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UNC Men’s Lacrosse 2025-26

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airball

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Three UNC men’s lacrosse players are in South Korea playing for the U20 World Championship on Team USA: Juniors Owen Duffy and Brady Wambach and freshman Anthony Raio.

The USA went undefeated (3-0) in pool play, including a one-goal win over Canada, which will likely face the American in the final. Presently the top-seeded USA team is in the quarterfinals where they will face 8th seeded England.

Here are USA Lacrosse Magazine article about the three pool games:

www.usalacrosse.com

USA Holds Off Canada in World Lacrosse Men's U20 Championship Opener

The United States survived a penalty-riddled fourth quarter thanks to a last-second save by goalie Patrick Jameison, holding on to defeat rival Canada 7-6 in South Korea.
www.usalacrosse.com www.usalacrosse.com

www.usalacrosse.com

USA U20 Offense Finds Footing in 14-3 Win over Haudenosaunee

The shooting woes continued, then the floodgates opened. The U.S. scored 10 goals in the final 21 minutes to defeat the Haudenosaunee Nationals 14-3 and improve to 2-0 in pool play.
www.usalacrosse.com www.usalacrosse.com

www.usalacrosse.com

U.S. Dominates Australia, Clinches Top Seed in World Lacrosse Men's U20 Championship

Harvard standout Jack Speidell continued a torrid mid-tournament stretch, scoring five goals and adding three assists in an 18-1 win over Australia in the World Lacrosse Men's U20 Championship.
www.usalacrosse.com www.usalacrosse.com
 
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airball

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Inside Lacrosse posted its final ranking for the class of 2025 male freshmen. Twenty-three players were rated as 5-star recruits; 4 of these are future UNC players, including two of the top three.

2. Anthony Raio, M
3. Gary Merrill, M
19. Luke Bair, M
22. Parker McDonald, D

Four additional Tar Heels were rated 4-star recruits and included in IL’s Power 100:

31. Josh Marcus, G
76. Brock Geraci, A
86. Jermaine Anderson, LSM
90. Harrison Schline, LSM

Nice haul by Coach Breschi and staff.


Here is the article:
 
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CoopCupp

CoopCupp

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airball said:
Inside Lacrosse posted its final ranking for the class of 2025 male freshmen. Twenty-three players were rated as 5-star recruits; 4 of these are future UNC players, including two of the top three.

2. Anthony Raio, M
3. Gary Merrill, M
19. Luke Bair, M
22. Parker McDonald, D

Four additional Tar Heels were rated 4-star recruits and included in IL’s Power 100:

31. Josh Marcus, G
76. Brock Geraci, A
86. Jermaine Anderson, LSM
90. Harrison Schline, LSM

Nice haul by Coach Breschi and staff.


Here is the article:
Click to expand...
That’s great. Now Coach B needs to prove that he can get the team to actually perform
 
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Jriv23

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I agree. He and his staff need to find a way to help these players max the potential on the field. We need to see growth by the players and especially the head coach needs to grow.
 
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airball

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USA U20 men move to the final of the U20 World Championship with a 19-5 semifinal win over the Haudenosauee. As expected, USA vs. Canada in the final. UNC’s Owen Duffy had 4g/5a and incoming freshman Anthony Raio had 2g.

Here’s the article on the semifinal game:
www.usalacrosse.com

Canada, USA Advance to Gold Medal Game in World Lacrosse Men's U20 Championship

The United States defeated the Haudenosaunee 19-5 in the semifinals Friday in South Korea, setting up a rematch with archrival Canada in the championship game Sunday.
www.usalacrosse.com www.usalacrosse.com
 
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airball

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Kleizaster

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Breschi and Co decided to take the gloves off and went Nuclear on the recruiting trail! i mean..good gracious. This 2027 class rivals even the best on the women's side.

Will be a talk task to hold on to everybody but still..insanity.

You know it's crazy when Inside Lacrosse is already crowning you as the #1 class 15 days after Sep1 lol
 
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3397char

3397char

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Here is Inside lacrosse's current 5 star list of 21 players with commitments:
(players in gray are uncommitted)

IL/Nike Lacrosse Class of 2027 Top 100 Rankings​

5-Stars​

1. James Holbrough, A, Berkshire (Mass.), Sweetlax | North Carolina
2. JT Cross, A, Valor Christian (Colo.), Colorado Kings/Mad Dog -
3. Riley Woods, A, Culver (Ind.), Evolve Elite/Mad Dog | Princeton
4. Brandon Fodor, M, Delbarton (N.J.), BBL | Johns Hopkins
5. Ayden Matthews, M, Lawrenceville (N.J.), Orangeville
6. Anthony Asaro, M, Garden City (N.Y.), Shore 2 Shore Grizzlies | North Carolina
7. Moe Sobel, G, Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.)/IMG Academy (Fla.), Prime Time | Syracuse
8. Teddy Oh, G, Taft (Conn.), West Coast Starz/ADVNC | Harvard
9. Conor Morsell, A, Haverford (Pa.), Team Ten| Notre Dame
10. John Lynch, M, Belmont Hill (Mass.), 3d New England
11. Bodhi Harmon, G, Culver (Ind.), Colorado Kings/Mad Dog | Duke
12. Leif Anderson, D, Brunswick (Conn.)/Deerfield (Mass.), Eclipse | Notre Dame
13. Luke St. Pierre, D, Lawrenceville (N.J.), Leading Edge | North Carolina
14. George Caldroney, A, IMG Academy (Fla.), Mad Dog National| Princeton
15. Jack Czepiel, D, Tabor Academy (Mass.), Laxachusetts
16. Cole Stankavage, A, Ardrey Kell (N.C.), Sweetlax Upstate | North Carolina
17. Finn French, M, Haverford (Pa.), Team Ten | Duke
18. Nicholas Lagunowich, A, Chatham (N.J.), BBL | Notre Dame
19. Christopher Colsey, A, Ridgefield (Conn.), Eclipse | North Carolina
20. Tripp King, A/M, Loyola (Calif.), West Coast Starz/ADVNC | North Carolina
21. Fin Kilbourne, M, St Pauls (N.H.), Laxachusetts | Princeton

Also to UNC:
37. Dillon Gulotta, LSM, Iona Prep (N.Y.), Express North | North Carolina
53. James Hedley, FO, Charlotte Catholic (N.C.), Team 91 Charlotte | North Carolina (2nd ranked face-off specialist listed)
65. Jett Stake, G, Lawrenceville (N.J.), Team 91 LI Machine | North Carolina (7th ranked goalie)
72. Grant Van Wyk, SSDM, Cherry Creek (Colo.), Colorado Kings/Mad Dog | North Carolina

6 of the top 20, no one else with more than 3.


www.instagram.com

Inside Lacrosse on Instagram: "JAMES HOLBROUGH COMMITS TO NORTH CAROLINA! 🐏 THE TAR HEELS LAND THE NO. 1 PLAYER IN THE ‘27 CLASS. 🚨 (🎨 @cdmediagrp)"

5,195 likes, 5 comments - insidelacrosse on September 16, 2025: "JAMES HOLBROUGH COMMITS TO NORTH CAROLINA! 🐏 THE TAR HEELS LAND THE NO. 1 PLAYER IN THE ‘27 CLASS. 🚨 (🎨 @cdmediagrp)".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
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unc80

unc80

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fuheel said:
I mean this will respect, but I'm not sure how Breschi manages to recruit so well when his on-field results haven't been very good. But hopefully a few more studs will help turn things around.

Nice to see a NC kid (#16 Stankavage) commit to us.
Click to expand...
Breschi needs to do something this year. There's a strong group returning. I think the staff additions he's pulled in over the last couple of years are having a positive impact across the board. Is the Stankage kid related to Scott?
 
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Jriv23

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I want Breschi and his coaching staff to coach these young men up to meet their potential so that they can win the ACC and advance to the final four.
 
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airball

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Inside Lacrosse published an article entitled “2026 Way-Ahead Rankings” yesterday. The UNC men were slotted at #8, third in the ACC. ACC rankings:

3. Syracuse
6. Notre Dame
8. UNC
11. Dook
13. Virginia

Here is UNC write-up:

8. North Carolina​

  • 2025: 10-5, NCAA First Round
  • Biggest losses: Michael Gianforcaro, Paul Barton, Spencer Wirtheim, Ryan Levy, Andrew O’Berry
  • Biggest returners: Owen Duffy, Dominic Pietramala, James Matan, Ty English, Mason Szewczyk, Brady Wambach, Peter Thomann
  • Top Incoming Freshmen: Anthony Raio (Half Hollow Hills, N.Y.), Gary Merrill (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.), Parker McDonald (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.), Luke Bair (St. Paul’s, Md.)
  • Portal: Charlie Pope, Vermont
An elite 1-2 punch is back with Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala. Third-leading scorer James Matan, who joined the duo at attack, is back too. The return of Ty English gives them a presence at midfield to join a rising group that includes Mason Szewczyk (9G, 7A) and Charlie Pope from the transfer portal.

The real excitement might be around the defense, where an injury to Peter Thomann before the season knocked them off balance. They played solid, but now they’re a year more experienced.

There is always excitement about incoming freshmen in Chapel Hill; athletic offensive middies Anthony Raio (Half Hollow Hills, N.Y.) and Gary Merrill (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.) will provide sparks, defender Parker McDonald (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.) adds a punch and attackman Luke Bair (St. Paul’s, Md.) has flair. They can all contribute right away.

UNC has just enough youthful energy to think that maybe this year could be different, but being more experienced in places could ensure they don’t sputter late in the season.

Here is a link to the entire article:

{There are reasons to be optimistic about the 2026 men’s team. This year’s recruiting class is rated #2, 2026 is #4 rated and 2027 is #1 rated. It is understandable to be a little cynical about the men’s team, but then it doesn't cost anything to be positive.]

GO HEELS!
 
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NYHeel92

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Jriv23 said:
I want Breschi and his coaching staff to coach these young men up to meet their potential so that they can win the ACC and advance to the final four.
Click to expand...
I do too, for sure. But there is just no evidence that it will happen. Hope I’m wrong.

ETA: I see now that I went against airball’s directive to be positive, and now I feel dirty! I usually am positive but MLAX has been tough.
 
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Jriv23

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No worries, I think we all want this team to do good because they have the talent and it gets very upsetting when we lose to teams we know we can or should beat year after year after year. It is very hard to be and stay positive.
 
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Jriv23

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I hope our guys remember this. I hope they come into this season with a chip on their shoulders or as the women's team said last year, we have to cash in our receipts. Go Heels!
 
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unc80

unc80

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Former <a href="https://twitter.com/RUmlax?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">@RUmlax</a> shortstick d-middie Dean Scalamandre is headed to <a href="https://twitter.com/UNCMensLacrosse?ref_src=twsrc^tfw">@UNCMensLacrosse</a> in January, per his Instagram.<br><br>The highly athletic 6’3, 225-pound junior from Philly was lights out for Rutgers’ SSDM corps in 2025, posting 12 GBs and 9 CTs. <a href="https://t.co/1O7CxeVMhO">pic.twitter.com/1O7CxeVMhO</a></p>&mdash; Ty Xanders (@Tyxanders) <a href="">December 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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airball

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IL’s Matt Kinnear identifies the Heels as one of five men’s teams he is excited about in 2026:

North Carolina​

I’ve waxed and waned in my expectations for the Tar Heels. But after some sideline talks on the summer recruiting circuit, I feel like UNC is the team that could really shake up the landscape.

There’s so much talk focused around Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala — and rightfully so. But now they are both spending an offseason healthy together.

I think James Matan could come alive on midfield this year. The incoming freshmen will not only add tremendous depth, but how No. 2-ranked '25 Anthony Raio and No. 3 Gary Merrill contribute right away will be the Heels' biggest storyline. Pete Thomann is back as a heart-and-soul guy on defense. They’ll dominate face-offs with Brady Wambach. Ty English’s two-way ability is huge.

I just don’t see them fading away late this year.

Here’s the entire article:
 
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airball

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Inside Lacrosse, “Every Team in One Sentence”

North Carolina
It feels like it could be a big Tar Heel year as pieces come together: a healthy Owen Duffy and Dom Pietramala, clearer vision of offensive roles, the nation’s best face-off specialist (Brady Wambach) and a solid defense getting injury relief with Peter Thomann's return.

Here’s the entire article:
 
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