2026 CLC Championships Preview

By Andrew Barbieri

4/28/2026 2:00:00 PM

The Rundown

The fifth-ranked and second-seeded Salisbury University men's lacrosse team begins postseason play on Wednesday, April 30th against the third-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 top-seeded Christopher Newport and fourth-seeded Mary Washington, with the highest seed remaining set to host.

How We Got Here

Fifth-ranked Salisbury finished the regular season 14-3 and 3-1 inside Coastal Lacrosse Conference (CLC) play During the season, the Sea Gulls picked up top-10 victories early in the season against No. 10 Gettysburg, 15-12 and York (Pa.), 10-7. Salisbury also downed two top-30 teams according to the National Power Index (NPI) rankings in Washington (Md.), 6-4 and Colorado College, 21-5. The Gulls completed the regular season 10-2 at home, 3-1 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites.

CLC Tournament Page

Live Video

Live Stats

Ticket Information

Parking Information

Players to Watch

Connor Herraiz | Sr. | Attack

Riley Strub | Sr. | Midfield

Blake Malamphy | Sr. | Face-Off

Attack
Midfield
Defense

Connor Herraiz - Herraiz has elevated his production a year after transferring to SU, posting 32 goals and 63 assists, surpassing his 2025 marks and leading the CLC in points. The attackman has flexed his facilitating skills, averaging 3.71 assists per game, good enough to rank third in Division III.
Ryan Della - Della has spent time coming out of the box and at attack this year, recording 27 scores and three apples in 15 games played in 2026. Della remains one of the top man-up options with four man-up goals and has picked up hat-tricks in four contests.
Bret Bergey - Since being inserted into the starting lienup, Bergey has averaged 4.17 points per game. The High Point transfer has fired in 20 goals and handed out 12 helpers.

Riley Strub - Strub has remained a lethal offensive weapon out of the midfield, tallying 41 goals and 19 assists. Strub stands sixth in the CLC in goals per game (2.41) and turned out colossal eight-point outings against Stevenson and Kean. The Darien product produced seven of his eight points against the Cougars in the first half and eclipsed the 200-point mark that afternoon.
Preston Huffman - Huffman has emerged to the top line midfield unit in his second year with the Gulls. The Calvert Hall product tallied 23 goals and 21 assists in 17 games played, to go along with 27 ground balls. Huffman broke out for a five-goal, three-assist afternoon last Tuesday against Baldwin Wallace to surpass 40 points.
Trent Lucovich - Lucovich is a point shy of 50 with 37 tallies and 12 helpers in 17 games played. The junior averaged 5.5 points per game over a four-game stretch where he started at attack for the Maroon and Gold. The St. John's transfer sparked the Sea Gulls with five straight goals against Trinity (Conn.) to defeat the Bantams, 11-5.
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.
Evan Huffman - Huffman has complemented Mancha at SSDM, making starts in four of his 17 appearances, with one assist, 18 ground balls and eight caused errors. Huffman was a pest against Christopher Newport by forcing three Captains miscues and controlling two grounders.
Blake Malamphy - Malamphy has put together the most dominant campaign from a Sea Gull FOGO in program history with a 76.1 percent (283-372) win rate on draws and a career-high 206 ground balls in 17 games played. Number 45 has added seven goals and two helpers and surpassed 1000 career face-off wins after going 22-of-23 against Christopher Newport on April 18.

Jeremiah Stafford - Stafford has consistently pillared the SU defense, causing 23 turnovers and picking up 30 ground balls. Stafford tucked a full-field goal against Gettysburg and recorded a season-high five caused turnovers against Washington (Md.) last Friday to aid the Sea Gulls to a 6-4 victory.
Bryce Stevenson - Stevenson led the squad in caused turnovers (27). Stevenson buried three goals and dished out two helpers, while logging eight games with multiple CTs en route to passing the century mark in caused turnovers in his career.
Cooper Keesee - Keesee has made an immediate impact after coming by way of DI Drexel in Philadelphia. The lefty long pole burned Gettysburg's ten-man ride to score his first collegiate goal and dished out an assist against Baldwin Wallace while securing 29 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
Joe Buxbaum - Buxbaum has been a steady force, showing flexibility at close defense and long-stick midfielder. The Florida Southern transfer registered a two-point game against Grove City on February 6, and cleaned up 16 grounders and forced 11 turnovers.
Matt Sentowski - Sentowski fortified the crease, starting in 16 games, posting an 8.11 Goals Against Average and a 51.8 save percentage over 814 minutes between the pipes. The first-year starter logged six contests with ten or more saves, and tacked on an assist against Stevenson on March 21. Sentowski leads the CLC in GAA and boasts the 15th best in the country.

All-Conference Awards

15-2 (4-0 CLC) in 2026; ranked No. 3 in USILA Coaches Poll
5-2 versus ranked teams this season
Signature Wins: No. 6 Salisbury (12-9), No. 9 Gettysburg (16-9), No. 12 Washington & Lee (13-10), No. 14 Amherst (12-9), No. 17 Stevenson (16-11)
Losses: No. 1 Tufts (17-9), No. 4 Lynchburg (22-21)
Offensive Player to Watch - #22 Jamie Smith: Smith has netted 73 goals this season to go along with 12 assists. Smith stands second in the nation in goals after an NCAA-leading 84 in 2025.
Defensive Player to Watch - #9 Brett Kelley: Davison leads the Captains with 36 caused turnovers while scooping 63 ground balls.
Faceoff - #41 Grant Giunchi: Giunchi faces off at a 53.4 percent clip and has won 150 of his 281 draws taken. Giunchi has logged two goals and one assist this season.
Goalkeeper - #1 Mason Bellinger: Bellinger has been a brick wall in goal, turning out a 61.4 percent save percentage and carries a 9.26 GAA heading into the posteseason.

12-4 (2-2 CLC) in 2026
10-0 home, 2-4 road.
Upset #19 Swarthmore, 16-9
Offensive Player to Watch - #77 Alex DeLierre: DeLierre parks himself at 25th in the nation in goals per game (3.5). The junior picked up four goals in Stockton's regular season contest against the Sea Gulls.
Defensive Player to Watch - #99 Shane Phillips: Phillips has led the Ospreys with 30 caused turnovers and has added in 27 ground balls.
Faceoff - #13 Cole Blum: Blum has won 203 of his 357 face-offs taken to stand at a 56.9 percent face-off percantage. Blum has tallied three goals and five assists so far this year.
Goalkeeper - #0 Ben Blum: The Osprey's netminder has made 122 stops this year and carries a 52.6 percent save percentage. Blum made 14 saves against Salisbury in the regular season.

8-8 overall, 1-3 CLC in 2026
4-3 home, 3-5 road, 1-0 neutral
0-3 versus ranked teams
Took care of Kean CLC Quarterfinals, 12-7
Balanced offense - Five players with 20+ points
Offensive Player to Watch - #12 Tanner Boone: Boone owns a team-leading 40 points on 26 goals and 14 assists. Boone went for a pair of tallies and an apple against Kean on Sunday.
Defensive Player to Watch - #88 Lucas Owens: Owens has been UMW's number one dman with 25 caused turnovers, 30 ground balls and two assists.
Faceoff - #17 Jacob Fowler touts a 55.8 percent face-off win rate, going 110-for-197 with three goals and four assists in addition.
Goalkeeper - #14 Ryan D'Angelo has made 14 starts has made ten or more saves in 12 of his appearances.

The Rundown

How We Got Here

Players to Watch

All-Conference Awards

The Field

#GoGulls | #ChampionsWearGold

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