Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Men's Lacrosse 2026: A Position-By-Position Look
February 09, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse
It’s Game Week No. 1 for the Princeton men’s lacrosse team, which enters the 2026 season ranked in the top three of every major poll and as the preseason favorite in the Ivy League. The Tigers, who have won two of the last three Ivy tournaments, are chasing a fifth-straight trip to the NCAA tournament with a veteran team that once again faces a highly challenging schedule.
Before the opening face-off Saturday at noon on Sherrerd Field against Penn State, here is a position-by-position look at the 2026 Princeton men’s lacrosse team.
Attack
Returning starters – Peter Buonanno (moving from midfield), Colin Burns, Nate Kabiri
Other returning letterwinners – Cody Lam, Porter Malkiel, Jackson Kane, Aidan McDonald
Newcomer – Thatcher Bernstein
You would think that a team that just graduated its all-time leading goal scorer, someone who was a first-team All-American and Tewaaraton finalist a year ago, would have a huge hole to fill on attack. That hole, caused by the loss of Coulter Mackesy, will be filled by Peter Buonanno (18-11-29), last year’s unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a midfielder. Buonanno, last seen having three goals and three assists in the NCAA quarterfinal game against Syracuse, will join juniors Colin Burns (29-17-46), a tri-captain) and Nate Kabiri (32-29-61), who have started every game together the last two years at Princeton and before that in high school and club. Kabiri is the only Princeton player ever to have at least 30 goals and at least 25 assists as a freshman and sophomore, and he’s also the only player in program history to lead the team in assists while scoring at least 30 goals in two different seasons. Burns enters his junior year with 79 points, with 53 goals and 26 assists, and he is very much the glue of the offense. Senior Jackson Kane and sophomore Aidan McDonald missed all of last year to injury, while sophomore Porter Malkiel could work his way onto the field on attack or in the midfield.
Offensive Midfield
Returning starters – Chad Palumbo, Tucker Wade
Other returning letterwinners – Evan Calkins, Isaac Cruz, John Dunphey, Beau Hokanson, Carson Krammer, Jamison Moore, Jacob Todd, Brody Upton, Jake Vana
Newcomers – Will Fuller, Tyler McDermott, Parker Reynolds
Princeton returns five of its top six midfielders from last year, though one of those, Peter Buonanno, moves up to an attack spot. Preseason first-team All-American Chad Palumbo (28-19-47, tri-captain) is back for his senior year after tying the program record for goals in an NCAA tournament game with six in the quarterfinal game against Syracuse. Those six goals came on six shots — and after he injured his knee on the first of those shots, something that required surgery after the season. Junior Tucker Wade (27-9-36) is another preseason All-American in the midfield who was also a first-team All-Ivy League selection last year. Wade had nine multi-goal games last season, including five in the last seven games. Senior John Dunphey (6-6-12) is a veteran middie who has been on the field since his freshman year. The second midfield features junior Carson Krammer (8-4-12) and sophomore Jake Vana (1-1-2), while freshman Parker Reynolds also figures to be in the mix. Sophomores Beau Hokanson and Isaac Cruz will also push for playing time, as will freshmen Will Fuller and Tyler McDermott.
Shortstick Defensive Midfield
Returning starters – Owen Fischer, Jackson Green, Quinn Krammer, Cooper Mueller
Other returning letterwinners - Wilder Burgin, Tyler Harris, Mark Marino, Ian Mize, David Smythe
Newcomers – Caden Southworth
This group is as good as any in all of Division I. It begins with the two preseason All-Americans, juniors Cooper Mueller (6-1-7, 36 GBs, 12CTs) and Jackson Green (4-0-4, 16 GBs, 5CTs), who are great one-on-defenders and major threats in transition, as their 10 goals between the a year ago suggest. Mueller, the only Princeton shortstick ever to put up the numbers he did in 2025 without ever taking a face-off, is as good on the face-off wing as any shortstick Princeton has had whose name isn’t Zach Currier. Green is also a wide receiver on the football team, and he had 17 receptions for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Owen Fischer (6GBs, 5CTs), is another junior who can defend and push the ball from defense to offense, as is senior Quinn Krammer (0-2-2, 17GBs, 6CT), a converted offensive middie. Senior Ian Mize is finally healthy after an injury-plagued first three seasons, and he had a big fall as another SSDM.
Longstick Midfield
Returning starter –Jack Stahl
Other returning letterwinners – Nick Crowley, Zack Friedman
Newcomers – Caden Frank
Princeton has three longstick midfielders who are either juniors or seniors, and all three have been on the field as both LSMs and close defenders in their careers. Junior Jack Stahl (0-1-1, 13GBs, 10CTs) began last season as a starter on close defense and then switched in midseason to the pole. Senior Zack Friedman (21GBs, 7CTs) played as an LSM in all 17 games a year ago, while senior Nick Crowley was limited to two games a year ago due to injury but is back healthy for this season.
Defense
Returning starters – Cooper Kistler, Hunter Spiess
Other returning letterwinners – Finn Fox, Matthew Kephart, Kevin Morrow
Newcomers – Matt Giannetti, Tucker Spiess
The one area where Princeton was hit hard by graduation was on close defense, with the loss of both Colin Mulshine and Michael Bath, both of whom were huge contributors for all four of their seasons. Cooper Kistler (1-0-1, 11GBs, 3CTs, tri-captain), who started every game on defense two years ago and was an LSM last year, figures to move back to close defense this time around. Junior Hunter Spiess (1-0-1, 34GBs, 8CTs) started the final eight games a year ago and instantly became a beast down low. Sophomore Finn Fox (10GBs, 4CTs) played LSM a year ago but will be a starting close defender this season; like Spiess, Fox is a very athletic defender who can also push the ball in transition. Should Kistler remain at LSM, the main contenders down low would then be sophomores Matthew Kephart and Kevin Morrow, who saw limited playing time as freshmen but who have both made a big jump through the fall and preseason.
Goalie
Returning starter – Ryan Croddick
Other returning letterwinners – Carter Johnson, Colin Vickrey
Newcomers – Gus von Metzsch
Senior Ryan Croddick (11.04 GAA, .566 save%) started every game a year ago, when he played all but 17 minutes of the season. Croddick, the Ivy League Goalie of the Year in 2025 and a 2026 preseason third-team All-American, had 241 saves last year for the second highest total ever by a Princeton goalie in a single-season. In addition to his ability to stop the ball, Croddick is also strong at a quick release to start the offense; in fact, he also had three assists last season. Junior Colin Vickrey (2.96 GAA, .857 save%) is a very solid backup goalie.
Face-off
Returning starters – Andrew McMeekin
Other returning letterwinners – Jim Williams
Newcomers – Russ Fitzgerald, Cooper Revis
Senior Andrew McMeekin (1-2-3, 190x271, 109 GBs) has already established himself as one of the greatest face-off specialists Princeton has ever had. He’s a three-time Ivy League All-tournament team selection (and one-time tournament MVP), and he’s climbing up the career lists for face-offs won and groundballs. In fact, he’s already the first player at Princeton who has ever had more than 100 groundballs in two different seasons, and his 132 groundballs as a sophomore are the school single-season record. McMeekin has taken 791 career face-offs (winning 417); every other player on the team combined has taken two, both of which belong to senior Jim Williams. Freshmen Russ Fitzgerald and Cooper Revis will compete to see who backs up McMeekin.
