It’s not every day that a college lacrosse team returns all seven of their top goal scorers from last season. This rare occurrence could be the key for the Mustangs making a run at a national championship in 2025.
The Mustangs are checking in at No. 18 in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Men’s DIII Rankings after a wild season ended in a NCAA third-round exit to eventual national champion Tufts. The season had many highlights though including a MAC championship win against Eastern.
This year, the Mustangs schedule is loaded with high level competition including six top 20 regular season games. The campaign for a national championship began February 7 against Ohio Wesleyan University at Mustang Stadium.
The coveted Mustang Classic will take place again this year in March with multiple top 20 teams going to battle. Stevenson will face No. 13 University of Lynchburg, No.10 St. Lawrence, and No. 2 Salisbury, setting fans up for potential instant classics.
Coach Paul Cantabene enters his 20th year at Stevenson boasting a well-rounded roster that returns a strong group of experience and youth ready to compete for a national championship.
Cantabene noted how the roster is experienced but mixed with youth as well.
“We will be young on the defensive side of the ball, starting with two first-year students and three sophomores. They are young but very talented. This group will be successful if we can do the little things well rather than always going for it,” Cantabene said.
With Cantabene at the helm, the Mustangs are set up for success. As a coach, Cantabene has made 13 NCAA appearances including a 2013 national championship, and eight MAC Commonwealth titles.
In terms of personnel, key returners include:
- Sr. Captain Grant Zick (All-American)
- Sr. Captain Jack Scaliti (All-American)
- So. Darrell Curtis
- Jr. Max Racich
- So. Gavin Gossen
Scaliti mentioned how battle-tested the 2025 roster is.
“I think this senior class is just a duplicate of the guys that came before us. When we were freshmen, we truly had great leaders on that team, they paved the way for us showing us what every day should look like to be a successful team,” Scaliti said.
(Gomustangsports.com)
Scaliti also noted how he and the other experienced members of the team try to implement a competitive mindset every day.
“We collectively try to relay that message everyday about hard work, discipline, and consistency. None of this would be possible without the guys that came before and I think all of us being able to see that is super important to the success of our team,” Scaliti said.
The combination of an intense schedule, experienced coaching and leadership sets the Mustangs up for an exciting year. Be ready for Stevenson to make some noise in DIII lacrosse in 2025.
