Among the 2024 college lacrosse graduates were two of the highest scoring players in the history of the sport. Dyson Williams and Payton Cormier rewrote the record books and carried on the long legacy of Canadians dominating in the NCAA. Both took their talent to the professional level.
Cormier and Williams both finished in the top five all-time in career goals, with Cormier finishing first.Â
In the top 35, they join fellow Canadians Zack Greer (6th), Stan Cockerton (16th), Gary Gait (17th), Mike French (18th), Merrick Thomson (20th), Wes Berg (21st), Mike Robinson (22nd), Tom Marachek (25th), Brody Eastwood (26th), Ethan Walker (27th), Ty Kurtz (28th) and Jordan McBride (33rd).
That’s 14 of the top 35 scorers of all time who all come from Canada. Not bad.
Joining Williams and Cormier in the pros are studs like Adam Poitras (Loyola), Levi Anderson (St. Josephs), Ross Scott (Rutgers), Brock Haley (Vermont), Brayden Mayea (High Point) and the aforementioned Robinson (Delaware).
If you missed the first two articles of this series, find them below.
Who’s Left For the Candians?
So what can Canadian fans expect from the crop this season?
We will have more on this subject all season long with my Canadians in the NCAA series, but let’s start with the highlights.
The highest returning scorer among Canadians is UAlbany’s Silas Richmond (Delta). With 73 points last season, he was one of the most productive players in the entire country. But the most positive sign was the way he ended the year, with games of 8 points, 5 points, 5 points, and 4 points to end the season. The 4 in the last game came against Notre Dame, which makes it especially impressive.
He followed that up with a very impressive run through the BCJALL this summer and a great Minto Cup. With a big frame and aggressive mantra, he is a force. It doesn’t hurt that he is being mentored at UAlbany by Merrick Thomson, who as mentioned is one of the greatest to play the sport.
The next highest scorer was Syracuse lefty Owen Hiltz (Peterborough), who scored 65 points as part of a resurgent Syracuse group last season. He will team up this year with fellow Canadian studs Finn Thomson (Mimico), Sam English (Burlington) and new addition for 2025, defender Michael Grace (Hamilton). Grace was voted the best defender in Divsion III last year, and brings championship pedigree a little further up I-90. English and Grace were the second and third players selected in last year’s NLL draft.
Defence Wins Championships
Staying on the defensive side of the ball, another name to watch is Levi Verch (Victoria). Levi competes for St. Joseph’s and is one of the biggest, baddest defenders in the land. If you are someone who thinks field lacrosse is at times soft, watch Verch and the Hawks play and I think you will change your tune.
Bouncing around, let’s talk about some midfielders who you need to be aware of. Hopkins lefty Matt Collison (Toronto) lost his running mate and fellow St. Michael’s graduate Jonathan Peshko, but he returns to Baltimore for one more kick at the can. He is as big, as physical, and as imposing as any dodger in the country. He was a third-team USILA All-American last season.
It feels crazy that we haven’t mentioned his Beaches summer teammate Willem Firth (Nepean). There are 78 teams in Division I lacrosse, and Willem would start at lefty attack for 77 of them. But instead, he will come out of the box the most talented lefty two-man game in the sport with CJ Kirst. He is joined by Andy Dalton and Rory Graham (Mimico) on a Cornell offence that should be among the best in the nation.
Firth was one of the best players in Jr. A lacrosse last summer. But right behind him was Denver Pioneer (and Minto Champion) Cody Malawsky (Maple Ridge). He took over the starting role near the end of the season and figures to be a major part of their attack this season. His teammate Casey Wilson (Victoria) is on a short list of best SSDM’s in the country. Noah Manning (Victoria) has played on some of the biggest stages in the game, and returns to the Mile High City for another shot at a title.
Yale’s David Anderson (Cambridge) is another one to watch. He scored 36 goals last season beside Matt Brandau, and will find his way in a Yale offence that returns some weapons from injury last year.
Lastly, keep an eye on Richmond defender Mitch Dunham (Hamilton) who transferred in from Mount St. Mary’s. He led all northerners in loosies last season. A pair of faceoff guys in Jack Oldman (Whitby) at Ohio State and Bo Columbus (Fergus) at Robert Morris will look to continue their impact as well.
In other words, the Canadians fine. The tradition lives on.