Yale is a team that is on the outskirts of the preseason title conversation, but after going 11-4 in 2024 without some key players, should the Bulldogs be firmly in the conversation?
The return of Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons coupled with the experience other players gained during their absence.
Losing Tewaaraton finalist Matt Brandau will obviously hurt, but Johnson and Lyons are more than capable of taking over the offense. Additionally, because of the injuries to Johnson and Lyons in 2024, players such as David Anderson and Carson Kuhl thrived in expanded roles, which might prove to be invaluable in 2025.
The attack lines in the Ivy League are outrageous this season.
I already talked about Cornell’s and Princeton’s, but Yale’s is in the conversation for one of the best in the nation too.
The lefty Johnson is undersized, but a very crafty dodger. Starting in every game in 2022 and 2023, Johnson has racked up 126 points already and will be a problem for defenses feeding and dodging from the left wing.
Lyons is an elite righty finisher, but has also blossomed into an elite dodger with both hands. He racked up 62 goals in 2023, but expect his assist numbers to climb in 2025 as he might take more of a feeder role.
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The third attack spot will likely be junior David Anderson. Anderson burst onto the scene in the place of Lyons, scoring 36 goals in 2024 as an slick off-ball finisher. Playing alongside Johnson and Lyons, Anderson could be in line for another big year scoring wise.
As with the attack unit, the midfield unit is shaping up to be very strong too.
Senior Max Krevsky is one of the most underrated midfielders in the country and will lead the unit as the sole captain in 2025.
Kuhl will likely slide back to the midfield after posting 50 points starting in Johnsons' place at attack while fellow senior Johnny Keib will be relied on heavily as well to create from the midfield.
Brad Sharp returns after missing all of 2024 with injury and will look to provide a pop from the midfield with his athleticism.
Two players that gained experience as freshman in 2024 were Peter Moynihan and Cole Cashion, both who I expect to take a step forward as sophomores in 2025.
I'm also pretty bullish on first year Connor Gately, a 2024 New Balance All-American by way of Lawrenceville. It's unclear how much time he'll get this season (if any), but he strikes me as a guy that could be a difference maker late in the season.
I believe senior midfielder Logan Soelberg will be back in the spring as well after posting 9 points in 2024, so there's a veteran option there.
Defensively, junior Patrick Pisano returns as the top defender after being named First Team All-Ivy in 2024 and will match up with the opponent’s top attacker.
Senior Michael Alexander has started every game in the last three years while fellow senior Jack Stuzin is another long-time starter that can score in transition as an LSM, where he'll likely play in 2025.
Junior Eric Platten started 12 games down low in 2024 and senior Jake Cohen looks poised for a big year after starting 14 games in 2023, but only appearing in 5 last season.
Stuzin will likely play LSM along with sophomore Luke Michalik, who played 10 games as a freshman. Michael Garchitorena is an option here as well who logged significant minutes last season.
The SSDM room needs retooling. Senior Christian Johnson will lead this unit, but after losing Jack Ocken, Jack Monfort and Patrick Hackler to graduation, they’ll need a few guys to step up.
Faceoff is in good hands with senior Mac Rodriguez.
There could be a goalie competition in New Haven. Jared Paquette returns after 47 career starts, but junior Hugh Conrad started in the fall in the absence of Paquette while freshman Ben Friedman is the No. 9 ranked incoming freshman according to Inside Lacrosse.
Biggest Question Marks
My hunch is that this won't be an issue and Johnson and Lyons will come out of the gates blazing in 2025, but it’s still a question mark whether they can be 100% immediately after missing all of last season. If Johnson and Lyons don’t play at the level we think they can play at, this offense could sputter at times. But if they are playing to their full ability, this offense will be scary. Not only are they fantastic initiators in their own right, but they pull so much attention from the defense that the midfielders in particular could have a strong year offensively because of their presence.
who steps up at ssdm?
The Bulldogs seem to have pretty good depth at every position except SSDM. Christian Hunter is the leader of this unit, but who else has experience here? Yale has no shortage of athletes, but how prepared will this unit be after such little game experience? Look for athletic sophomores Tristan Ghosh and Matt Harding to potentially step up here.
The Ivy League looks like an absolute gauntlet this year. Cornell and Princeton are shaping up to be title contenders and will be the favorites in the Ivy League, but don’t look past the Bulldogs. With a healthy Lyons and Johnson and production from other offensive guys plus a veteran defense, this Yale team has a pretty high floor. The question will be, how high is their ceiling?
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