MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – With seven first place votes, Babson College has been tabbed to win their third straight NEWMAC title in the 2025 NEWMAC Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll.  Babson returns 41 players from a season ago, including All-American goalie Alex Fascilla, who garnered NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades after leading the league with 9.76 goals against average. Fellow All-Americans Topher Bower and Brendan Maher will also return, along with Seamus Rooney, who earned conference Co-Rookie of the Year honors, after scoring 31 goals in his rookie season.
 
Springfield College took second place in the poll and claimed the remaining first place vote. Keith Bugbee enters his 42^nd and final season at the helm for the Pride. The Pride reached the NEWMAC Championship a season ago, and will return NEWMAC Co-Rookie of the Year Jake Degnan, and was third in the league with 45 goals in his rookie campaign. Midfielder Vincent Scialdone also returns after earning second team All-Conference honors last season.

MIT, led by head coach Tyler O’Keefe, nabs the third-place spot. The Engineers return 26 student-athletes, including two-time All-Conference honoree and 2023 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, Zach Bleil.  Bliel was fifth in the league with 40 goals last season. Garrett Campagna and Brennan Hoppa will also return after earning second team All-Conference honors a season ago.  
 
Salve Regina University enters the poll in the fourth spot. Salve Regina is coached by Patrick Cooney, who is in his 22nd season with the Seahawks. Junior attack Daniel Naglieri returns to the field after leading the Seahawks in goals and assists, with 25 and 27, respectively.  
 
Landing in the fifth spot is U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The Bears are coached by Ray La Forte and will look to senior Ryan Hunter to make an impact, as the midfielder was the leading scorer for the Bears in 2024 with 27 goals.

Clark University and Wheaton College tied for the sixth-place spot. Clark brings back their top seven goal scorers from a season ago, including graduate student Matthew Minkwitz, who led the team with 30 goals and 16 assists last year.
 
Wheaton head coach Kyle Hart is in his tenth season as head coach for the Lyons, and will bring back a strong pack of veterans, including Emmett Edwards, who led the Lyons with 35 goals last season.  
 
Emerson College rounds out the poll in eighth place. The Lions enter 2025 under Matt Colombini, who is entering his ninth season as the Lions head coach. The Lions will lean on senior Jack Burns, as he was second in the league with 56 goals and earned first team All-Conference honors last season. 
 
The NEWMAC Men’s Lacrosse Champion will be crowned on May 3.
 
2025 NEWMAC Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
 
1. Babson (7)
2. Springfield (1) 
3. MIT
4. Salve Regina
5. Coast Guard
T6. Clark
T6. Wheaton
8. Emerson
 
About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.