the assignment defensively.  One of those defensenen should then match up with fellow senior Freddie Fowler, a well-rounded, ultra skilled attackman bound for Colgate who has been on an absolute tear for Gonzaga this spring, leading the Purple Eagles in points, goals, and assists with 26 (15/11). At the midfield, Gonzaga has a ton of depth, but the three guys that have stuck out the most this year have been Merrimack football commit Cody Hobson, Fairfield verbal Chase Noyes, and W&L signee Robert Bath, aka David Robinson (NBA star who did everything right).

On the other end of the field, senior attackmen Owen Horning leads the offense for Little Hoyas. A slick, slippery lefty with a cannon of a shot, Horning will join his older brother Larry at Georgetown next year. The Hoyas have bumped junior UNC commit Wyatt Bowman from midfield to attack, with sophomore Noah Han rounding out a talented attack group. In the middle of the field, the star for Prep is Ciaran McCleary, a speedy lefty with a laser of an on the run shot who is signed to play next year at Hopkins. McCleary and Horning have BOTH won games in OT for the little Hoyas this season already! Looking to defend this group will be a physically imposing Gonzaga defensive group led by a trio of bruising poles in Gaetano Cicotello (Yale) and Michael Michaelis (St. Joes) and Joe Matan (Ohio State).

The speciality groups for both teams are extremely talented and expect to play a big role in this pivotal matchup. For Prep, the guys to watch are Luke Christmas and Carson Whittier, younger brother of former Prep  star Zach Whittier, who will join his brother at Maryland next year. Carson has also been playing more offensive middie this spring! For Gonzaga, seniors James Gardiner (Maryland), cousin of Johnny, Ryan Pels (Inj./Out/Brown), and Mikey Settles might be the best trio of defensive midfielders in the DMV. Expect a battle at the faceoff X between Jax Lou and Bobby McCarthy, two stocky scrappers who have both had excellent starts to 2024. We expect a physical, chippy battle between the two rivals with Prep winning by a narrow margin 10-9.

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#1. Gonzaga 

Hungry teams are scary. After being shocked and knocked out in the semifinals of the WCAC by Paul VI last year, we feel Gonzaga has extra motivation to win the WCAC this year. On paper, the Purple Eagles look scary also and appear the front runner to take home the WCAC Title in 2024 and make some serious noise on the national scene if they can beat top nationally ranked opponents; McDonogh, St. Mary’s, Boys Latin, and Culver. If they win those four non-league games they will easily be a top 5 team in the country, maybe #1. 

Gonzaga did lose significant talent in Jack Leland (Georgetown), Declan Monahan (Penn), and Matt Rienzo (Georgetown), among others; however, they return the vast majority of an extremely talented roster with the most commits of any team in the DMV all over the field. The focal point of the Purple Eagles offense is senior attackmen Johnny Gardiner, a lefty sniper who is a fantastic dodger and will play collegiately at Maryland. Gardiner will be joined on attack by fellow senior Freddy Fowler (Colgate) a strong feeder and outside shooter and either junior Chase Noyes (Fairfield), senior Charlie MacNamara (LIU) who excels inside, and left handed sophomore JM Costa. At the midfield, the Eagles are even more deep. Look for senior Robbie Bath (W&L), Caden Carter (Colgate), Cody Hobson, Jack Slater (Mt. St. Mary’s) Jake Mendenhall (Navy), Ryan Rafferty, Henry Keeler and the attackmen not starting to contribute significantly to the scoring. Outside of the attack position, the biggest strength of Gonzaga is the impressive SSDMID position, where they have a number of lockdown short sticks including James Gardiner, also bound for Maryland, Ryan Pels (Brown), and Mikey Settles. Expect talented senior Justin Weeda (RIT) and junior Bobby McArthy to split the primary draw responsibilities with freshman Tommy Leland rounding out the group. Stud junior LSM Gaetano Cicotello (Yale) once again is likely set to take the FO wing responsibilities. Cicotello, who could play close this year, is a ground ball machine and should be a game changer for Gonzaga. Other outstanding players to watch for defensively are seniors Joe Matan (Ohio State) and Michael Michaelis (St. Joes), a pair of physical senior defensemen who will serve as the backbone for the Purple Eagle defense. 

#2. Georgetown Prep

Last year’s IAC Champs and #1 final ranked team in the DMV, Georgetown Prep had one of its best seasons in program history. The key to their success was a stacked senior class featuring a bevy of top recruits including a pair of All-Americans in Nate Kabiri and Colin Burns, who are both currently starting for Princeton as freshman. Additionally, the Little Hoyas will be tasked with replacing its entire first line midfield and starting netminder. Despite these challenges, Prep still has one of the most loaded rosters in the area and has added a few significant pieces in the off-season via transfers. Looking to take over as the primary ball handler on offense is Owen Horning, a talented and shifty left handed senior headed for Georgetown. Watch for dynamic sharp shooting sophomore Noah Han to burst onto the scene and round out the attack unit for Prep this spring. Other intriguing newcomers include Brett Cotton, an athletic two way midfielder with a strong build. The strength of the offense comes from the midfield which features a pair of lefty gunslingers bound for D1 powers In Ciaran McCleary (Hopkins) and Wyatt Bowman (UNC) who will be joined by Brendan Gallagher (Fairfield). Taking the bulk of the draw duties will be senior Jax Lou, a recent Fairfield commit, who broke onto the scene last year with a strong season. Prep’s biggest strength will be on the defensive end of the field where they will look to suffocate offenses. Down low, Ryan Welgos (Villanova) and Patrick Kelley (Penn) lead a scary group of close defensemen rounded out by TS Roth (St. Joes), Graham Lesher (Wake Forest), Thomas Yavinksy (Tampa), and Dominic DeSarno among others. Up top at LSM, Luke Crowe (Notre Dame) and Sean Kenny (Dickinson) will wreak havoc between the lines, while seniors Carson Whittier (Maryland) and Luke Christmas (Duke) are two of the top short stick d-mids in the area. Expect Georgetown Prep to be serious contenders in the IAC and finish amongst the top teams in the DMVLAX rankings again this spring. 

#3. Landon

Landon finished last year with a great run to the IAC Finals, eventually falling short to Georgetown Prep. The Bears return the vast majority of their roster from last spring and are primed for one of their best seasons in years. They have one of the deepest senior classes in the DMV who all will be major contributors.  Landon welcomes back senior star attackmen and Georgetown commit Kevin Miller from injury after missing the 2023 season. Look for Miller and fellow senior Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), who is on pace to be one of the all-time leading scorers in Landon history, to lead a talented and very experienced Bears attack unit, rounded out by big-game lefty finisher Steele Maddux (SMU). Talented junior Bucknell commit, Sean Murray, will likely play both attack and midfield but will definitely be on the field offensively. The Bears have a stable of horses at the midfield, highlighted by seniors Chase Robertson, a dynamic dodger bound for Utah, Troy Ulisney (Bowdoin) a vicious slasher, and Hank Maddux (SMU) a versatile 3-sport athlete. Super athletic juniors Caden Southworth (Princeton), Devin Stewart (Penn) are also dangerous from the midfield. Juniors Talan Smith (Lafayette) and Hayden Goozh make a talented two-headed monster at the faceoff dot that was very successful last spring. Defensively, the strength of Landon will be their specialists, senior LSM Davis Owens, a Tufts commit who finished last season 1st Team All-DMV, as well as one of the most talented and deepest SSDMID groups in the country featuring Nate Ferguson (Delaware) a 3-sport freak athlete, Christian Daymude, Riley Lugar (Delaware), Nikko Baskot, and Ahmed Zaid. Senior Zach Abramson is expected to get the nod again as the goalie starter, after a solid junior year. Talented junior Eli Smink will start at close and will likely be joined by a pair of junior transfers in Jacob Derwinski (Gettysburg) and Logan Cassidy. If this team can play like they expect to, look for the Bears to win an IAC title in 2024, which would be their first since 2017. If they can also beat nationally ranked non-league opponents in Haverford, Gonzaga, St. Pauls and Severn, they would likely be ranked in the top 5 nationally.  

#4. Bullis 

All things considered, Bullis had somewhat of a down year in 2023 by their standards, dropping a few tough one goal games and failing to make it to the IAC title game. That being said, we expect Coach Bellestri’s squad to rebound in a big way in 2024. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent across the field, starting in the backend where they have one of the most talented goalies in the DMV in Brayden Furgeson, a three year starter headed to play at Syracuse. Playing in front of Furgeson are a strong group of defensemen led by senior Bucknell commits Alex Latchford and Brennan Lane, and juniors Ryder Hanin (Ohio State) and Brayden Serwer (Navy). Expect senior Dickinson commit Zac Hammerschmidt and junior Chase Darke to take the majority of the SSDMID runs. The Bulldogs will face the daunting task of replacing the scoring of three D1 graduates in Chase Band (UVA), Ben Jose (SJU), and Anthony Rinaldi (Hofstra), but they certainly have the pieces to do so. The guy to watch on offense for Bullis is junior Jackson Maher, an elite dodger and shooter bound for Penn and considered to be one of the top players in the country in the 2025 class. Joining Maher at attack will be fellow juniors Quinn Anzelone (Navy) as well as transfer Jackson Tolmach (Michigan) who are both more than capable of scoring the rock. At midfield, watch out for Ohio State commit Jewel Walker, a 6’3 athlete who plays both ways, as well as Thomas Petty, a junior bound for St. Joes, while junior Ike Silverman and sophomore Haden Wade should have breakout seasons. A key to Bullis’s success will be Cooper Revis, their junior faceoff man headed to Brown. If Revis is dominant this spring, Bullis’s tenacious defense and netminding should make them a competitor in the IAC and potentially champs once again. 

#5. St. John’s

St. John’s has been the team to beat in the WCAC and DMV for a few years now, racking up multiple WCAC Titles, D.C. Championships, and one of the most impressive seasons of memory in 2022. Each time the Cadets have graduated a strong senior class, they haven’t had to rebuild, they simply reload. However, this year is a little different, as Coach Speaks will be tasked with replacing the top two specialists in the area last spring in DMV ‘Goalie of the Year’ Caleb Fyock and ‘Faceoff man of the Year’ Jackie Weller who played pivotal roles in the Cadets success the last few seasons. Furthermore, 5 Star attackman Ryan Duenkel (UVA) is out for the spring due to  injury. The Cadets will hope to continue their dominant run so they need big things from their elite midfield and strong close defensive group. Expect sophomore Eddie Chi, a talented shooter, to join lefty feeder/finisher Charlie Ball (Boston), and explosive dodger Anthony Mancinelli (Navy) at attack, while VMI commit Sean Ely, Salisbury commit Michael Leahy add serious depth to this group. The strength of the St. John’s team is their loaded midfield, which features a pair of Maryland recruits in John Draley and John Offut, who are joined by Bellarmine commit Christian Davis. Expect sophomore Brendan DuFour to have a big spring for the Cadets. On the defensive end, the two guys to watch for are senior Henry Weller and sophomore Jayden James, two of the top cover guys in the entire DMV. St. John’s has extremely strong freshman and sophomore classes, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of younger players on the field for the Cadets. If they can figure out how to play without Duenkel, replace Fyock between the pipes and Weller at the faceoff dot, St. John’s should once again compete for the WCAC Championship. 

#6. Paul VI

After losing the State Title on their own turf to Episcopal and St. Stephen’s in ‘21 and ‘22 respectively, the Panthers finally got their revenge in 2023, winning the D1 VA Private State Championship. Additionally, the Panthers shocked Gonzaga in the WCAC-Semis to culminate a fantastic 2023 season. Now under the leadership of first year head coach Jeff Schwartz, the Panthers look to repeat as State Champs & make a run at the coveted WCAC Title. The biggest loss to graduation comes in the form of Grant Giunchi (St. Bonaventure) an ALL-DMV performer last year who was one of the top faceoff men in the entire DMV. Additional losses include Utah freshman goalie Matt Dineen, who will pass off the netminding duties to junior Connor Pinto, a hyper athletic goalie bound for D3 power CNU. It seems like Paul VI just breeds physically gifted and imposing defensemen, and this year is no different. Keep an eye out on Ryan Kehoe (Michigan) and Zak Chesteen (Vermont), a pair of bruising lockdown close defensemen joined by senior James Peters (Rollins). Rounding out the defensive group are Kyle Pinto and Jack Wheatley, a pair of athletic junior LSMs both headed to play collegiately CNU. The Panthers will have a tall task of replacing the scoring of 2023 graduates Matt Han (Michigan) and Henry Fleckner (Jacksonville), but they certainly have talented pieces on offense including seniors Luca Signorello (Washington), Will Cramp (CNU), junior Cole Stup, and a talented sophomore class including Gavin Gilmore, Tanner Wiles, Heath Holland, and Colton Sirois. We expect the Panthers to be in the D1 VA State Championship again and compete for the WCAC in 2024, possibly returning to the finals. 

#7. DeMatha 

We expected big things from DeMatha last year, and the Stags delivered, remaining a top ten team all season including an impressive win over Paul VI. Last year’s DeMatha team was athletic and physical; however, they lacked depth and poise. While the Stags suffer a decent amount to graduation, particularly in offensive studs Graham Parker (Navy) and Malik Wood (St. Joes), among others, DeMatha does return a fair amount of star power and should be competitive in the WCAC. The main star offensively is slick left handed junior Matt Beachley, a highly skilled attackmen bound for Penn State. Joining Beachley on the offensive end will include senior midfielders Jadon Myers (Hampton) and Andrew Ross (Randolph Macon). The strength of the 2024 DeMatha Stags unit is an imposing defense made up of a trio of collegiate bound athletes in senior Dylan Adams (McDaniel) and junior studs Landon McKelvy (Boston) and Will Taylor (St. Joes). This close group paired with James Westbrooks, a hyper athletic senior LSM bound for High Point, should be one of the most formidable defensive units in the area. The question that remains for the Stags entering the year, is who replaces standout goalie Myles Lancaster (Marist) in between the pipes this year? 

#8. Good Counsel

This ranking may seem fairly high for a team that has struggled in the WCAC for the last few years, but shouldn’t be a shock to anyone tuned into the DMVLAX scene, as head coach Dane Smith has really turned the program around. While their record didn’t necessarily reflect it, Good Counsel drastically improved last spring and we expect that trajectory to continue upward as they return a solid amount of collegiate bound talent from last year's squad and add a few newcomers likely to make a big impact in 2024. Leading the way for the Falcons will be a strong senior class including a trio of D1 bound studs in midfielder Jimmy Troy (Cornell), attackmen Ryan Baik (Drexel), and defensemen Jack Brick (Rutgers), who is one of the top cover men in the area. Senior defender Sean Salkeld (Catholic) and LSM Noah Gies (Lynn) round out a solid defensive group for the Falcons, while sophomore midfield transfers Dylan Cruz and Drew Demarinis are bound for a breakout years on the offensive end of the field, as is senior Luke Georgelakos (Ohio Wesleyan). The Falcons play a daunting out of conference schedule, opening up their year with trips to Baltimore powerhouse Calvert Hall and rising Virginia squad St. Anne’s Belfield, as well as a March trip to Bullis, so they will be heavily tested come WCAC play.

#9. Riverside 

Riverside has arguably been the most dominant public school team in the DMV, winning 4A and 5A State Championships in five of the last six years. The most impressive part, for those unfamiliar, Riverside only opened in 2015 as a school. The Rams recently even beat private power Gonzaga and are playing St. Albans and Madison and St. Anne’s Belfield in 2024, making for three extremely intriguing out of conference matchups that could solidify the Rams as one of the top teams in the entire DMV. The leader for Riverside is Jacksonville bound senior faceoff man Zach Ward, who is one of the most dominant specialists in the area and is fairly capable of creating his own shots in transition. Expect Ward to give Riverside a drastic advantage in the possession game in almost every game that they play. The biggest challenge Riverside faces is replacing the scoring of last year's leading scorer and current Jacksonville freshman, Chase Paschuck. Look for senior attackmen Drew Mazzocco (Vassar) and Porter Lasseigne to make up the bulk of the scoring at attack, while senior Danny Rice (Ursinis) and sophomore Andrew High are two guys to watch out of the midfield. The guy to keep an eye on on the defensive end is Keegan Smith, a junior committed to CNU. We expect Riverside to repeat for the fifth consecutive time as 5A State Champs, a ridiculous feat at any level. 

#10. Episcopal 

Episcopal put together a fantastic campaign in 2023, thanks to a strong senior class & excellent coaching, as well as having one the best goalies in the entire country in Patrick Jameison, an All-American last spring who is currently starting for Duke as a freshman. Additionally, replacing the offensive production of lefty gunslinger Caulley Derringer (UVA) and breakout star Tanner Lewis (Kenyon), is going to be a tall task for Coach Conklin. To make matters even tougher for the Maroon, star midfielder Beau Ryan (Tufts) is reportedly out for the season with a knee injury. With all of that said, Episcopal always has talent on the field and we expect the Maroon to once again compete for the VA Private Title and be competitive in the IAC. Offensively, Episcopal will be led by junior attackmen Jack Bonello, a Providence commit, who excels at finishing and shooting off-ball. Look for sophomore Chase Bazant to join Bonello, and step into a key role on the offense. Other main guys to watch include the younger Lewis brother, Gavin, a smooth dodger with a buttery outside shot as well as attackmen Anderson Davis, a 6’3 lefty attackman who will take a PG year next fall.  Defensively, watch out for Grayson Falk, a senior bound for Bucknell who has proven to be one of the top defenders in the area despite mostly only playing in a zone defense. Henry Cunningham, a scrappy and athletic junior, should do well at the FO X for Episcopal and hold his weight in a conference full of committed faceoff men. The biggest question that remains for Episcopal is who replaces Jameison between the pipes?  

#11. St James,

After a disappointing ending to an incredibly strong season for St. James last spring, the Saints will look to rebound this year and are the favorite to win the MAC-Mid Atlantic Conference in 2024. The player to watch for Saint James is 6’4 senior LSM Trevor Owens, a Maryland commit, who wreaks havoc in the middle of the field and is an absolute force in transition scoring a ton of points. Air Force commit Seth Alverio, is one of the top faceoff men in the area, which will give the Saints a hefty advantage in the possession game. Other guys to watch include attackmen Gabe Robinson,midfielders Andrew Sullivan (Bates), and juniors Owen Meczkowski (Bellarmine) and LSM Wyatt Maguire (St. Johns). 

#12. St. Stephen’s

St. Stephens will look to rebound from a fairly down 2023 season by the program’s standard. The Saints strength is at offense where they have a trio of seniors bound to play D1 college lacrosse in Luke Pascal (Yale), Bryce Gunn (Boston), and Mason Tull (LIU). Due to the lack of depth this group will have to carry the load offensively. The defense will also be solid in LSM Ben Fenton, Alex Washington (Sewanee) and 2025 transfer Soren Ebbesen. The two biggest questions for the Saints will be at the faceoff stripe, where they have struggled for years, and in net, a position that has been a strength for St. Stephen’s for years. Look for junior Jonas Vinson to step in between the pipes and step up for the Saints. Other solid athletes to watch include Matt Patrone (Lynchburg), Griffin Boston, and Jon-Jon O’Bryant (SCAD). 

#13. Madison

The Madison Warhawks have taken over as the power to be in Virginia 6A as 2X repeat State Champs. The Warhawks are strong contenders to potentially 3PEAT in 2024, as they return a solid amount of standouts, including one of the top LSMs in the entire DMV, senior Ollie Hau, last year’s VA Player of the Year. The one massive loss they did suffer to graduation was All-State fogo Adam Dembecki. On the offensive end of the field, the Warhawks have a trio of studs bound to play collegiate ball in twins Mark and Will Rubley, who are both All-State returners headed to play at Lynchburg and Levi Wentz (CNU). Madison has one of the toughest schedules in the public scene playing out of conference games against Riverside as well Maryland public school powers, Severna Park and Broadneck.

#14. Yorktown,

After a fairly dominant regular season last year in which the Patriots looked primed for a 6A VA state championship run, Yorktown was stunned in the playoffs and will be hungry this spring. Look for All-State senior attackmen Hudson Greene (Bowdoin) to have a tremendous year and lead the charge offensively. Joining him at attack will be freshman Nate Randles, who is considered to be one of the top prospects in the  2027 class nationally. On the defensive end, Harry Larbalestier (Wesleyan) and Evan Beeman are formidable poles who will play in front of a talented netminder in Hayden Whittington. Look for the Patriots to control the possession battles in a lot of games, as Dylan Lefton (Dickinson) should be fairly dominant in the 6A scene.

#15. Robinson

As always, Robinson will be in the mix for the VHSL 6A State Title, as the perennial powerhouse is one of the best coached and deepest publics year in and year out. Offensively, the guys to keep an eye on are Logan McHugh a senior attackman committed to Rollins and Lars Enge, a fellow senior bound for CNU. On the defensive end, the player to watch is James Earls, a senior close defensemen headed to play at Rutgers. Look for faceoff man Tom Agents to have a breakout year, if the Rams can win possessions, they have the firepower to bury a lot of teams and win states. Other guys to watch for this spring include Andrew Owen, and Max Hencken. 

#16. Langley

While they haven’t played up to the standard that they set for themselves in the 2010s, winning four State Titles, Langley impressed this fall and has slowly rebuilt into one of the deepest and most dangerous squads in 6A. As they look to return to their once glory, the Saxons will look to their strong senior class which includes attackmen Alex Haag (Kenyon), one of the more talented attackmen in VA public, who is joined by fellow senior Pete Kuligowski.Look for athletic  sophomore midfielder Cole Samberg to have a breakout season for the Saxons.  Sophomore Logan Schwartz will be a formidable presence in cage for the Saxons, having started last year as a freshman. This year’s Saxon squad will be athletic, big and physical, and should compete for the Liberty Conference as well potentially make a run at a state title. The game to watch this year for Langley is on March 25th, as they travel to play MD public power Severna Park. Look for Langley to make a deep run in VA States!  

#17. St. Albans

After a disappointing last place IAC finish in the 2023 campaign, St. Albans looks to be in a rebuilding year, as the Bulldogs possibly suffered the most significant losses to graduation in the area in Chirs Berry, Pasha Hakimi, Will Roberts, and Ike Lohnes, a star-studded class that carried the team last spring.. That being said, the Bulldogs still have a standout on this year’s squad in junior attackmen Andew Allen, a dynamic dodger who is bound for Colgate. On the defensive end, Ike Lohnes, younger brother, Dutch, is a formidable cover man who can play up top or at close. Other players to watch out for are senior Charlie New, junior Lacy Rice, sophomore attackmen Ben Palma, and senior defenders John Grennan and Cal Schaberg. This team will be very young and inexperienced, but don’t be surprised if the Bulldogs can upset a team or two. 

#18  The Heights 

The Heights is a program that has been consistently on the rise over the past few seasons, improving year over year and continuing to impress. While they suffered a few key losses to graduation primarily in the form of current Williams freshman Seamus Regan, who was the key piece to their offense last season. A player to watch out for on this year's Heights team is Luke Scalia, a talented two way midfielder bound to play at D3 powerhouse CNU, who is joined by stud defenseman Jason Agwamba (Iona). The Heights plays a daunting slate this year, with several difficult out of conference games including Landon on top of a rigorous WCAC conference schedule.  

#19. Churchill

Churchill remains the top dog in MOCO public and has been dominant for several years now, as well recently winning a Maryland state title. However, longtime outstanding head coach, Jeff Fritz, who had been at the helm for more than 30 years, retired after last season, leaving many questions for Churchill. The Bulldogs will be paced by a talented pair of collegiate bound attackmen in Xander Frey (Bates) and Jack Thompson (CNU). Look for these two to carry the load offensively, while the defense for the Bulldogs remains in question. That being said, Churchill has developed a fantastic pipeline and it should come to no one’s surprise if they are able to once again dominate MOCO and make a run at a state title. 

#20. Potomac School

2023 was a big year for Potomac, having one of their best seasons in several years, amassing an impressive 15-7 record. The Panthers will need to replace the scoring of 1st Team All-State attackmen Drew Ambrose, who racked up a whopping 115 points last spring. Look for senior Jake Campbell to take over the reins at attack, while sophomore Amhed Ahrez is a dynamic threat at the midfield bound for a breakout spring. Potomac’s biggest strength is between the pipes, as senior JJ Kim (Washington & Lee) is one of the best netminders in the DMV. Additionally, look for Mackie Repke, a junior faceoff specialist to dominate possession time for the Panthers as they try to take down the heavy MAC favorites in St. James. 

DMVLACROSSE is proud to present the 2023 postseason ALL-DMV Teams! Congrats to these incredibly talented young men who had amazing seasons and were voted by coaches and thousands of fans!

LANDON at Episcopal, May 2 AT 4:30PM 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  10-7 LANDON 
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  LANDON -2.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  12-5 Episcopal

Preview: 

Landon, ranked #5 in the latest DMVLAX poll (below) travels to Episcopal, ranked #7, in what has turned out to be a huge game for IAC playoff seeding. The winner gets the #2 seed and a coveted BYE in the first round plus a home game in the semi-finals guaranteed. 

Look for EHS to run a LOT of zone defense which has worked for them all season. The main reason is the goalie, who may be the best in the DMV, Patrick Jamieson who is committed to Duke.  They frustrate opposing offenses and keep games close with that strategy. They also have some talented defenders in Grayson Falk (Bucknell), Jeremy Horne (W&L) and Aidan Nelson (Wesleyan-football).

The Landon attack and offensive middies, led by Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), Sean Murray, Steele Maddux , Chase Robertson (Utah), Anthony Savoy (Denison) and Troy Ulisney, must be patient and use carries, cuts, skips, overloads and patience to pick it apart.  If they settle for 12+ yard shots, they likely wont score. 

Offensively for EHS, look for Caulley Deringer (Virginia) and Tanner Lewis (Kenyon) to lead the way.  Anderson Davis, Beau Ryan, Jack Dupois (Washington), Daniel McLaughlin and Jack Bonello lead the team in scoring and all have excellent IQ, talent and skill and have proven dangerous this season. Their offense runs a lot of impressive set plays so look for those early and often. 

Landon will likely match up Will Cohen (Dartmouth) on Deringer so that will be the marquee match-up to watch!  Cohen has done a nice job shutting down opposing top attackman this season but Deringer has unique slickness and creativity proven by his 77 points (50 assists and 27 goals) this season already. 

Landon should have the advantage on face-offs and possession time due to sophs Talon Smith and Hayden Goozh at the X which will matter as scoring will not come easy for the Bears. 

Look for Landon to create scoring in other ways with pressure rides and in early offense in transition. If they can do that the Bears should win by 3+ goals. If they settle into a 6v6 slowdown game, that will favor EHS and it could get exciting and close until the end. 

Episcopal hasn't beaten Landon since 1993 but this is one of their best teams in years. With the #2 seed on the line expect both teams to play hard as they wrap up the IAC regular season.

St. albans at landon, APRIL 28 AT 4:30PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  7-6 landon 
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  Landon -0.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  9-5 Landon

Preview: 
Friday afternoon brings us an exciting pair of marquee conference matchups as #8 ranked St. Albans takes on #5 ranked Landon in the IAC, while St. John’s heads to eye street for a pivotal WCAC rivalry game. All four teams are having excellent seasons and have all been in the top five in the DMV Power Rankings. Below we will outline a few players to watch & keys to the game for each team! 

St. Albans is having one of their most successful seasons in recent history due to a strong senior class, and look to head into the IAC playoffs with a marquee win over the Bears. The Bulldogs are led by their excellent rope unit led by a pair of seniors committed to Penn in talented faceoff man Will Roberts and offensive weapon of an LSM Pasha Hakimi. In order for Landon to be successful in this game, they will need their sophomore tandem of Hayden Goosh and Talan Smith to compete with Roberts and create 50/50s. Landon does have fantastic wings in Caden Southworth and Nate Furgeson (Delaware) and junior LSM Davis Owens, who should have a large impact on the game. 

Offensively, St. Albans is led by senior Chris Berry (Bowdoin), a versatile righty with great dodging and shooting abilities. Joining Berry on the offensive end is senior Matt Moore, junior Charlie Irwin, senior Alex Pedreza as well as talented sophomore Mid/Att Andrew Allen. When Berry plays well, the Bulldogs play well, so expect him to get going early and often for the Bulldogs to win. Likely looking to counter Berry will be Landon’s top cover guy Will Cohen (Dartmouth) while Owens will draw the assignment of Moore at the midfield. 

On the other side of the field, Landon has been successful when they can generate offensive through their attack unit of Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), Steele Maddux, and Sean Murray. When Murray and Maddux have found the net, the Bears have done well. At the midfield, the studs this year have been Chase Robertson (Utah), Anthony Savoy (Denison) and Troy Ulisney. One of the keys for St. Albans will be the health of their top coverman, Ike Lohnes (Cornell), who has been sidelined for weeks. Lohnes is a game time decision and would be a huge difference maker for the Bulldogs, taking over the assignment of covering Landon star Anthony Panetti. Look for seniors Luke Bernasek (Bowdoin) and Steele Bohigian to start at close with junior John Grennan if Ike can't go 

Expect this to be a battle to the last whistle and a back and forward affair the entire game.  Although St. Albans will likely control time of possession due to Roberts, we think Landon just has too much depth and motivation from last year's disappointing loss plus this year is at home for the Bears. 

St. John's at gonzaga, APRIL 28 AT 7PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  10-9 gonzaga
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  Even/Pick-Em
ACTUAL SCORE:  11-10 St. Johns

Preview:
The second matchup of the night may be the most highly anticipated of the season, as the  St. John’s Cadets head to Eye Street to take on arch rival Gonzaga in what is sure to be a thriller. St. John’s and Gonzaga enter this game as the number two and three ranked teams in the DMV, respectively, and the two have dominated the WCAC for the past decade.  Gonzaga will look to avenge being swept in 2022 this year in what is expected to be a rain-soaked battle on Eye Street! 

After huge losses to graduation, St. John’s has been able to quickly rebuild, partially in thanks to having arguably the top two specialists in the area in faceoff man Jackie Weller (Michigan) and goalie Caleb Fyock (Ohio State), who was recently named to the UA Senior All-American game. Joining this deadly duo on the defensive end is Henry Weller, who will join Jackie at Michigan, senior captain and vocal leader Riley Chai-Onn (Hamilton), and talented freshman Jayden James, who will look to limit one of the most powerful offenses in the DMV in Gonzaga. 

Leading the way for the Purple Eagles on offense is senior middie Jack Leland a dynamic dodger committed to play at Georgetown next year, and junior Attackmen Johnny Gardiner (Maryland), a lethal lefty shooter. Joining this stud duo is a bevy of talented offensive players in Freddy Fowler (Colgate), Griffin Dabbs (Roanoke), Charlie Macnamara (LIU), Cody Hobson, and Robert Bath among others. Gonzaga’s offense is just as deep as it is talented and can run two lines evenly. 

Defensively, look for Austin Cunningham (Army) to match up with stud SJC Attackmen Ryan Duenkel (UVA), while Georgetown commit Matt Rienzo, and junior Michael Michaelis match up with quick sophomore standouts Charlie Ball and Anthony Mancinelli. Outside of their specialists, SJCs strength is their stud first line of John Draley (Maryland), Noah Hall (UMBC), and sophomore John Offut. 

The key to the game for Gonzaga will be if Bobby McArthy and Justin Weeda can do enough at the faceoff dot to counter Jackie Weller. The key for SJC is whether or not they can generate offense outside of Duenkel and Draley. It should be an absolute thriller and set up for a very exciting WCAC playoff!

#2 St. John's at #8 Bullis, APRIL 18 AT 7PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  13-9 SJC Wins
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  SJC - 3.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  10-9 St. Johns

#1 Georgetown Prep AT #4 Landon, APRIL 14 AT 4:30PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  10-9 Prep
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  PREP -4.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  12-4 Prep
 

Preview: 

This weeks ‘Game of the Week’ features one of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in not just the DMV, but the entire country - Landon and Georgetown Prep. The Little Hoyas enter the game as the top team in the DMV and are nationally ranked at #13. After a slow start to the year, the Landon bears have picked up steam, beating Bullis last week. With the IAC seemingly wide open this year, this Fridays matchup is sure to be a pivotal one. Here are a few things to keep an eye on. 

One of the keys to Landon’s recent success has been roster adjustments at close defense, as senior Dartmouth commit Will Cohen has bumped from LSM to close to match up on the opposisition's top attackman. Cohen did a fantastic job last week on 1st Team all-DMV Chase Band.  Additionally, the goalie play, attack play, and clearing game has improved drastically for Landon. Expect Cohen to draw the assignment of Nate Kabiri, Inside Lacrosses #3 recruit in the country, who has proven near impossible to stop this year, even when being face guarded. Fellow seniors Will Abrahamson (W&L) and Nico Schermer (Bowdoin) will be tasked with guarding 5 star senior Colin Burns (Princeton) and lefty, junior, slasher Owen Horning (Georgetown). Landon’s best strength is their rope unit, led by takeaway wizard Davis Owens at LSM and do it all SSDM's Nate Furgeson (Delaware), AZ Zaid and Christian Daymude, so you n order for Landon to be successful, their defense will have to really step up. 

Contrarily, for Prep to be successful, they will need to generate offense through the midfield against a very strong defensive midfield group for the Bears. Sliding from Kabiri or Burns isn’t the best decision, so the onus will be on Prep’s senior midline of Larry Horning (Georgetown), Tommy Arata (Colgate), and Rafe Bradshaw (Tampa) to win their one on one matchups and generate scoring from up top. On the other side of the ball, keep an eye out on Isaiah Rose (Army) and Ryan Welgos (Villanova). Rose, who has incredible footwork will likely matchup with Landon speedster Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), while Welgos, a more physical and hard checking presence will either cover lefty finisher Steele Maddux, who had 4 points against Bullis, or Sean Murray, who had 5 goals against Cardinal Gibbons this week in that win. Utah commit Chase Robertson is the guy to watch from the midfield for the Bears; however, he will draw the assignment of Luke Crowe, a behemoth of a LSM committed to Notre Dame, so look for speedy lefty Troy Ulisney, who had a hat trick vs Bullis, to continue to be the party starter for the Bears. 

Expect a great battle at the X between Landon’s dynamic sophomore duo of Talan Smith and Hayden Goosh vs Prep’s heavy clamping Jax Lou. Success at the faceoff stripe was a huge catalyst for Landon’s success against Bullis, and with Prep’s extremely potent offense, the Bears do not want to let Lou get hot. Jack Kask (Marquette) has a very slight edge in goal over Zach Abramson, who has been hot recently. Overall, Prep has a slight advantage at almost every position on the field; however, Landon is hot right now and the fierceness of the rivalry should come into play so expect another classic in 'THE RIVALRY' game!  

DMVLX GAME OF THE WEEK! 

#7 landon at #4 bullis, april 6 AT 7:00PM 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  12-9 Bullis
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD:  Bullis -3.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  10-8 Landon
 

Preview: 

This weeks game of the week features a marquee matchup between IAC rivals Landon and Bullis, as the Bears head to Potomac for a pivotal conference game that means a lot to both teams. Landon has underperformed to program standards, entering the game at an even .500, and could really use a signature win to spark a run in the second half of the season. While Bullis is hungry to rebound following their overtime loss to Gonzaga last week and recement themselves at the top of the DMV.

While the large favorite entering the game is Bullis, the Bulldogs will be down a few key players as star senior Attackmen Tucker Wade (Princeton) will be out, and junior Ohio State commit Jewel Walker is likely but a game time decision. If both players are unavailable, expect this game to potentially become a dog fight. The Bulldogs were without Wade versus Gonzaga as well, and the absence was evident. Walker, while capable all over the field, excels in the clear game and if he cannot make lay, his absence there could cause problems for Bullis. 

The key to the game for Landon will be quieting the dynamic attack duo of senior Chase Band (UVA) and sophomore Jackson Maher, who are both capable of single handedly lighting up the scoreboard. Both players are auto-slides, and so defensive discipline and effective sliding from the Bears are keys defensively. At the midfield, the two guys that can really hurt you are Anthony Rinaldi (Hofstra) and Ben Jose (St. Joes). The Bears will need strong performances out of their defensive midfielders Nate Furgeson (Delaware), Ahmed Zaid, and Christian Daymude to limit sliding away from Maher and Band who are both lethal shooters. Expect junior long stick midfielder Davis Owens to matchup against the dynamic Rinaldi, making for one of the best matchups to watch in the game. 

On the other side of the ball, the question for the Bears is who will be able to win their matchup against an athletic Bullis defense and score on a very talented Bulldog goalie, Brayden Ferguson (Syracuse). Since bumping junior Anthony Panetti (Bucknell) down to attack to join fellow talented juniors Steele and Hank Maddux, the Bears offense has generated more scoring; however, they haven’t played many defenses as a capable or athletic as Bullis. In order to generate offense, Landon will need to generate offense through their midfield, led by junior Chase Robertson (Utah). Expect senior defensemen Ethan Till (Penn) to bump up to LSM to matchup with Robertson, while either Grant Ettinger (Colgate) or Alex Latchford (Bucknell) to draw the assignment of Panetti. 

One of the keys of the game will be the faceoff battle, as both Bullis and Landon tout young studs at the faceoff stripe in sophomores Cooper Revis and Talan Smith, respectively. Both have great technical prowess, and an ability to scrap. Controlling possession would be one way Landon could sneak away with a win, while dominating the ball could open up the floodgates for Bullis. 

DMVLX GAME OF THE WEEK! 

#5 GONZAGA vs #2 Georgetown Prep, MARCH 24 AT 7:20PM 

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MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  prep 11-8
(UNOFFICIAL) VEGAS SPREAD: Prep -2.5
ACTUAL SCORE:  12-9 Prep

Preview:
DMVLAX #2 ranked Georgetown Prep and #5 ranked Gonzaga play a fun 'Friday Nigh Lights" DMV Style at Georgetown University's Cooper Field in this week’s DMVLAX ‘Game of the Week’. This year’s Jesuit Classic features a top five showdown between two of the top teams in the DMV who are both looking for a signature win. Here’s what to watch out for in this heavyweight rivalry game.

GPrep has the best attack unit in the area, and maybe even the country. The trio of Nate Kabiri (Princeton) Colin Burns (Princeton), and Owen Horning (Georgetown), are incredibly talented, dangerous and cohesive. The key to the game for Gonzaga will be countering this lethal unit on the defensive end. Luckily for Coach King, he has a stable of defensive horses and one of the best netminders in the area in Declan Monahan (Penn). Watch out for seniors captains Matt Rienzo (Georgetown) and Austin Cunningham (Army) to lead the defensive unit, while junior Michael Michaelis has been playing well to start the year.

On the other side of the ball, Gonzaga’s offense is led by lefty dodger Johnny Gardiner (Maryland) who is joined by fellow juniors and D1 commits Freddy Fowler (Colgate) and Charlie MacNamara (LIU).  At the midfield, senior Georgetown commit Jack Leland is the player to watch; however the purple eagles have several guys who can start the party in Cody Hobson and Robbie Bath.  For Prep, a trio of athletic seniors Larry Horning (Georgetown) Tommy Arata (Colgate) and Rafe Bradshaw (Tampa) lead the midfield, while junior Hopkins commit Ciaran McCleary is a lanky lefty who will play a lot of minutes.

Prep has been starting a talented rotation of Isaiah Rose (Army), Ryan Welgos (Villanova) and junior Graham Lesher down low, while Notre Dame commit Luke Crowe will take most of the LSM runs. Expect Crowe to be a big factor for the Little Hoyas, especially on faceoff wings where he will be primarily supporting Jax Lou, a transfer and strong, technical faceoff man, while Gonzaga will roll out a talented duo of Bobby McCarthy and Justin Weeda at the X.

If Prep can faceoff well, and clear efficiently against Gonzaga’s tough 10 Man ride, their offensive fire power should be too much for the Purple Eagles. Prep 11-8.

#4 Gonzaga at #5 Landon, march 14th at 4:25pm 

WATCH GAME LIVE HERE

MADLAX MEDIA TEAM PICK:  10-8 Gonzaga
(unofficial) Vegas Spread: Gonzaga -2
ACTUAL SCORE:  12-3 Gonzaga

Preview:
Gonzaga travels to 6101 Wilson Lane to take on a hungry Bears team. After pounding the Bears on Eye Street in 2022, the Bears look to avenge that disappointing evening with a win at home in 2023.  In order to do so the Bears offense will have to figure out a way to score on 3rd team All-DMV goalie Declan Monahan, the UPenn commit, who was very hot against McDonogh last week in a 4-6 loss. The big and strong close defense of 1st Team All-DMV Austin Cunningham (Army), Matthew Rienzo (Gtown) and Michael Michaelis also held their own last week against that potent attack. Gonzaga also boasts a solid LSM and SSDM in Cicotello and Pels. Landon will rely on scoring to come from proven offensive finishers and projected starters at midfield in Panetti (Bucknell), Robertson (Utah), Anthony Savoy (Denison) and on attack in juniors, Steele Maddux, Troy Ulisney and Hank Maddux. 

At the face-off X look for Justin Weeda, Gonzaga, and Talon Smith, Landon, to take the majority and have a battle!   The talented Landon LSM's, Will Cohen (Dartmouth) and Davis Owens (3rd team All-DMV) have a big advantage in the middle of the field and are dangerous both on the wings and in transition scoring points already this season.

The Landon close defense is led by Nico Schermer (Bowdoin), Will Abramson (W&L) and Eli Smink who will have their hands full with Johnny Gardiner (Maryland), Freddy Fowler (Colgate ) and Rafferty. Gardiner is a 3rd Team All-DMV attackman and the best dodger on the Eagles. The SSDMs for Landon are loaded and very athletic featuring Nathan Furgeson, a Delaware commit and 1st Team All-DMV, AZ Zaid and Christian Daymude (3 sport athlete). 

In their typical deep midfield, Gonzaga is run by Jack Leland (Gtown) a 1st Team All-DMV selection, Cody Hobson and Will Gletner while the 2nd line includes a very talented Robbie Bath.  Landon midfield goes through exceptional athletes in Chase Robertson and Anthony Panetti who are always dangerous and fun to watch. 

Since we think face-offs will pretty much be 50/50 and thus possessions likely even, this game will come down to who can score and who can win the special teams (EMO, RIDES, Clears). Lookout for some 10-Man Rides from both teams.   Both defenses are experienced, athletic, tough, physical and the strength of each team. Often games like this come down to EMO, Riding and Clearing success so keep an eye on those stats as you watch. Both offenses are just finding their chemistry and rhythm early in the season, so who can figure that out the best we think will win this game! It should be a close one that either team can win. 

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1. Bullis 

For the first time in well over a year, there is a new number one in the DMV. The Bullis Bulldogs. Bullis enters the season as the defending IAC champs and our favorite to repeat as champs in 2023, as they return the vast majority of the championship team. The Bulldogs are stacked with talent, well balanced, and well coached. The one significant loss the Bulldogs suffered to graduation was IAC player of the year and current Harvard defensemen Charlie Muller. Expect senior Colgate commit Grant Ettinger to play down low to fill this hole, joining senior Penn verbal Ethan Till, and junior Alex Latchford (Bucknell). This formidable defense will play in front of one of the more polished netminders in the area in Brayden Ferguson, a Syracuse commit. On the offensive end of the field, we expect Bullis to once again run a trio of talented righties at attack, with seniors Chase Band (UVA) and Tucker Wade (Princeton) running the show, joined by sophomore sensation Jackson Maher. Joining this group is a potent first line midfield of Anthony Rinaldi (Hofstra), Ben Jose (St. Joes) and Jewel Walker (Ohio State), a group of dynamic athletes who can all generate offense and play both ways. Sophomore Cooper Revis proved to be formidable at the faceoff stripe as a freshman last year, and should look to have another successful year. The one concern regarding Bullis will be depth outside of their elite starting lineup. 

2. Georgetown Prep

Following their absolutely dominant run in 2021 and the transfer of five star recruit Nate Kabiri, the expectations for Georgetown Prep last year were extremely high. With yet another absolutely loaded roster, the expectation for the Little Hoyas is nothing outside of winning the IAC. This team is loaded with talent, Senior led, extremely deep, and features arguably the best attack unit in the entire country in the form of 5-Star senior Princeton commits Colin Burns and Nate Kabiri, who are joined by junior Georgetown verbal Owen Horning. Burns is a prototypical quarterback with excellent feeding skills, while Kabiri is exceptionally crafty and one of the best shooters in the country. In the midfield, the Little Hoyas run a trio of Division 1 bound studs in Tommy Arata (Colgate), Larry Horning (Gtown), and lefty junior Ciaran McLeary (Hopkins). Expect senior Tampa commit Rafe Bradshaw to be in the mix as well. Defensively, the Little Hoyas will start senior Jack Kask (Marquette) in between the pipes and run out a lineup of Isaiah Rose (Army), Ryan Welgos (Villanova), and a mix of Graham Lesher, TS Roth, and Jake Engle (St. Bonaventure), while junior Luke Christmas (Duke) should handle a good amount of SSDM runs. The big question for the Little Hoyas will be replacing two five stars lost to graduation and transfer in FO man Mac Eldridge (UVA) and Mac Christmas (Duke). Expect junior Notre Dame commit Luke Crowe to fill in nicely for Christmas, but the faceoff question looms large for Prep. 

3. Gonzaga

Gonzaga surprised a lot of people in 2022, ascending all the way to a number two ranking nationally early on last season under new head coach Jeff King; however, the Purple Eagles eventually fell to rival St. Johns in the WCAC Finals. Returning a majority of the their starters last season and a pair of offensive studs from injury in Jack Leland (Georgetown) and Robbie Bath, Gonzaga is our favorite to win the WCAC in 2022. Leland, a dynamic two handed shooter, will be the centerpiece of the Gonzaga midfield, and will be joined by Griffin Dabbs (Roanoke), Bath, Cody Hobson, and James Timmons among others. The other star on the offensive end of the field for Gonzaga is five star recruit Johnny Gardiner, a lefty sniper bound for Maryland, who is joined at attack by fellow juniors Freddy Fowler (Colgate) and Charlie Macnamara (LIU) who make up a potent attack unit. Gonzaga is extremely strong on the other side of the ball, and it starts with senior goalie Declan Monahan (Penn), a tremendous backstopper and team leader. Playing in front of him is one of the top cover men in the area in senior Austin Cunningham (Army) who is joined by bruiser Matt Rienzo (Georgetown), and a mix of Nick Sweeney (Towson), Charlie Scherer (Iona) and Michael Michaelis. Except sophomore Gaetano Cicotello to earn significant minutes at the LSM position with the graduation of Ryan Splaine. 

4. St. Johns

St. Johns was hands down, without a doubt, the undisputed best team in the country last season, and one of the best teams the DMV has seen in decades. That being said, the primary catalyst for their success was their ridiculously loaded 2022 class which featured double digit division 1 commits including four All-Americans in Luke Rhoa, Mac Haley, Riley Figuerias, and Richard Cheko. Despite these monstrous losses, we expect to replace rather than rebuild and compete for yet another WCAC title. For the Cadets, the key to the 2023 campaign will be at the specialist positions, as they have both the top faceoff man and top goalie in the DMV in seniors Jackie Weller (Michigan) and Caleb Fyock (Ohio State). Both have proven themselves to be able to completely take over games, and so we expect SJC to dominate possession and compete in every game. The stars on offense are juniors Ryan Duenkel (UVA), an explosive quarterback attackmen, and John Draley (Maryland) an explosive downhill dodger and stretch shooter. Senior midfielders Noah Hall (UMBC) and Christian Davis (Bellarmine) will make up the remainder of the first line, while sophomore John Offut should be slated for big minutes at the midfield as well. Down low, Weller’s younger brother and fellow Michigan verbal Henry, will take over as the top cover guy for the cadets with the graduation of Figuerias, while massive senior Riley Chai-Onn (Hamilton) will join him down low. Replacing the scoring of Haley (Navy) and Gavin Kelly (Mt. St. Marys) at attack will the biggest challenge facing SJC this spring. Expect senior Jack Morad (RPI) and sophomores Charlie Ball and Anthony Macinelli to be in the mix joining Duenkel at attack. 

5. DeMatha

Following a slight fall from grace from their dominant run in the early 2000s, DeMatha’s program has slowly began to return to glory over the past few years and while people may be surprised to see DeMatha ranked this high, this team is absolutely loaded with talent. DeMathas biggest strength is their potent midfield, which runs two lines deep of collegiate bound athletes in Graham Parker (Navy), Jason Anton (Tampa), Tyson Claggett (Salisbury), Michael Gloecker (Frostburg), and Jayden Hardnett (CNU). Parker, a physically gifted two handed senior is the star of the group and should be one of the top midfielders in the area in 2023. Rounding out the offense on attack is lefty sniper Malik Wood (St. Joes), Declan Horton (St.Mary’s (MD)), and talented sophomore Matt Beachley. On the defensive end of the field, senior LSM Nick Sims, a talented pole with an excellent stick bound for Hofstra, is the guy to watch. Joining him down low are Sacred Heart football commit Luke Hackett and Noah Minkler (Aurora), who will play in front of Myles Lancaster, one of the top goalies in the area who will play at Marist next year. The one unknown for the Stags is at the faceoff stripe, but if they can figure it out,  DeMatha will make a lot of noise in 2023. 

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6. St. Albans

St. Albans is a program that has certainly been on the rise in recent years, and the 2023 team may be the best team they’ve had in years. The strength of St. Albans lies in their defensive unit and special teams play.  The player to watch for the Bulldogs is Pasha Hakimi, an athletic and versatile long stick midfielder bound for Penn, who dominates between the lines and is excellent in transition. Joining him in the middle of the field, is fellow Penn commit Will Roberts, one of the most dominant faceoff men in the entire DMV. Expect the duo of Roberts and Hakimi to dominate possession for the Bulldogs. The other star on the defensive end is Ike Lohnes (Cornell) a lockdown cover man who will look to erase opponents top attackmen. Lohnes will be joined down low by a mix of fellow seniors Luke Bersanek (Bowdoin) and Steele Bohigan, as well as Lohnes younger brother sophomore, Dutch who will all play in front of talented senior netminder Liam McArthy (Wesleyan). The biggest question for St. Albans, will be where does the offensive production come from? Look for seniors Chris Berry (Bowdoin), Alex Pedreza, and Matt Moore to carry the load, while sophomore Andrew Allen is a budding star with a ton of shake.

7. Landon

This years Landon team will be atypical of Bears teams of the past decade, who have featured a star attackmen such as Joey Graham, Joey Epstein or Graham Hertzberg. While they have a star in Kevin Miller, who led the team in scoring in ‘22, he unfortunately suffered an off-season injury and will be forced to miss the ‘23 campaign. While they are without his star power, Landon does have a ton of depth, particularly at the midfield. Keep an eye on stud juniors Chase Robertson (Utah) a physically imposing two way mid with a rocket of a shot, and Anthony Panetti (Bucknell), a shifty speedster who can run by anyone. Joining them at midfield will be seniors Anthony Savoy (Denison) and Quinn Coughlin (Ohio Wesleyan), while sophomores Caden Southworth and Devin Stewart look to be contributors. Additionally, Landon has some of the top SSDMids in the area in Nate Furgeson, a three sport stud bound for Delaware, and Christian Daymude, another 3 sport stud. Joining them on the offensive side of the field, look for a combination of outstanding junior attackmen in Steele Maddux, Troy Ulisney (transfer), and Hank Maddux, who can all shake,  feed and fill the net. Defensively, the guys to watch are Nico Schermer (Bowdoin), Will Abramson (W&L), and Elie Smink (2025) as well as athletic LSMs in Will Cohen (Dartmouth) and Davis Owens, one of the most dangerous LSMs in the DMV! The biggest question for Landon entering 2023, is how do they replace Hunter Taylor (Michigan) between the pipes but look for Art Smink to be the starter.

8. Paul VI -

Paul VI enters 2023 with a huge chip on their shoulder, having lost consecutive VA private state titles in dramatic fashion; both of which they hosted. Paul VI has developed a repertoire of being big, physical, and athletic; and this years team continues that theme, as PVI has talented athletes all over the field. The stars on the offensive end of the field will be Matt Han, an explosive Attackmen with great change of direction headed to Michigan, as well as Henry Fleckner (Jacksonville), a big bodied shooter who can play either attack or midfield. The strength of the Panther squad will be their extremely physical defensive unit; made of up of a Ryan Kehoe (Michigan), Nathan Murphy (Richmond), sophomore stud Zakk Chesteen, and LSM Parker Love (Navy) who will play in front of a pair of stud goalies in Matt Dineen (Utah) and sophomore Connor Pinto, who shoukd push for time. Additionally, Paul VI has a talented faceoff man in Grant Gianucci (St. Bonaventure) who should be formidable at the stripe. The looming issue for PVI will be midfield production, as they will be forced to replace the production of star Marco Signorello and have a lack depth at the midfield.

9. Episcopal -

We were uncertain of the caliber of this team entering 2023;  however, the transfer of senior goalie and Duke commit, Patrick Jamison is an absolute game changer for Coach Conklin. Episcopal has made some noise in previous years, winning the VA state title in ‘21, but the question for the Maroon has always been depth.  If they are going to make another run at a VA private title, and have a shot at an IAC run, they will have to rely heavily on their star attacmen Caulley Deringer, a lefty slasher with a cannon of a shot bound for UVA. Joining Deringer, on attack projects to be shifty sophomore Jack Bonello and freshman finisher Chase Bazant. Also look for senior mids Jack DuPois (Washington College) and Tanner Lewis (Kenyon) to be key in the mix offensively. On the defensive end of the field, the player to watch is Grayson Falk, a junior coverman bound for Bucknell. The biggest question for Episcopal in ‘23 will be how they replace stud FO man and Tufts freshman Victor Salcedo, who dominated the stripe for the Maroon last year.

10.  St. Stephens 

St. Stephens will enter 2023 with a lot of fresh faces on the field; having suffered key losses of six starters to graduation including Will McCulloch (Loyola) Witt Crawford (Drexel) and Grayson Schmidt (UNC) among others. McCulloch and Crawford were two of the most productive players in school history, so replacing their scoring will be a big challenge for head coach Tim Dodds. Look for a pair of strong shooting juniors Luke Pascal (Yale) and Bryce Gunn (Boston) to make up for the lack of scoring, while being joined by senior Matty Patrone (Lynchburg) at attack. Additionally, look for Aidan Roemer (Wagner), Cooper Harding (Randolph Macon) and Jon-Jon Obryant to contribute offensively from the midfield. The strength of this team will be their defense. A physical senior trio of Makin Blalock (High Point), Mike Guglielmone (RIT), and Nick Belardo (Mt. Saint Mary’s) will play in front of a talented netminder in Declan McCulloch (CNU). Outside of depth, the biggest question facing the saints will be faceoffs, an area they have struggled in the past few years.

11.    Lake Braddock 

The Lake Braddock bruins enter the 2023 season as our top public school in the area. Offensively led by senior star duo of Jack Schubert (Georgetown) and Sam MacAvoy (Penn State) a pair of gunslingers who were both 1st team selections last year, and are joined by senior midfielders Cooper Howerton (Lincoln) and Andrew Mosman (Ohio Wesleyan) Defensively they have a pair of lock down defenders in Corey O’Connor (High Point) and Jake Zeman (VMI).

12. Madison 

Defending 6A Virginia state champion Madison Warhawks shocked a lot of teams last season by winning their second state championship in three seasons. Despite key losses defensively to graduation, expect head coach Aaron Solomon to once again field a squad that competes for a 6A state championship. Offensively they will be led by brothers Mark and Will Rubley, who were both all district selections last year. Defensively, look for Ollie Hau and Ethan Hodge (St. John Fisher) to lead the way. The X factor for the Warhawks will be faceoff man Adam Dembecki (St. John’s) who transferred in the off-season from Robinson and is one of the very best FO Specialists in THE DMV!  They have a huge home game versus Landon, giving them a chance to prove they belong ranked in the Top 10. 

13. The Heights

The Heights surprised a lot of people in 2022, winning some impressive games and keeping it close with some of the top teams in the area. The question for them in 2023, will be whether they can continue to turn the corner without their star goalie of the past few years Tommy Gross, a first team WCAC selection last year who is a freshman at St. Joes. Look for Williams bound senior Attackmen Seamus Regan to lead the way on the offensive end and carrying the load scoring wise, while Graham Stadler (Ohio Wesleyan) should be their top cover guy defensively.

14. Good Counsel 

Since going 2-13 in 2019, Good Counsel has slowly began to rebuild its lacrosse program under new head coach Dane Smith, and the Falcons had their best season in years in 2022. Look for this trend to continue, as the Falcons have started to once again produce some solid talent. While they suffered a few key losses to graduation in Danny Gaalaas (St. Joes) and David Jackson (Hampton), the team this year will be led by a pair of junior studs bound to play Division 1 lacrosse in Attackmen Ryan Baik, committed to Drexel, and defensemen Jack Brick who will play his college ball at Rutgers.

15. Potomac School

The Panthers are the defending regular season and tournament MAC Champs, and Potomac may have its best team since 2018 and is once again the favorite to win the MAC in 2023! Offensively, Potomac is led by lefty attackmen Drew Ambrose (Wesleyan) while defensively they are anchored by Max Revis (Oberlin) and their two stud goalies, junior JJ Kim and senior Sam Christinzio (Swarthmore) who are both talented and should split time

16. Churchill

The Bulldogs enter their 2023 campaign as reigning state champions after capturing the first MD state 4A title in school history. Churchill does face one of the biggest losses to graduation in the area in form of last year’s All-Met Player of the Year and current Maryland freshman Eliot Dubick, as well as both other starting Attackmen. Look for 2023 stud midfielder Reed Drummond (Salisbury) and '24 attackmen Xander Frey among others. to make up for the loss in scoring. Defensively they will be anchored by senior LSM Justin Polhemus, who will play collegiately at Ithaca next year. 

17. Riverside 

In 2022, Riverside added another 5A title to their trophy case, and continued to establish themselves as one of the premier public programs in the state of Virginia year in and year out. They did lose their best player and one of the best players in the state, UVA freshman Jon Schroter, to graduation but they remain deep, and will be led by stud junior fogo Zach Ward and senior attackmen Chase Patschcuk who are both committed to play collegiately at Jacksonville. Watch out for their game against St. Albans this spring, as Riverside has upset privates in previous meetings.

18. Robinson 

The Robinson Rams have been the power to be in the Virginia public scene for decades, having produced countless collegiate players and won the more 6A state titles than anyone. However, with key losses to graduation including current Marquette freshman Charlie Reynolds, their star Attackmen and CNU freshman Will Maag, their top cover guy. Additionally, their starting Faceoff man from last year transferred to Madison. Despite that all being said, Robinson remains one of the most well coached and deepest teams in VA year in and year out, and will compete once again for a 6A, being led this year by senior stud LSM Alex Populoh (CNU) and mid Ethan Waugh (Haverford)

19. St. James 

St. James is a program that really made some noise in the MAC last year, and should compete with Potomac for the title this year. The Saints dominate possession thanks to stud FO man Ty Ambush, who is one of the best FO men in area who plan to attend JUCO next fall. Other star players include Tyler Owens, a junior LSM bound for Jacksonville, Harrison Williams, a senior defensemen committed to Mount Union, and senior midfielder Tyler Oates who will play at Lynn next year.

20. St. Andrews Episcopal

After transitioning head coaches, St. Andrews looks to rebuild on the impressive decade run it put together. They have talented pieces, but the question that poses St. Andrews will be depth. The leader of this team is stud junior goalie Connor Phillips (Boston) a wirey and athletic netminder. Offensively, the leaders are super athletic junior Mid Nolan Coyle and senior attackmen Jack McClure (VMI). Defensively they are joined by LSM Khari Seals (Hampton), close defensemen Slade Summers (Iona) and FO man JD Nett (Mary Wash).

Awards will be posted in June after all seasons are complete. 

1. DMVLAX 'Player of The Year' - Charlie Muller, Bullis, Harvard
2. DMVLAX 'Attackman of the Year' - Elliott Dubick, Churchill, Maryland
3. DMVLAX 'Midfielder of the Year' - Luke Rhoa, St. John's, Syracuse
4. DMVLAX 'Defenseman of the Year' - Riley Figueras, St. John's, Syracuse
5. DMVLAX 'Goalie of the Year' - Hunter Taylor, Landon, Michigan
6. DMVLAX 'Specialist of the Year' - Mac Eldridge, G Prep, Virginia
7. DMVLAX 'Coaching Staff of the Year' - Bullis. Jeff Bellistri, Shaun Crow, Steve Hincks, Howard Offit, Jody Ferguson
8. DMVLAX 'Play of the Year' - Coming. New in 2023
9. THE ALL-DMVLAX TEAM - Coming New in 2023

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