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2025 CLC Championships Preview

By Nick Lewis
Team Huddle vs. Scranton, 2-15-25

The Rundown

The second-ranked and unbeaten Salisbury University men's lacrosse team begins its postseason journey on Wednesday, April 30th against the fifth-seeded Stockton University Ospreys. The game is set for a 5 p.m. start inside Sea Gull Stadium with the winner advancing to Sunday's CLC Championship Game against the winner between second-seeded Christopher Newport and third-seeded Kean, with the highest seed remaining set to host.

Bryce Stevenson @ Gettysburg, 2-22-25

How We Got Here 

Second-ranked Salisbury completed its second consecutive and 16th overall undefeated regular season in 2025, finishing with a 17-0 record including a 5-0 mark in CLC play. During the season, the Sea Gulls defeated six ranked teams: fourth-ranked CNU (12-9), sixth-ranked Wesleyan (16-12), 11th-ranked Stevenson (24-9), 12th-ranked Gettysburg (12-11), 17th-ranked Lynchburg (18-13) and 18th-ranked Denison (15-7). Salisbury finished the season 9-0 at home, 7-0 on the road, and 1-0 in neutral-site games. The Sea Gulls have now won 66 consecutive regular season home contests dating back to the 2019 campaign.

MLAX Group Celly, 3-15-25 vs Catholic
Live Video
Live Stats
Ticket Information
Parking Information
Brady Mancha vs. Washington (Md.), 4-25-25

Players to Watch

Riley Strub at UA Stadium, 2-8-25
Riley Strub | Jr. | Attack
Brice Bromwell vs SMCM, 4-15-25
Brice Bromwell | Sr. | Midfield
John DeFazio vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 3-11-25
John DeFazio | Gr. | Defense
  • Riley Strub - Strub reclaimed his throne as SU's top goal-scorer in 2025, firing 59 goals and adding on 11 assists while leading the team with nine man-up strikes as well. The Darien High School product ranks 17th in Division III in man-up goals while slotting 20th in goals per game (3.47).
  • Connor Herraiz - Herraiz brought his talents as a 199-point scorer in two seasons at Cabrini down Route 13 to Salisbury and provided an immediate offensive boost in the maroon and gold. The 2024 Atlantic East Player of the Year ranks second on the team with 71 points across 17 starts, netting 27 goals while dishing out 44 assists.
  • Ryan Della  - Della has found a comfortable home on the starting attack in his second collegiate season, trailing only Riley Strub and Brice Bromwell with 44 goals across 17 appearances and 14 starts. His six man-up goals rank second on the team, sixth in the CLC and just inside the top 70 in Division III. He also holds sixth in the league punching in 2.59 goals per contest.
  • Chris Wong  - Wong ranks fourth among the flock with 33 goals across 15 starts as SU's top threat on the crease. The Salesianum product and Johns Hopkins transfer has put his shots on cage at a 76.9 percent clip, leading all Sea Gulls with at least 20 shot attempts, while his 42.3 shot percentage also leads qualified Sea Gulls and ranks 76th in the nation.
  • Michael Leahy  - Leahy has carved out a spot in the Sea Gull offense in his freshman campaign, firing in 18 goals and distributing five assists.
  • Brice Bromwell - Bromwell finished the 2024 regular season with then-career-highs in assists (28) and points (69). A year later entering the '25 postseason, Bromwell has amassed a mammoth team and CLC-high 97 points on 45 goals and 52 assists. The Cambridge-South Dorchester product sits in a tie for third nationally in total points while his 5.71 points per game clip slots eighth in Division III. He has logged six game-winning goals and five man-up tallies.
  • Ty Keaton - Keaton has been steady for the Sea Gulls in his return to the first midfield line, tallying 47 points on 19 goals and 28 assists. The senior scorer saved one of his best performances for Friday's regular-season finale, firing three goals and adding two assists while placing all eight of his looks on goal and digging out three ground balls.
  • Brady Mancha - Mancha has served as one of SU's top short-stick defensive midfielders this season, logging six ground balls and causing three turnovers while adding one assist across 17 outings. The Parkside High School product appeared in his 60th career game on Friday and has made a career-high five starts this season.
  • Blake Malamphy - Malamphy continued to headline the FOGO room for the Sea Gulls in his junior campaign with a 62.9 percent (224-356) win rate at the dot and 128 ground balls. The third-year specialist has also fired six goals and added two assists this season. The Archbishop Spalding product leads the CLC and slots 31st in DIII scooping 8.0 ground balls per game while ranking 43rd nationally in faceoff win percentage.
  • Charles Fritchman - Fritchman has stepped into a significant role as the second faceoff specialist in his introduction to collegiate lacrosse. The Cape Henlopen product has won 65.3 percent (64-98) of his battles at the X with 63 ground balls, adding on three goals and one assist including the game-tying goal against Christopher Newport on April 5th.
  • John DeFazio - DeFazio followed up on a stellar 2024 season deserving of USILA Iroquois National Outstanding Player of the Year honors with an arguably more impressive resume. The reigning CLC Defensive Player of the Year and several-time First-Team All-American boasts 91 ground balls and 39 caused turnovers through his 17 starts while showcasing his offensive talents with a career-high 13 points on five goals and eight assists. The 2025 CLC Player of the Year trails only Jeremiah Stafford on the team in caused turnovers per game, ranking 38th nationally taking away 2.29 possessions per game. He also sits just outside the top 100 in ground balls per game at 5.35.
  • Jeremiah Stafford - Stafford has served as SU's most disruptive defenseman for the second straight season, leading the Sea Gulls with a career-best 43 caused turnovers while also setting new milestones in ground balls (45) and assists (2) this season. He ranks 23rd nationally causing 2.53 turnovers per game, with his best individual effort coming against Ohio Wesleyan on March 11th when he caused eight Bishop cough-ups, the most of any Sea Gull in a single game in over 15 years.
  • Bryce Stevenson - Stevenson continues to improve as a key cog in the Sea Gull defense, logging a career-high 55 ground balls across 17 starts while causing 32 turnovers, trailing his '24 mark by just two in five fewer games. The Severna Park native has also recorded his first three career goals during the 2025 slate.
  • Seamus Johnston - Johnston joined the fold as a graduate transfer after tallying 55 grounders and 29 caused turnovers across 49 career appearances with Trinity College (Conn.). He has donned the maroon and gold well, causing a career-high 19 turnovers while adding 19 ground balls and chipping in one assist.
  • Nicholas Ransom - Ransom delivered another season of consistent excellence between the pipes for Salisbury, earning all 17 winning decisions and boosting his career record to 58-1. The Prince Frederick local has made 131 saves at a 54.1 percent clip while touting a 7.58 GAA, a figure claiming sixth in Division III and the top spot in the CLC. His career 7.71 GAA stands as the fourth-best clip among active DIII student-athletes and his career minutes total (2,998) sits 29th among active DIII net-minders as well.

All-Conference Awards

The Field

  • 15-2 (4-1 CLC) in 2025; ranked No. 4 in USILA Coaches Poll
  • 4-2 versus ranked teams this season
  • Signature Wins: No. 8 Gettysburg (13-4), No. 10 Washington & Lee (18-13), No. 16 Lynchburg (16-12), No. 18 Stevenson (13-10)
  • Losses: No. 1 Tufts (17-16, OT), No. 2 Salisbury (12-9)
  • Offensive Player to Watch - #22 Jamie Smith: Smith has netted 63 goals and six assists across 17 appearances and 16 starts. He trails only Kean's Dylan Johnson in goals per game in the conference, roping in 3.71 scores per game to slot 14th nationally. His 11 man-up goals also lead the conference and sit sixth in Division III.
  • Defensive Player to Watch - #62 Mark Davison: Davison leads the Captains with 26 caused turnovers while scooping 32 ground balls.
  • Faceoff - #41 Warner Cabaniss: Cabaniss leads the CLC and ranks 14th in Division III with a 68.1 percent win rate at the X. His 6.82 ground balls per game trail only Salisbury's Blake Malamphy in the conference and rank 53rd nationally.
  • Goalkeeper - #1 Mason Bellinger: Bellinger has provided another dimension to the Captain defensive room, making 170 saves at a 55.2 percent clip (1st in the CLC) while playing to a 9.51 GAA and a 14-2 record. He has also added one goal and a trio of assists to go with 46 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
  • 14-4 (3-2 CLC) in 2025
  • 9-1 home, 4-3 road, 1-0 neutral this season
  • 0-3 versus ranked teams this season
  • Defeated Montclair State, 14-9, in CLC Quarterfinals
  • Offensive Player to Watch - #4 Dylan Johnson: Johnson has accumulated 98 points on 69 goals and 29 assists across 18 starts. He has scored eight man-up goals and two game-winners while scooping 52 ground balls. He leads the CLC and ranks ninth nationally averaging 3.83 goals per contest while holding 20th in DIII in points per game (5.39). Johnson netted four goals, four ground balls and one caused turnover against Montclair State in the quarterfinal.
  • Defensive Player to Watch - #88 Kenny Yeager: Yeager leads the 2025 Cougars with 36 caused turnovers while securing 47 ground balls and adding two points on one goal and one assist. Yeager caused four turnovers and chased down four grounders in the quarterfinal round.
  • Faceoff - #00 Christian Updale has won 46.5 percent (132-284) of his bouts at the dot with a team-high 69 ground balls. #40 Wilfredo Crispin has claimed 46.3 percent (101-218) of his attempts with 39 ground balls as the secondary FOGO.
  • Goalkeeper - #30 Nick Paterno: Kean's veteran net-watcher has piled up 206 saves at a 53.2 percent clip, playing to an 11.91 GAA and a 13-4 record. Paterno has made double-digit saves in four straight contests and eight of his team's last nine.
  • 9-9 overall, 1-4 CLC in 2025
  • 2-5 home, 6-4 road, 1-0 neutral
  • 0-4 versus ranked teams
  • Stunned UMW in CLC Quarterfinals, 12-11 (OT)
  • Balanced offense - Four players with 30+ points, none over 40 total
  • Offensive Player to Watch - #9 Jack Vandegrift: Vandegrift touts a team-high 37 points on 29 goals and eight assists while also leading the squad with seven man-up tallies. The first-year scoring threat powered the Ospreys past Mary Washington in the first round of the bracket, logging his second hat trick against the Eagles in as many meetings with UMW.
  • Defensive Player to Watch - #66 Chris Funston: Funston ranks second on the team with 15 caused turnovers while digging out 27 ground balls. The Doylestown, Pa. native scooped five ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers against UMW in the quarterfinal tilt.
  • Faceoff - #5 Mike Cuzzola leads the team with 224 faceoff attempts, winning 82 of the tries with 35 ground balls. #17 Noah Russ has won 30 of his 115 faceoff attempts in relief.
  • Goalkeeper - #0 Ben Blum: Blum has totaled 243 saves at a 54.0 percent clip, posting a 12.34 GAA and a 9-9 record across nearly 1,007 minutes in 2025.
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