On the Run - Week 0

Welcome to On the Run. Here's what you need to know about what happened in the opening weekend of college lacrosse, plus some little things that I loved. Quick and easy to read while you're on the run!

👀 The Headliner: Hopkins Downs Denver

The storyline that stole the show this weekend.

Revenge for the Blue Jays.

After a dropping the 2024 season opener to the Pios in dramatic fashion, Johns Hopkins controlled the second half in this one en route to a 13-10 win in Denver.

The offensive stars produced for Hopkins, with Russell Melendez leading the way with 6 points (4G, 2A), Hunter Chauvette with 4 points (2G, 2A) as well as Matt Collison (1G, 3A).

What makes me most interested in this Blue Jay offense was the emergence of sophomore midfielder Chuck Rawson (3G) and Stuart Phillips (1G, 1A). We know the talent of guys like Dylan Bauer, Jimmy Ayers and Brooks English, but if Rawson and Phillips can chip in offensively in big games, I like where this Hopkins offense could go.

Defensively, Luke Staudt played well in his first start in cage as a Blue Jay, registering 12 saves in the win. A relatively new look defense including UMBC transfer Colby Weishaar and Yale transfers Patrick Hackler and Jack Monfort looked solid in front of Staudt.

Logan Callahan went 15-24 (62.5%) from the faceoff, continuing to prove himself as the top faceoff man for the Blue Jays.

For the Pioneers, there’s nothing to worry about.

One of the nation’s top defenses in 2024 is still finding its footing after losing two starting defensemen (Jack DiBenedetto & Adam Hangland), their starting LSM (AJ Mercurio) and two of their top SSDM’s (Jake Edinger & Dan Anderson). With Jimmy Freehill and Casey Wilson leading here, I’m confident they only improve.

Offensively, Mic Kelly was one of the best players on the field for either side, tallying 4 points (3G, 1A) while Cody Malawsky was a steady presence with 4 points as well (2G, 2A). I’m also not too concerned about Denver’s offense; they just needed to make one or two more plays in this one.

 🤝 The Supporting Cast

The things that weren't maybe the star of the weekend, but still very important.

1. Utah Upsets Ohio State 19-13

How about the Utes! Utah shot a ridiculous 19-43 (44.1%) while going 23-34 on faceoffs (67.6%) on Saturday, one of their biggest win in program history.

I was particularly impressed with freshman attackman Luke McNamara’s assertiveness, scoring 5 goals in his collegiate debut while junior Colin Lenskold remains one of the most underrated goalies in the nation.

These are just two of the standout players in a team performance for Utah.

For Ohio State, it’s not panic time by any means, but there are red flags, specifically at the faceoff. Going 11-34 (32.3%) means you have to play really, really well at every other aspect of the game, and it was just too much for the Buckeyes to overcome in this one.

2. Penn State Avenges 2024 Loss to Colgate

After losing their 2024 season opener to Colgate, Penn State handled the Raiders this time around in a 14-9 victory. It was a pretty complete team victory for the Nittany Lions against a good Colgate squad.

Matt Traynor was the star with 7 points (5G, 2A), but I came away most impressed with freshman Hunter Aquino. Freshmen should not be able to shoot the ball like this.

3. Michigan Holds Marquette to One Goal

Marquette struck first, but then didn’t score a goal for the rest of the game. About 57 minutes scoreless. Goalie Hunter Taylor saved 10 shots, but the whole Wolverine defensive unit deserves kudos for a tremendous effort.

4. Syracuse & Duke Win Big

No hiccups for these title contenders. The Orange and Blue Devils started hot and never looked back, taking care of out-of-conference Jacksonsville and Bellarmine. Look at the box scores if you want to see who scored, there’s a lot.

5. Maryland Handles Richmond

Always one of my favorite early matchups of the year, the Terps had no problems with the Spiders. Fairfield transfer Bryce Ford and Binghamton transfer Matthew Keegan brought some new energy to the Maryland offense while the defense held Richmond scoreless in the first half.

Richmond needs to find offensive contributors outside of Aidan O’Neil, but they will still be a favorite in the A-10.

🎯 Quick Hits

The weekend's standout plays, hustle moments, and everything in between.

1. Georgetown’s Joe Cesare Rips Net

2. Navy Goalie Dan Daly BTB Assist

3. Syracuse’s Trey Deere EMO Wall Pass

📈 On the Rise

Spotlighting players and teams who are setting themselves up for big things ahead.

1. Maryland’s Matthew Keegan

I was curious how the Terps would integrate the Binghamton transfer Keegan into the offense. An elite shooter, Keegan finished with a hat trick in his Maryland debut running out of the box.

2. Ohio State’s Garrett Haas

After scoring just one goal in 2024, Haas burst onto the scene with a four goal outing against Utah. The Texas native is crafty around the net and I love his two-handed finishing ability.

3. Navy’s Jack Ponzio

One of my favorite parts of the opening weekend is seeing which freshmen burst onto the scene. Ponzio was one of them. The lefty had a confidence about him and those two goals reflected that; a stepdown on the EMO after given too much space, and then a lefty sweep to a perfect location on the run.

4. Rutgers’ Colin Kelly

Kelly was set to make an impact for the Scarlet Knights after transferring from Canisius last season, but only ended up playing in two contests last year. Now, in 2025, Kelly seems to be the go-top option on this Rutgers attack and showcased his range with this goal.

5. Georgetown’s Freshmen

Ross Prince went 16-20 (80%) from the faceoff filling in for an injured James Ball. Kevin Miller had a hat trick. Jack Ransom had a pretty low to high goal in transition. Ben Firlie scored. Robert Plath caused a turnover. In their first games as Hoyas, these freshmen contributed immediately in what is shaping up to be a really, really solid class for Georgetown. Ransom and Miller in particular could be huge in the absence of Jack Schubert, the player I was probably most excited about to watch in 2025.

6. Penn State’s Offense

🏆 Best of the Rest

We’ve covered most of the stuff that happened, but what slipped through the cracks?

1. The Bobby Benson Effect

The Providence Friars offense was rolling on Saturday. Ryan Bell had 8 assists while Richie Joseph scored 8 goals, but more interestingly was these three goals off simple jump cuts on a give and go.

This was an absolute staple of Benson’s offense at UMD and it was only a matter of time before we saw the Friars utilize it.

A storyline to monitor the rest of the season is how will this Providence offense does in the Big East? Bell, Joseph and Jack Horrigan are the leaders on the offense. Then you add younger guys like Rhett Chambers and Ben Dale to name a few, and this offense is shaping up nicely.

2. The Andrew McAdorey Effect

An under-appreciated part of McAdorey’s game is his decision-making. He knows he is going to draw so much attention and he consistently makes good decisions. Last season saw him fly out of the box and consistently throw in forward, in particular to Max Sloat on the left wing. This skip pass on Saturday is a perfect example of McAdorey’s gravitational pull.

It also can’t be overlooked how the addition of Eric Malever and emergence of freshman Liam Kershis is for this Duke squad. It allows McAdorey to come out of the box, which is much more of a nightmare for teams than McAdorey at attack. Could McAdorey rack up a ton of points as an attackman? Absolutely. But his presence at the midfield elevates the offense.

3. The Daniel Kelly Effect

Kelly has absolutely mastered slipping the pick at GLE.

He scored on it twice in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including this one in the Final Four against Virginia.

On Saturday, Kelly scored in the same exact fashion, looking like he’s going to set a pick for his teammate to turn the corner, and then slips as soon as he sees his defender take a step towards the ball carrier.

It’s such a pretty play and something that every offensive player should have in their arsenal. As a defender, it’s one thing to see it on film, but it happens so quick that it’s difficult to stop.

4. Other Notable Performances

• Holy Cross goalie JR Long had 22 saves in a 15-8 loss to Providence

• VMI’s Dayton Bagwell had 7 goals in a 17-8 win over St. Bonaventre

• Bucknell’s Connor Davis had 8 goals, 1 assist in a 23-7 win over Merrimack

I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of On the Run and be sure to subscribe!