Five Things to Watch in College Lacrosse: The Goaltending Throne

After two of the best goaltending careers in the college lacrosse history, the goaltending throne sits open in 2025.

There has been (and will be) a lot written about the unprecedented graduating class of 2024, but a lot of it will focus on the offensive end of the field. And that makes sense, given the departures of college lacrosse legends like Connor Shellenberger, Pat Kavanagh, Brennan O’Neill, TJ Malone and others. 

In case you missed the first three articles, check them out below.

Part One: Schematic Trends

Part Two: Can Lyght Win The Schmeisser Three Times?

Part Three: What’s Next for the Canadians?

Dominant Entenmann

But the focus turns today to between the pipes, where Liam Entenmann leaves Notre Dame after one of the best runs in the history of the position.

He departs South Bend as a two-time national champion, two-time USILA First-Team All-American, two-time ACC defensive player of the year, and two-time Kelly award winner as the best goaltender in America. He was also the third goaltender ever to be named a Tewaarton finalist. 

In my lifetime as a lacrosse fan, I can only a remember a few times when there was such consensus about the best goaltender in America. 

That of course is unfair to Georgetown Hoya and current Outlaws keeper Owen McElroy, who had two first-team nominations of his own, along with two Kelly awards. Since the pandemic, McElroy and Entenmann have won all four Kelly awards. 

These two actually competed against each other this summer, in a game that was likely more historically significant than many realized.

It’s been pretty difficult historically to win the award in back-to-back seasons. John Galloway was the only other keeper to accomplish the feat since 2000. Navy’s Mickey Jarboe won the award in both 1999 and 2000. 

Entenmann was also the first goaltender to win the Kelly award and a national championship in the same year since Tillman Johnson and the Virginia Cavaliers did it in 2003. Galloway won the national championship during his first two seasons, and the Kelly award in his last two. 

Before that, the last keeper to win the Kelly and national championship in the same year was Princeton’s Scott Bacigalupo, who won an incredible three Kelly awards and two national championships from 1992-1994. 

Larry Quinn also did the Kelly/championship combo with Hopkins in 1984 and 1985, while Tom Sears did it with UNC in 1981 and 1982, and Mike Federico did it for Hopkins in 1978 and 1979. Cornell’s Dan Mackesy also did it twice in 1976 and 1977, making him the first to do it in the NCAA era. 

That is all to say, aside from some legendary players and teams, it’s been rare to dominate the position like McElroy and Entenmann did. And especially since the turn of the century, it’s been rare to have multi-year consensus at the position.

Who’s Up?

So who will be the best to take the mantle? Penn State’s Jack Fracyon and Penn’s Emmett Carroll are the favourites. The pair shared Second-Team USILA All-American honours last season.

Carroll never made fewer than 10 saves in a game last season and averaged an incredible 15.86 saves per game. In the Ivy League tournament, he made 39 saves in two games including a 19 save, 9 goal against performance in the upset over Cornell. He is likely considered the favourite.

Fracyon held teams below 10 goals nine times last season, including a stretch of five games throughout the Big Ten schedule and into the first round of the tournament. He did have one or two down statistical games (6 saves and 16 GA against Michigan), which would be enough to likely sink a Kelly run this year. In his senior season, expect him to go on a tear. 

But there are plenty of talented goalies lurking out there as well. It’s hard to believe the name Logan McNaney has not come up. Having played in an incredible three national title games, there isn’t a more experienced goaltender in college lacrosse (this writer’s bias aside). 

The same is true for Michael Gianforcaro, who heads to Chapel Hill to try and stabilize the cage after an exemplary career at Princeton. He played against McNaney in the 2022 final four with the Tigers. If he can bring a marquee program back to prominence, his name will be at the top of the list. 

Delaware’s Kevin Ellington was a Third-Team All-American last season after not starting his first three years on campus. Back for one more tour, he will hope to show last season was no fluke. This career arc is not unprecedented, consider the case of Collin Kirst who finally took over after a transfer to Rutgers, and is now widely recognized as one of the best on the planet.

Mixed in with all the wily vets is Georgetown’s Anderson Moore. The Alabama native was the youngest netminder on the all-american lists last year. He was the only goalie to beat Entenmann last season and will hope to bring the Kelly award back to the nation’s capital.

And of course, there is potential for someone else to steal the reigns.

In a year with countless unknowns, add one more to the list. Who will be the best goalie in college lacrosse?