The State University of New York at New Paltz enters the 2025 in a new era.
 
Head coach Dylan Neisler, in his third season at the helm of the program, graduated 12 members of last year's squad that went 5-10 overall and 1-6 in the SUNYAC after a breakout 2023 where the team made their first postseason tournament. The loss of more than half the roster that had been a mainstay for the last five years, resulted in a rush of talented newcomers in a freshman class of 17 that are look to build the program into a perennial contender.
 
"This freshman class, we have a lot of dogs and we're ready to work," said SUNY New Paltz freshman defenseman Drew Hulede. "We're bringing hard work; we're bringing commitment and we're bringing grit. We're just ready to turn this team around and bring better to this team."
 
While 2024 was disappointing, the recent 2025 SUNYAC Coaches Pre-Season rankings, listing the Hawks fifth in the eight-team conference, is an acknowledgement that the Hawks are moving in the right direction.
 
Along with sixth year assistant coach Jeff Struzzieri, Neisler looks to rebuild the team after the loss of 12 players who played significant roles in the growth of the six-year-old men's lacrosse program. Four returning starters, seven players who saw significant action in 2024 and four who saw limited playing time headline SUNY New Paltz with field experience. Thirteen first year players and one transfer round out the roster, with Neisler and Struzzieri looking to them to grow quickly into the collegiate game.
 
"We've got new fresh, young energy on the team," said Hawks senior captain and midfielder Anthony Senecal. "We've got 16 or 17 young guys coming in that has brought in a lot of new energy and just more comradery as well. We've come together pretty well as a tight-knit group. We're really starting to come together now and learn how to play with each other, and it's been really fun and exciting."
 
At attack, the group will be led by lone returner, James Flanagan who is primed to have his best season to-date. The Clarkstown, NY native led the team in goals (27), assists (20) and points () in 2024. He returns after spending this past summer featured on the… He will be a huge focal point in SUNY New Paltz's offense that will feature at least TK-first-year players at a time in their 6-v-6 offense but what preseason has showed is those young additions have already added more speed and athleticism than a year ago.
 
 
"A lot of these young guys have brought new intensity and a new energy," Senecal said. "They've just brought more competition. Last year there was a lot of the same guys in the same spots, and they've brought in a lot of competition for spots and are pushing the guys that were here to work harder and those young guys, they want to come in here and turn things around, so it's really helped the whole team."
 
Seven players will fill the role of attack/midfield. Returning for the Hawks is sophomore Nate Urban (Massapequa Park, NY/Massapequa HS), who started three of seven games played, with three goals, two assists and three ground balls. Graduate student transfer Aiden Duran (Walden, NY/Valley Central HS/Juniata College) crafted his lacrosse skills as a three-year starter for Juniata College, scoring 61 goals, with 21 assists, 56 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers.  He left the Eagles as the single season leader in points, goals, and man-up goals.  His experience will lend itself well to a very young attack/midfield Hawks line up and will provide some much-needed veteran leadership and experience along with Flanagan at the attacking end.  
As far as SUNY New Paltz's youth movement, it features lefty attackman Killian Yombor (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills HS), along with fellow attackman Jack McLaughlin (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central HS), Finn Smith (Syracuse, NY/(Syracuse City District Team/Thomas Corcoran HS), Sean Hoolan (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West HS), and Michael Plante (Hoosic Falls, NY/Hoosic Falls-Tamarac Combined Team/Tamarac HS). 
 
Yombor, an All Division and All Section pick, led Morris Hills to an undefeated division record while scoring 69 career goals with 21 assists. McLaughlin, one of Section VI's top scorers, has career records of 76 goals and 27 points, leading the Tigers to the Section VI Class C semifinals a year ago. Smith was an All-Central New York selection and led the Syracuse City squad to the 2023 Section III, Class A semifinal, graduating with career totals of 101 goals and 59 assists.  Hoolan was an integral member of the Bulls march to the Suffolk County Class B finals in 2024.  Plante scored 115 goals with 22 assists in only two varsity seasons, leading the Wildcats to a 10-0 league mark and the Section 2, Class D championship game in 2024.
 
Midfield looks to be the most experienced position for the Hawks, led by Senecal (Patchogue, NY/Patchogue-Medford HS). The second-year captain started all 15 games last season and scored 15 goals with 14 assists with a .508 shooting percentage, while adding 16 ground balls and two caused turnovers. Joining him is senior Ethan Scully (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore HS).
Scully saw action in all 215 games, starting in 14 while scoring 19 goals with 15 assists with a .623 shooting percentage to go along with 22 ground balls and six caused turnovers. 
 
"Being that we have a lot of midfielders this year, we want to run a lot of two-ways and it's pushing us to be in better shape than we have been in the past, which is going to improve us in many different ways not just offense and defense, but that middle of the field play as well so that's a big step in the right direction for us," Senecal said.
 
Juniors Colin Cleary (Centereach, NY/Centereach HS) and Brandon Ortiz (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS), along with sophomore Luke Walters (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner HS) add to the returning class. All three are true two-way players with Cleary the most experience of the group. Able to play in virtually every spot on the field except in the cage, Cleary did so at a high level particularly last season where he totaled six goals, two assists with an .800 shoot percentage, along with 44 ground balls (second on the team) and five caused turnovers in all 14 games last season. Ortiz (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS) saw action in six games, while Walters (Staten Island, NY/Susan E. Wagner HS) played in 13 games and was fifth in ground balls with 17, along with two caused turnovers.   
Freshmen Blake Lyons (Carle Place, NY/Wheatley School-Carle Place HS Combined Team/Carle Place HS), Nick Darcangelo (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs HS), and Riley Nelson (Scituate, RI/Ponaganset HS) joins SUNY New Paltz's midfield line. Lyons is a two-time All-Nassau County selection who led the combined Wheatley/Carle Place team to the Nassau Class C/D playoffs, with 77 goals and 63 assists for his career. Darcangelo, a three-year starter for the Blue Streaks, helped lead them to the Section 2, Class A semifinals in 2023, 2024. Nelson started three years for the Chieftains, earning Rhode Island Division III honors.
 
"We just want to play faster," Senecal added. "We want to be able to catch teams off guard with playing faster than we have in the past. Last year we played a lot of slow ball. We wanted to make the game 6-on-6 and this year we want to pick that pace up and catch teams off guard with our speed."
 
Defensively, the Hawks bring back some veteran voices in captains Owen Craker (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst HS) and Aidan Harrington (Glens Falls, NY/Glens Falls HS). Craker was arguably the team's most break-out player as he was a mainstay on team's starting defensemen, playing close. The Lindenhurst, NY native started 14 of 15 games and was fourth on the team with 22 ground balls and finished second with 17 caused turnovers. Harrington, meanwhile, played in all 14 games and earned one start, finishing with 14 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.
 
Sophomore defense/long-stick midfielder Christian O'Connor (Medford, NY/Patchogue-Medford HS) comes back for his second season after seeing action in 13 games. Also returning after taking last season off, is junior Sean Cassidy (Port Washington, NY/Paul D. Schreiber HS) who will be an integral part of the Hawks' depth, playing both LSM and short stick. In 2023 he saw action in 13 games.
 
First year players Hulede (Bronx, NY/ Cardinal Hayes HS) and Yasin Tabatabaee (Green Township, NJ/Newton HS) can expect to see plenty of action in 2025. Hulede, a two-year starter for the Hayesmen, totaled 32 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers, being named CHSAA All League on defense. Tatatabaee was a four-year player for the Braves, helping to lead them to the NJSIAA Group I playoffs in 2024. Noah Reed (Center Moriches, NY/Center Moriches HS) will also play a huge piece at LSM. Reed was twice named on the Long Island Lacrosse Journal's Watch List, in 2022 and 2024 and earned Division 2 All League honors.  
"Defensively, obviously the game is different than high school," Hulede said. "It's quicker, it's faster, you've got to be 10 steps ahead. But defensively we're looking pretty decent, we're looking solid. We've got some things to work on communication wise, foot-work wise, fundamental wise, but we're going to work on it and we're going to be ready."
 
The FOGO spot sees three competing for action. Junior Quinn Tucker (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS) is the incumbent as he started all 15 games, winning 149 of 349 faceoffs and led the team with 54 ground balls. First-year Ryan O'Hara (Oakdale, NY/Connetquot HS) will vie for time in the center circle as well. He was a four-year player for the T-Birds, helping them to a Suffolk County Class A playoff berth. Rounding out the group is also second-year player Brendan Lloyd (Selden, NY/Newfield HS) who saw time in six games.
 
SUNY New Paltz's biggest loss last season was four-year starter Ryan Steinhart who left the program as the team's all-time leader in saves, surpassing 700. However, the Hawks have arguably more depth at the position entering 2025 with sophomore Dan Clark (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead HS) returning, seeing action in six games last year with two talented freshmen coming in, in Eric Waldron and Zach Novak. Waldron (Wappingers Falls, NY/Roy C. Ketchum HS) was named one of the Hudson Valley's top goalies in 2024, with a .574 save percentage, while earning numerous honors along the way. Novak (Selkirk, NY/Bethlehem Central HS) was a three-year player for the Eagles and helped them to the Section II, Class B finals in 2024.
 
The Hawks, entering just their sixth season, face a tough 17 game schedule, featuring 11 teams that saw postseason action in 2024.  
 
SUNY New Paltz was scheduled to open the season Wednesday on the road against Skidmore College before taking on the Privateers of SUNY Maritime in its home opener Feb. 19, but both were postponed due to weather. Its matchup against the Thoroughbreds was moved to Monday, March 31 while its tentative make-up date against the Privateers is intended for Monday, March 3. Instead, the Hawks will start their 2025 campaign Saturday on the road against Kean at 1 p.m. 
 
Although the team sees their most difficult schedule to date, they boast their largest roster and perhaps their most talented. Not only do they want to improve from a disappointing five-win campaign from a year ago, but content for a SUNYAC title while seeing their young core develop along the way.
 
"I see a bunch of potential in this group. The sky is the limit for us. We're out here working every day, in the weight room every day, classes too — it's a lot of work/lacrosse balance but we're working and we're ready," Hulede said. "The ultimately goal of course is to bring that chip."

Season Preview featuring Drew Hulede & Anthony Senecal


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