Men's Lacrosse | 2/12/2025 12:57:06 PM
The Cardinals of St. John Fisher University will attempt to win their sixth straight Empire 8 crown, as 10 teams will battle for the 2025 E8 Championship. The upcoming season gets underway with non-conference games on Feb. 15, while league play formally begins on March 22. SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, and SUNY Poly join the conference in 2025, expanding the Empire 8 men’s lacrosse membership to 10 programs.
The top six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round games Tuesday, April 29, semifinal action on Thursday, May 1 and the championship game on Saturday, May 3. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
2025 Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Players to Watch
(sorted alphabetically by player)
Nate Askin, SUNY Brockport, Sr., M, Geneva, NY/Geneva – Askin, an All-SUNYAC second team selection in 2024, returns after recording 28 points on 15 goals and 13 assists.
Jimmy Atkinson, SUNY Geneseo, Sr., A, Northport, NY/Northport – Atkinson has tallied 112 goals and 39 assists over the last three years, including a 54-goal, 71-point season in 2024, which earned him All-SUNYAC first team accolades. He is also a 2025 Inside Lacrosse Preseason Honorable Mention All-American.
Ryan Considine, Utica, So., A, Syracuse, NY/West Genesee – Considine earned All-Empire 8 third team honors during his rookie season after scoring 27 goals and adding 17 assists for 44 points last year.
Garrett Frost, Hartwick, Sr., M, Wading River, NY/Shoreham-Wading River – Frost earned All-Empire 8 second team honors last season after scoring 37 goals and 47 points. He enters the 2025 season with 70 career goals.
Joe Johnson, Russell Sage, Sr., M, Gansevoort, NY/South Glens Falls – Johnson was a USILA Honorable Mention All-American and earned All-Empire 8 first team honors from his long stick midfield position last season. He had 68 ground balls and caused 33 turnovers.
Jordan Leuze, St. John Fisher, Sr., M, Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius – Leuze earned All-Empire 8 first team accolades and USILA Honorable Mention All-American plaudits after recording 25 goals, 26 assists and 51 points despite missing six games due to injury last season. He was named a 2025 USILA Third Team Preseason All-American.
Kevin Matson, Alfred, Gr., A, Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks – A three-time E8 Player to Watch, Matson earned USILA Honorable Mention All-American accolades in 2023 and is a two-time All-E8 first team selection. He scored 42 goals and 57 points in 2024 and 130 goals and 165 points in three seasons with Alfred.
Quinn McKercher, Nazareth, Gr., A, Lake Mary, FL/Lake Mary – McKercher was the 2023 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Empire 8 first team pick and two-time USILA Honorable Mention All-American was second in the league in scoring with 78 points on 51 goals and 27 assists last season. The 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year, McKercher has 167 goals and 257 points in his illustrious career.
Daniel Rustay, Keuka, Sr., M, Camillus, NY/West Genesee – Rustay collected 40 ground balls and had eight caused turnovers for the Wolves last season and has 80 career ground balls and 23 caused turnovers.
Payton Thomas, SUNY Poly, Sr., M, Corning, NY/Corning-Painted Post – Thomas earned All-NAC first team honors in 2024 after scoring 34 goals and adding 11 assists for 45 points.
2025 E8 Men’s Lacrosse Team Capsules (Sorted by 2024 Standings)
St. John Fisher
St. John Fisher is looking for its sixth straight Empire 8 Championship in 2025 and are coming off a 2024 season in which they made a magical run to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Cardinals return a strong nucleus from last season, including 2025 USILA Preseason Second Team All-American, senior defender Jack Cornell, Third Team Preseason All-American Jordan Leuze and Honorable Mention Preseason All-Americans Timmy Salit and Connor Mesh. The Cardinals, who are ranked 14th in the 2025 preseason United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll and 15th in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Poll, return three of their top five scorers from last season in Salit, Leuze and Sean Donaldson. Salit tallied 57 points on 31 goals and 26 assists last season, while Leuze had 25 goals and 26 assists and Donaldson added 31 goals and 45 points. Cornell, the 2024 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, was among the national leaders with 50 caused turnovers, while Mesh earned his second straight All-E8 first team honor as a short-stick defender. Junior midfielder Nick Hauman makes his St. John Fisher debut after playing two seasons at Division I Towson University. He is the younger brother of former Alfred standout and three-time All-E8 selection Josh Hauman.
Nazareth
The Golden Flyers advanced to the Empire 8 Championship game for the fourth straight season in 2024. Senior attack Quinn McKercher, the 2023 Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Empire 8 first team pick and two-time USILA Honorable Mention All-American, will be expected to be one of the top offensive threats in the league in 2025. A 2024 and 2025 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American, McKercher was second in the league in scoring with 78 points on 51 goals and 27 assists last season. The 2021 E8 Rookie of the Year, McKercher has 167 goals and 257 points in his illustrious career. Nazareth returns 31 players and eight starters from 2023. Junior attack Matthew Farrington, the 2023 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and 2024 All-E8 second team pick has 43 goals, 67 assists and 110 points in two seasons. Junior goalkeeper McLean Ralston, the 2024 Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year and 2025 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans will look to lift Nazareth to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. The Golden Flyers won Division III National Championships in 1992, 1996 and 1997. Defender Nick Hinck will also look to make an immediate impact.
Alfred
Alfred returns 32 players and six starters from last season’s team that advanced to the Empire 8 semifinals for the fourth straight season. Graduate student attack Kevin Matson, a 2023 USILA Honorable Mention selection and two-time All-E8 first team pick is back after recording 42 goals and 57 points last season. He has 130 goals and 165 career points in three seasons with the Saxons. Junior face-off specialist Hunter Cupp is back after winning 244 face-offs and 65 percent of his draws en route to garnering All-E8 first team honors last season. Junior Brendan Riley will lead the midfield unit for the Saxons. Junior Ben Cunningham, a 2023 All-E8 first team pick and 2024 All-E8 third team selection will help lead the defensive unit. A host of talented newcomers will also look to see playing time, including Sam Crosby, Mike Halsey, and Keagan Hoesterey.
Hartwick
The Hawks advanced to the Empire 8 Semifinals in 2024 and will look to take the next step forward this season, as 30 players return. Senior midfielder Garrett Frost is back after earning All-Empire 8 second team honors last season. He scored 37 goals and 47 points and enters the 2025 season with 70 career goals. Junior attack Colin August is back after also garnering All-E8 second team honors in 2024. He tallied 29 goals and 37 points. Senior midfielder Tyler Nocito will also be counted on to lead the Hawks in 2025. Goalkeepers Kaiden Johnson and Chris Andersen are both back after splitting time last season.
Russell Sage
Russell Sage will look to challenge for a postseason berth after returning 19 players from last season’s squad that won six games. The Gators will have a new look with head coach Erich Skelly taking over behind the bench. Senior long stick midfielder Joe Johnson was a USILA Honorable Mention All-American and earned All-Empire 8 first team honors last season. He had 68 ground balls and caused 33 turnovers. Graduate student Bailey Martin returns having recorded 96 career goals and 145 points in his collegiate career. Classmate Anthony Marrone is back after scoring 24 goals and 32 points last season.
Utica
The Pioneers will look to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Utica returns 36 players and six starters from last season’s team, including sophomore attack Ryan Considine. Considine earned All-Empire 8 third team honors during his rookie season after scoring 27 goals and adding 17 assists for 44 points. Senior goalkeeper Patrick Oswald also returns after garnering All-E8 third team accolades. Seniors Connor Costanza, Andrew Sacco and junior Gianpaul Cooper will also be counted on to provide leadership and strong play, while newcomers Ryan Hollenbeck, Jack Laughlin, Logan Waterman will vie for starting roles in 2025.
Keuka
Keuka will look to get back to the postseason after advancing to the Empire 8 semifinals in its first season as a league member in 2021. The Wolves return 15 players from 2024, including senior midfielder Daniel Rustay. Senior defender Logan McMurtry and sophomore attack Harrison Root will also be counted on to provide leadership and strong play. Newcomer Mitchell Wise will look to step into a key role on the attack this season. Root scored 19 goals last season, while McMurtry had 17 caused turnovers.
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Brockport makes its Empire 8 debut in 2025 under head coach Nick Fiorentino. The Golden Eagles, who most recently advanced to the SUNYAC Tournament in 2022, will have a new look in 2025 with 17 newcomers but also has a strong group of returning veterans, including senior midfielder Nate Askin, senior defender Tim Hubbard and sophomore attack Marc Zappulla. Both Askin and Hubbard earned All-SUNYAC second team honors last season. Askin returns after recording 28 points on 15 goals and 13 assists last season, while Zappulla had nine goals and a team-high 17 assists for 26 points. Hubbard picked up 55 ground balls and caused a team-best 18 turnovers.
SUNY Geneseo
The Knights of SUNY Geneseo enter their first season as an Empire 8 member looking to win a league title for the third straight season after claiming back-to-back SUNYAC Championships in 2023 and 2024. The Knights finished 13-7 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Drew Bezek enters his fourth season with the Knights and has a 37-20 mark. Geneseo has a strong nucleus of players returning, including seniors Jimmy Atkinson and Riley Henselder, along with goalkeeper Andrew Tittmann. Atkinson, a 2025 Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention Preseason All-American and 2024 SUNYAC first team selection. He has tallied 112 goals and 39 assists over the last three years, including a 54-goal, 71-point season in 2024. Henselder is back after tallying 56 points a season ago on 30 goals and a team-best 26 assists. Tittmann won 11 games last season and recorded a 9.65 goals against average and a .551 save percentage.
SUNY Poly
Like Geneseo, SUNY Poly enters its inaugural Empire 8 season looking to repeat as a conference champion, having won the North Atlantic Conference title last season. The Wildcats won 10 games last season and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Poly will have a new look with Eric Miccio beginning his first season as head coach. He won National Junior College title at Onondaga Community College in 2019. Poly has 18 players, including seven starters returning, including senior midfielder Payton Thomas, who earned All-NAC first team honors in 2024 after scoring 34 goals and adding 11 assists for 45 points. Goalkeeper Joseph VanZandt, the 2024 NAC Defensive Player of the Year in addition to NAC first team selection Luke Taylor, a midfielder and second team pick Ryan Carroll return to lead the way for the Wildcats. Taylor led the team in scoring with 34 goals and 47 points in 2024, while Carroll added 26 goals.
Final 2024 Empire 8 Men’s Lacrosse Standings
St. John Fisher (14-8, 6-0 Empire 8) – League Champions
Nazareth (12-7, 5-1 E8)
Alfred (10-5, 4-2 E8)
Hartwick (5-9, 3-3 E8)
Russell Sage (6-10, 2-4 E8)
Utica (6-10, 1-5 E8)
Keuka (5-8, 0-6 E8)
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com and
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