Brockport, NY – The Brockport men's lacrosse team returns to the turf on Saturday, February 14th, in Danbury, CT, to take on Western Connecticut State at the Westside Athletic Complex.
2025 Recap: The Golden Eagles finished the 2025 season with an 8-9 overall record and a 5-4 mark in Empire 8 play. This performance earned the team its first playoff appearance since 2022. The program saw four players receive all-conference honors:
Nate Askin (All-Conference Second Team): Named to the second team for the third consecutive year, Askin led the team with 44 points (27G, 17A). He added 24 ground balls and a 56.4% face-off win rate, ranking fifth all-time in program history with 117 points.
Tim Hubbard (All-Conference Second Team): Hubbard earned back-to-back second-team honors as the team's top defenseman, leading Brockport with 20 caused turnovers and 27 ground balls.
Jack Rice (All-Conference Third Team): Recognized for an excellent offensive season in his first year with the Green and Gold. Netted 38 points and finished the season on an eight-game goal streak.
AJ Thomas (All-Conference Third Team): A standout freshman who recorded the second-most caused turnovers (15) and fourth-most ground balls (27) on the team.
Schedule Highlights: Brockport's 2026 schedule features eight home games and nine road contests. The season begins with seven non-conference matchups before the team dives into its Empire 8 slate. Following the opener at Western Connecticut State, the Golden Eagles will host their home opener against Cortland on February 28th at A. Huntley Parker Jr. Field. A unique mid-season highlight includes a matchup against Ithaca College on March 17th at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, MD. The regular season concludes with Senior Day against Keuka College on April 25th, followed by the first round of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament beginning April 28th.
Returning Production: The Green and Gold will return several key contributors from the 2025 campaign. Sophomore
AJ Thomas is expected to build on an impressive freshman season. Additionally, the team looks for increased roles and production from veterans
Michael Dowden,
Hunter Riehlman, and
Daniel Wright Jr., the latter of whom posted 13 points (10G, 3A) last season.
Breakout Candidates: Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the Golden Eagles expect several key players to take a significant leap in production and leadership on the field. After starting all 14 games he appeared in as a freshman, Jacobs is poised for a massive sophomore campaign. Last season, he ranked third on the team in goals (26) and fourth in total points (33). His efficiency in the offensive zone was a hallmark of his game, finishing the year with an impressive 67.2% shots-on-goal percentage and a 40.6% shooting percentage. Averaging 1.85 goals and 2.35 points per game, Jacobs enters the 2026 season as one of the premier "players to watch" for the Green and Gold. Coming off a season where he appeared in all 17 contests and earned seven starts, Marc Zapulla is a prime candidate for an expanded role in the starting lineup. He finished the 2025 season tied for fifth on the team in goals (11) and was fifth overall in total production with 23 points (11G, 12A). Beyond his scoring touch, Zapulla proved to be a factor in the transition game, scooping up 15 ground balls and recording five caused turnovers.
While the squad lost 11 players—including two of their top three scorers—they remain deep with 25 returning players and a massive incoming class of 33 first-year student-athletes.
Scouting Western Connecticut State: The season opener marks the first-ever meeting between Brockport and the Wolves. Western Connecticut State comes off a strong 2025 season, where they finished 13-7 overall and a perfect 8-0 in Little East Conference play, earning a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles will face a tough road test as they look to start their 2026 campaign with a victory.
Up Next: Following the season opener, Brockport will hit the road to face off against Oneonta in Oneonta, NY, on Saturday, February 21st at 1 p.m.
