Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/30/24
From Press Release
Two-time defending CAA Men’s Lacrosse Champion, Delaware, was selected as the preseason favorite to hoist the team trophy again this spring in a vote of the league’s eight head coaches. Delaware senior JP Ward and Stony Brook graduate student Dylan Pallonetti shared CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors. In addition, Towson senior Colby Barsz was named CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Blue Hens received six first-place votes and 48 points, followed by Stony Brook with two first-place votes and 43 points. Towson was third, tallying 37 points ahead of Drexel with 31 points. Hofstra (26), Fairfield (19), Monmouth (19) and Hampton (7) rounded out the eight-team poll.
Delaware won 13 games for the second straight season in 2023 en route to the CAA Regular Season title outright and back-to-back tournament championship titles. The Blue Hens return five players on the offensive end from a squad that ranked eighth nationally in scoring offense (14.72) last spring. Ward, a two-time First Team All-CAA honoree, was third in the NCAA with 85 points and fifth with 43 assists, anchoring the attack. Mike Robinson (32g, 16a) also returns on the attack, and Cam Acchione (23g, 10a) is back in the midfield. Graduate Reed Kurtz will provide the experience for the defense that was fourth nationally in scoring defense (9.44) last year but has production to replace this season.
Drexel returned to the CAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season in 2023. The top returning point producer for the Dragons is Luke Tomak (25g, 10a), who earned Second Team All-CAA honors in the midfield last spring. He will look to pace the Drexel offensive unit, while Collin Gucwa (31gb, 12ct) is the lone returning starter for the Dragons on the backend and will anchor the defense.
Hofstra looks to return to the CAA tournament for the first time since 2021, when the Pride advanced to the conference title game. Crucial to Hofstra’s success this season will be its face-off specialist, Chase Patterson (Council Rock South), back for his fifth year. Patterson led the CAA with 120 ground balls and posted a league-leading .595 face-off winning percentage last spring. In addition, a key newcomer for the Pride will be JT Roselle (47gb, 30ct), who earned First Team All-MAAC honors at Marist in 2023.
The 2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse season begins on Saturday, February 3, with three conference teams in action on opening weekend.
The 2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship will be hosted by the No. 1 seed from Thursday, May 2 through Saturday, May 4. The semifinals will be on Thursday, followed by the championship on Saturday, with all three tournament games streamed on Lacrosse TV.
2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Team (1st) Points
1. Delaware (6) 48
2. Stony Brook (2) 43
3. Towson 37
4. Drexel 31
5. Hofstra 26
6. Fairfield 19
7. Monmouth 13
8. Hampton 7
Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Dylan Pallonetti, Stony Brook; JP Ward, Delaware
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Colby Barsz, Towson
2024 Preseason All-CAA Men’s Lacrosse Team
Name School Class Pos. Hometown
Nick DeMaio Towson Gr. Attack San Diego, Calif.
Dylan Pallonetti Stony Brook Gr. Attack Stony Brook, N.Y.
Mike Robinson Delaware Gr. Attack Peterborough Ont.
JP Ward Delaware Sr. Attack Owings Mills, Md.
Cam Acchione Delaware Sr. Midfield Barrie, Ont.
Noah Armitage Stony Brook Sr. Midfield New Westminster, B.C.
Will Consoli Fairfield So. Midfield Glen Rock, N.J.
Luke Tomak Drexel Jr. Midfield North Haven, Conn.
Josh Webber Towson Sr. Midfield Sykesville, Md.
Matt Constantinides Towson Jr. FOGO New Fairfield, Conn.
Colby Barsz Towson Sr. Defense Matthews, N.C.
Collin Gucwa (Bishop Shanahan) Drexel Jr. Defense Pottstown, Pa.
Reed Kurtz Delaware Gr. Defense Puslinch, Ont.
Christian Lowd Stony Brook Gr. LSM Smithtown, N.Y.
Dy-Jae Pearson Hampton Gr. Defense Harlem, N.Y.
Michael Sabella Stony Brook Gr. Defense Mount Sinai, N.Y.
Jamison MacLachlan Stony Brook Jr. Goalkeeper Syracuse, N.Y.
Honorable Mention: Bryce Ford (A), Fairfield; Mikey Weisshaar (M), Towson; Chase Patterson (Council Rock South, FOGO), Hofstra; Michael Quigg (D), Monmouth; JT Roselle (LSM), Hofstra
