2025 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Second & Third Round Preview

By Nick Lewis

5/9/2025 3:35:00 PM

Ty Keaton and Bryce Stevenson Lineup Line, 5-4-25 vs CNU

The Rundown

The second-ranked Salisbury University men's lacrosse team renews the chase for a record-setting 14th Division III National Championship on Saturday, May 10 against the St. Mary's (Md.) Seahawks in the NCAA Tournament's second round. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. start at Sea Gull Stadium, with another second-round matchup between 16th-ranked Dickinson and 17th-ranked Denison to follow at 6:30 p.m. The winners of Saturday's bouts clash on Sunday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. inside Sea Gull Stadium with a spot in the national quarterfinal on the line.

How We Got Here

Second-ranked Salisbury completed a second-straight unblemished regular season and the 16th in program history in 2025, entering the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (CLC) bracket with a 17-0 record including a 5-0 mark in CLC play. During the season, the Sea Gulls defeated six ranked teams, including top 10 triumphs over Wesleyan (Conn.) on March 8 and Christopher Newport on April 5. The Sea Gulls also extended their regular season winning streak at Sea Gull Stadium to 66 consecutive games dating back to the 2019 campaign.

CLC Champions

The Sea Gulls hoisted their third consecutive CLC Championship trophy in 2025, earning the league's first-ever automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA DIII Tournament. Salisbury began the tournament with a convincing 23-3 win over fifth-seeded Stockton before meeting Christopher Newport in the conference championship game for the fifth consecutive season. Michael Leahy helped lift the Sea Gulls in an OT thriller at Sea Gull Stadium last weekend, netting the added-time strike 40 seconds into the fifth period to help SU secure a 13-12 win.

Live Video (All Games)

Live Stats (All Games)

Saturday Tickets (Both Games)

Sunday Tickets

Parking Information

Major CLC Awards

John DeFazio - CLC Player of the Year

Brice Bromwell - CLC Offensive Player of the Year

Jim Berkman & Staff - CLC Coaching Staff of the Year

All-Conference Honorees

Players to Watch

Riley Strub | Jr. | A

Brice Bromwell | Sr. | M

John DeFazio | Gr. | D

Offense
Midfield
Defense

Riley Strub - Strub reclaimed his throne as SU's top goal-scorer in 2025, firing 63 goals and adding on 12 assists while leading the team with nine man-up strikes as well. The Darien High School product ranks 23rd in Division III in EMO tallies while slotting 25th nationally in goals per game (3.32).
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 76 points on 29 goals and 47 assists, dishing out five or more helpers in three different outings this season.
Ryan Della - Della has found a comfortable home on the starting attack in his second collegiate season, trailing only Riley Strub with 50 goals across 19 appearances and 15 starts. His six man-up goals rank second on the team, sixth in the CLC, and just inside the top 90 in Division III. He also holds fifth in the league punching in 2.63 goals per contest.
Chris Wong - Wong ranks fourth among the flock with 33 goals across 17 starts as SU's top threat on the crease. The Salesianum product and Johns Hopkins transfer has put his shots on cage at a 74.7 percent clip, leading all Sea Gulls with at least 20 shot attempts, while his 39.8 shot percentage ranks third among qualified Sea Gulls and ranks fourth in the CLC.
Michael Leahy - Leahy has carved out his place in the Sea Gull offense in his freshman campaign, firing in 23 goals and adding six assists. His 23rd goal was a critical one, securing the Sea Gulls' 13-12 overtime triumph over Christopher Newport in the 2025 CLC title game.

Brice Bromwell - Bromwell finished the 2024 regular season with then-career-highs in assists (28) and points (69). A year later entering 2025's Big Dance, Bromwell has amassed a mammoth team and CLC-high 106 points on 49 goals and 57 assists. The Cambridge-South Dorchester product boasts the highest point total of any player in the '25 DIII bracket and ranks fourth nationally in total points while his 5.58 points per game clip slots 12th in Division III. He has logged six game-winning goals and five man-up tallies as well.
Ty Keaton - Keaton has provided a steady presence for the Sea Gulls, tallying 51 points on 19 goals and 32 assists. The senior scorer has been especially strong down the stretch, totaling nine points in SU's last three contests including three assists in the CLC title game against CNU.
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 19 outings. The Parkside High School product appeared in his 60th career game on Washington (Md.) 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 62.5 percent (248-397) win rate at the dot and 142 ground balls. The third-year specialist has also fired seven goals and added two assists this season. The Archbishop Spalding product leads the CLC and slots 30th in DIII scooping 7.89 ground balls per game while ranking 45th 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 66.7 percent (74-111) of his battles at the X with 74 ground balls, adding on five goals and one assist including the game-tying goal against Christopher Newport on April 5th. He has also scored in three consecutive contests.

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 99 ground balls and 44 caused turnovers through his 17 starts while showcasing his offensive talents with a career-high 15 points on five goals and 10 assists. The 2025 CLC Player of the Year trails only Jeremiah Stafford on the team in caused turnovers per game, ranking 37th nationally taking away 2.32 possessions per game. He also sits just outside the top 100 in ground balls per game at 5.21.
Jeremiah Stafford - Stafford has served as SU's most disruptive defenseman for the second straight season, leading the Sea Gulls with a career-best 47 caused turnovers while also setting new milestones in ground balls (54) and assists (3) this season. He ranks 27th nationally causing 2.47 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 61 ground balls across 19 starts while causing 34 turnovers, matching his '24 mark in three fewer games. The Severna Park native has also recorded his first four 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 21 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 19 winning decisions and boosting his career record to 60-1. The Prince Frederick local has made 140 saves at a 52.8 percent clip while touting a 7.74 GAA, a figure claiming eighth in Division III and the top spot in the CLC. His career 7.75 GAA stands as the fourth-best clip among active DIII student-athletes and his career minutes total (3,089) sits 20th among active DIII net-minders as well.

10-7 (3-0 UEC) in 2025
Defeated Penn College in United East Championship, 21-8, to earn the league's AQ
Overcame Pfeiffer in NCAA First Round, 18-9, to advance to Sea Gull Stadium
Third straight NCAA berth; fourth in program history
Offensive Player to Watch - #33 Aiden Doyle: The Seahawks' leading point-getter touts 75 points across 17 appearances in 2025, leads the United East and ranks 31st nationally averaging 3.24 goals per game while also sitting inside the top 50 in man-up goals (7).
Defensive Player to Watch - #55 Joe Szymanski: Szymanski caused a team-high 29 turnovers while leading all non-FOGOs on the team with 76 grounders to bolster his United East Defensive Player of the Year case. He also tacked on three points on one goal and a pair of assists.
Faceoff - #20 Matteo Ciccarello: Ciccarello ranks 29th nationally and finished second in the United East winning 7.94 ground balls per game while landing 52nd in DIII and second in the league with a 61.1 percent win rate.
Goalkeeper - #35 Cullen McKay: McKay has been solid in the cage for the Seahawks, playing to a strong 9.38 GAA and making 102 saves while earning an 8-3 record across his 11 starts in goal. The senior net-minder piled up 10 saves in the Seahawks' first-round victory over Pfeiffer to begin the Big Dance.
Goalkeeper - #24 Ty Grove: Grove has also been firmly in the mix for St. Mary's (Md.) between the pipes, making six starts and tallying 50 saves. His 12.95 GAA does not tell the full story as the second-year stopper was electric against the Sea Gulls in the regular season, making a career-high 20 saves in his last appearance at Sea Gull Stadium.

13-5 (7-1 Centennial) in 2025
Fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth
Ranked Wins: #10 Gettysburg, #13 Swarthmore
Ranked Losses: #3 RIT, #9 Gettysburg (OT), #13 W&L, #13 Stevens, #19 Stevenson
Won fourth-straight Centennial Conference Championship on May 4th at Gettysburg
Offensive Player to Watch - #4 Landen Hyatt: Hyatt has netted multiple goals in 10 of his last 11 outings including a six-game stretch that saw the junior midfielder punch in 26 goals. His six man-up goals rank fourth in the Centennial.
Defensive Player to Watch - #37 Evan Karetsos: Karetsos has been a dynamic presence in the Red Devil back line, leading the Centennial and ranking 38th in Division III causing 2.28 turnovers per game. The senior defender has also added seven points on three goals and four assists.
Faceoff - #66 Ben Trucksess: Trucksess leads the league and slots 58th in DIII averaging 6.67 ground balls per game while also winning 60.8 percent of his duels at the dot, ranking 53rd nationally.
Goalkeeper - #19 Rocco Bognet: Dickinson's second-year keeper holds the 34th-best GAA in Division III, piling up 130 saves at a 49.2 percent clip with a 10-5 overall record.

13-6 (7-1 NCAC) in 2025
29th NCAA Tournament berth; 11th since 2010
50th postseason contest since 1982; 21-28 all-time in the Big Dance
Ranked Wins: #4 W&L
Ranked Losses: #3 RIT, #3 Salisbury, #16 Amherst, #18 Lynchburg
Fell to Ohio Wesleyan in NCAC Championship, 13-10; Received at-large bid
Offensive Player to Watch - #22 Tommy Quinson: Quinson holds a team-high 79 points with 50 goals and 29 assists, tallying 10 outings with three or more goals in 2025.
Defensive Player to Watch - #6 Augie Oberting: Oberting has caused a team-high 17 turnovers as one of six Big Red defensemen to disrupt 10 or more possessions. He has also added 43 ground balls and one assist this season.
Faceoff - #5 Grant Larson and #55 Colin MacLean have split the faceoff duties this season, with the former claiming 59.1 percent (162-274) of his tries with a team-best 106 ground balls while adding four goals. MacLean boasts a 63.1 percent (106-168) winning clip with 63 ground balls.
Goalkeeper - #11 Andrew Albert: The Big Red keeper has logged over 1,000 minutes of excellent action in 2025, earning all 19 decisions with 183 saves at a 53.4 clip. Albert's GAA ranks second in the North Coast Athletic Conference and 44th in Division III.

Division III Tournament Bracket