Men’s lacrosse will put high expectations to test in Saturday’s opener against Virginia Tech

Liberty sophomore middie Easton Cahill drives against Virginia Tech in last season's ALC Tournament semifinal at Lynchburg's City Stadium. (Photos by Matt Reynolds)

Men’s lacrosse will put high expectations to test in Saturday’s opener against Virginia Tech

2/5/2025 2:12:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Liberty, the reigning Atlantic Lacrosse Conference champion, will take the first step in its journey to the MCLA DI National Championships in Texas against its closest rival at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields.

Ben Chun Liberty Virginia Tech — Flames senior Ben Chun, who filled in at FOS against Virginia Tech, has shifted back from the LSM position to anchor a new-look defense.

Traditionally, Liberty University's men's lacrosse team has concluded its regular season with a showdown against its closest Atlantic Lacrosse Conference rival, Virginia Tech.

However, since the teams moved to separate divisions of the ALC in 2023 — with the Flames in the North and the Hokies in the South — they have squared off early on in the past two seasons. This Saturday, for the first time, the two teams will clash in Liberty's opener, set for 3 p.m. at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields, in a rematch of their Oct. 5 fall scrimmage won by the host Flames in overtime, 11-10.

Virginia Tech opened its season this past weekend by overwhelming ALC South newcomers High Point 23-2 Saturday in Blacksburg, Va., and the University of North Carolina 22-4 Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Meanwhile, Liberty traveled to Salem, Va., to challenge NCAA Division III Roanoke College in an exhibition. No final score was kept in that contest, but Head Coach Kyle McQuillan was encouraged by what he saw in the Flames' final preseason test as several previously untested players received quality minutes and experience against an excellent Old Dominion Athletic Conference team.

"We were really confident that we have an offense that is going to have a lot of success this year, and we really proved that by going toe-to-toe with Roanoke on Saturday," he said. "It was a great opportunity for all our guys, as we got all of our roster in and even the younger players were given an opportunity to play against a team of Roanoke's caliber, with great size and speed and skill."'

As loaded as Liberty is on offense — especially with multiple talented players at the midfield position — the Flames entered the 2024-25 season with significant challenges on the defensive side. They must replace starting goalie Eric Warnstrom as well as a handful of defensive standouts with reserves from last year and incoming recruits. McQuillan said for the most part, the backups from last season and newcomers have shined in their projected roles.

"(Sophomore) Ian Carvajal, who is taking the reins in the net this season, did well in his first spring matchup," McQuillan said. "He was on the roster last year and got some great experience. Stepping into that starting role, we are hopeful and optimistic he is going to find success early. On defense, (freshman) Caleb Galecke started for us as a true close defenseman … and we have confidence in him."

Seniors Ben Chun, a long-stick middie in previous seasons, and Conor Guiltinan are anchors on defense, filling in a void left by Bryn Jungles and Matt Walker, graduates who have exhausted their eligibility. The Flames are hopeful that junior defender/LSM Brody Ashworth will be back after missing most of last season with a torn ACL.

"There are opportunities on the defensive side of the ball for players to come in and earn a spot," McQuillan said.

The Flames' top active LSMs are sophomores — Peyton Park, Graham Lilley, and Kaden Kuch.

One starting position that appears to be a lock is graduate Caleb Hammett, a transfer from NCAA Division I UMass, at the faceoff specialist spot.

"Against Roanoke, Caleb Hammett played just as we anticipated he would at the faceoff dot, shutting them down early," McQuillan said. "I cannot stress how much of an impact he can make, not only from the confidence he exudes at that position and the ability he gives us to possess the ball. Like a goalie that's unbeatable or an attackman that can't be stopped, he is that much of a game-changer."

At midfield, the Flames' depth chart runs long, with senior Shane Supek, who started at faceoff specialist before being sidelined by injury last season, a dual threat. Offensively, seniors Will Geary and Ryan Merbach are among the top middies along with sophomores Hunter Rockhill, Easton Cahill, and Harris Shook, junior Luke Campbell, and freshman Josiah Hoopman who will make an immediate impact.

"We were very fortunate to return the majority of our offense from last season," McQuillan said. "Our depth at offensive midfield is pretty phenomenal, and as year drags on and as many games as we have, that depth is going to pay dividends."

At attack, junior Luke Branham will join graduates Keaton Mohs and Braden Landry to form the top returning line.

"Keaton's a fantastic player we could use in a lot of different ways," McQuillan said. "His defensive abilities are pretty impressive as well, and he is the type of guy you want on the field as much as possible when you have the ball. He creates so much tension and a lot of offense and has developed his vision to be able to set up his teammates with the attention he draws from the defense."

Among those backing up that trio are sophomore Thomas Dyson and junior Tanner Wallen, who is expected to return from injury soon.
Since the Flames eliminated the Hokies from the semifinals of the ALC Championships last spring, McQuillan expects Saturday's season-opening matchup with Virginia Tech to be as competitive as the fall scrimmage — if not more.

"Regardless of who they've got coming back and what their roster looks like, we have been playing Virginia Tech long enough now to know that it is more than likely going to be a very competitive game," he said. "We have a mutual respect as programs and know we are going to get their best punch right out of the gate."

Liberty's non-conference schedule is formidable with trips to two SELC powers on tap —Feb. 15 at North Carolina State and Feb. 23 at South Carolina — before hosting a third, Georgia Tech on Feb. 28. Then, the Flames will start the month of March with a showdown with Texas, later hosting Texas A&M on March 28.

"Our first five games of the year are arguably going to be our toughest stretch of the season," said McQuillan, whose team won its second ALC Championship in four seasons last April at City Stadium. "To get both Georgia Tech (the SELC champion) and Texas (the Lone Star Alliance champion) on campus will be the first time to have them here, and they are two of the toughest teams we're going to have to contend with. We are hoping we can capitalize on that home-field advantage."

The Flames will then travel to Connecticut over Spring Break to challenge the host Huskies on March 13 and Northeastern on March 15 before playing the majority of their remaining regular-season games against ALC opponents — Temple on March 22, at Pittsburgh on March 30, Tennessee in the revived Midnight Mayhem home matchup on April 4, and ALC North newcomer Kentucky on April 6 and JMU on April 11 at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields before concluding the regular season at West Virginia University on April 13.

The ALC Championships will remain at Lynchburg's City Stadium for the next two seasons on April 26-27 before the MCLA National Championships return to Round Rock, Texas, from May 5-10.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer