GUELPH, Ont. – The Gryphons men's lacrosse team returns to the field on Saturday, September 6 as they seek redemption and look to capture their sixth national title (Baggataway Cup) in program history. Guelph had an impressive 2024 regular season, going undefeated with a record of 10-0 but saw their dream season come to an end in the Baggataway Cup semifinal to the Queen's Gaels.
The format of the 2025 regular season in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) remains unchanged from last season with 14 teams split into two divisions with the Gryphons playing out of the West division with the opportunity to return to the Baggataway Cup in Brampton (Nov. 7-9). "This is one of the strongest teams we've ever put on the field. The team is a lot faster and more athletic, and our depth is going a key for us," says head coach
Sam Kosakowski, who has led the University of Guelph men's lacrosse program since 1992 and has led the team to five national titles, the latest coming in 2014. "Expectations are high to compete for the Baggataway Cup, we just have to prove it on the field."
The Gryphons return a lot of firepower to a team that scored a league-high 150 goals last season led by their All-Canadian attacker,
Liam Aston.
The management economics and finance major led CUFLA with 46 points and scored 24 goals last season. The fourth-year Ottawa native is one of four team captains heading into the new season. A pair team captains for 2025 and All-Canadians from last season return to Guelph in the likes of
Nolan Schott and
Brendon Hoechsmann. Schott, the Whitby, Ontario native is regarded as one of the top defenders in CUFLA. Hoechsmann, a fourth-year long stick midfielder was honoured as a CUFLA West All-Canadian for the first-time last season. Sport and event management major
Bryce Dennis is back with the Gryphons at offensive midfield as one of the team captains after scoring 7 goals last campaign. Rounding out the returning All-Canadians is face-off specialist, Joe Columbus. The second-year Fergus, Ontario native made his mark in the face-off dot for the team last season and was named the team's Rookie of the Year.
Nicholas Volkov returns to the team after scoring 9 goals in 8 games played last year. The Milton, Ontario native has spent the last two season playing for Albany in the NLL. Another key returnee to Guelph this season is fourth-year attacker Robbie Baxter. The biological science major played a major part in the team's scoring prowess last year, scoring 23 times.
The Gryphons add three key transfers from the Division 1 ranks of the NCAA. Hayden Summer-Thompson and Ty Smith will help bolster the long stick position for the team. Summer-Thompson is a grad transfer after spending the last four years at Queen's University of Charlotte in North Carolina. Smith transfers in from St. Bonaventure. Will MacLeod is another highly-touted NCAA transfer as he comes to U of G from Robert Morris where he spent the last three years. MacLeod will add to a potent attack group up front that includes
Liam Aston and Robbie Baxter. The attacker is expected to be selected in the 2025 NLL Draft which takes place on Saturday (Sept. 6). Third-year goalie
Logan Pagano is expected to lead the way in the Gryphon net this upcoming season after sharing time in between the pipes a season ago.
The Gryphons will open their season in Sudbury on Saturday, September 6 when they take on the Laurentian Voyageurs. The team will play four consecutive road games to start the season before finally returning home for their home opener when they host the Toronto Varsity Blues on September 21 from the Gryphon Soccer Complex.
