The 2026 season arguably represents the most important inflection point in the history of High Point men’s lacrosse since the program’s national breakthrough a decade ago.

This is not a rebuilding year. And it’s no longer a transition year.

But is it THE YEAR?

This is Year Two of John Crawley, and for the first time since joining the Atlantic 10, High Point enters a season with continuity, elite specialists, and a clearly defined competitive identity.

What comes next will determine whether HPU remains a perennial contender that rarely breaks through — or if the Panthers return to their championship and nationally ranked ways.

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🧱 Setting the Scene: Year One

John Crawley inherited one of the most abrupt roster cliffs in the country.

Between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, High Point lost:

• Brayden Mayea (program’s all-time leading goal scorer)
• Jack VanOverbeke (elite distributor and athlete)
• Nick Rizzo and Jack Sawyer (veteran reliability)
• Longtime head coach Jon Torpey (Brown)
• An entire system and staff infrastructure

Mayea and VanOverbeke weren’t just stars — they were PLL-caliber players, with both reaching the professional ranks. The cabinet wasn’t just lighter.

It was bare.

So Crawley’s first year wasn’t about domination.

It was about stabilization, with an eye toward the future.

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📊 The 2025 Result: Better That it First Looked

On paper

• 7–9 overall
• 3–2 in A-10 play
• A-10 Regular Season Runner-Up
• A-10 Championship Game appearance

Under the surface

• Finished 2nd in the league with a roster still reeling from historic attrition
• Returned to the championship game for the second time since joining the A-10
• Put eight players on postseason award lists
• Re-established national credibility

Statistically, HPU ranked middle-to-lower in most offensive categories within the six-team A-10:

• 5th in goals per game
• 5th in shots per game
• 5th in shooting percentage
• 5th in man-up efficiency

But the two places where High Point quietly separated themselves?

• Faceoffs (2nd in conference)
• Goaltending (1st in saves per game)

Those two facts explain why 2026 projects very different.

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🔁 The Core Returns

High Point brings back:

• 77.7% of points
• 73.3% of goals
• 86.0% of assists
• 99.5% of goalie minutes
• 100% of faceoff reps
• 80.3% of ground balls

A huge amount of attrition meant extensive playing time for young players — and now those same players return with another year in the system and the weight room.

The Backbone

• FOGO: Luca Accardo
• Goalie: Zack Overend

If you’re building a mid-major contender in modern lacrosse, that is the exact order you want.

HPU will be in most games against almost all competition because they have elite talent at the X and between the pipes.

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💫 Specialists Being Special

Luca Accardo — The Possession Advantage

Accardo isn’t just good. He’s transformative.

• Program records in faceoff wins and ground balls
• Preseason All-American recognition
• Compared by Crawley to Mike Sisselberger (Lehigh legend, PLL All-Star)

In 2026, High Point starts most games with a mathematical edge.

That changes how you coach, how you defend, and how patient you can be offensively.

Zack Overend — The “Goalie U” Line Continues

HPU has quietly become Goalie U:

Austin Geisler → Tim Troutner → Zack Overend

Overend’s 2025 season was historic:

• 195 saves (A-10 leader)
• .544 save percentage
• 23 saves vs Saint Joseph’s (program record)
• A-10 Defensive Player of the Week
• All-Championship Team

He faced 617 shots last season — and survived it.

In 2026, the goal is simple: Don’t ask him to face that many again.

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🏀 The Offense: From Hero Ball to Basketball?

Under Torpey, High Point featured some absolute studs:

Dan Lomas. Asher Nolting. Kevin Rogers. Brayden Mayea. Jack VanOverbeke. 

Star power was never an issue.

But John Crawley’s offense is not about isolation heroes. It’s about:

• Motion
• Spacing
• Second and third dodges
• Decision-making over raw athleticism

If that sounds like basketball it’s because that’s how Crawley wants it. 

Key Returners

• Justin Wixted: The point guard. Electric with the ball, now more mature as a decision-maker.
• Owen Bunten: Led the team in goals; poised for a shooting efficiency jump.
• Carson Robins: Healthy again after an injury-affected start last year.
• Ryan Hynes / Collin Rovere / Ian Cann: The engine room. Veteran midfield IQ.

This group doesn’t need a 50-goal scorer. 

They need four guys at 20+, and the system supports it.

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🛡️ The Defense: Younger, Longer, More Deliberate

While offense was never a concern under Torpey, the defense often was. Crawley has spent 18 months professionalizing the defensive identity.

Leaders & Emerging Pieces

• Captain Luke Dermon: Leader, example-setter
• James Westbrooks: Competitive, physical, assignment-ready
• Caio Stephens: LSM with range and disruption ability
• Cole Motter: Glue guy. Prepared. Dependable

Add in the coaching presence of Jack Posey (PLL) and the mission is clear:

Fewer track meets. More possession leverage.

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🧬 The Newcomers: Identity Over Flash

This roster includes:

• 19 new players
• 2 transfers
• 17 freshmen

Names to Watch

• Charlie Killen (MF): Immediate contributor profile
• David Manzo (LSM): Toolsy, fits Crawley’s defensive mold
• Will Swartz: Charlotte product, ready for an expanded role

This class is half Torpey but re-recruited by Crawley.

It may lack headline star power, but it’s built on fit, and that should pay dividends.

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🏆 The A10: A Gauntlet

With Delaware joining the conference, the A-10 is no longer just difficult.

It’s brutal.

Tier Breakdown

• The Favorites: Richmond, Delaware
• Contender: High Point
• Wildcard: Saint Joseph’s
• Grinders: UMass, Hobart

High Point’s edge? Specialists and retention.

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🕷️ Arachnophobia

Richmond isn’t just a rival. They’ve been a reckoning for the Panthers.

• 4–16 all-time
• Lost the last 8
• Seven season-ending losses
  • 4 championship games
  • 3 semifinals

They are disciplined. Ruthless. Structurally sound.

Richmond looks even better this year — but:

• They lost their starting goalie
• They lost their elite FOGO
• HPU returns both of theirs

Possessions alone won’t win it.

What Must Change

• Minimize turnovers
• Force unsettled clears
• Long possessions — ice the game
• Physical crease defense vs Littlejohn
• Ball denial on Aidan O’Neil

April 24th at Vert Stadium is not just a game. It’s a referendum.

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🗓️ The Schedule: No Hiding In the NonCon 

• ⚓️ at Navy (season opener)
• 🐏 at UNC
• 🌰 at Ohio State
• 🐬 Jacksonville (neutral site vs longtime rival)
• ⚔️ vs Virginia
• 🐻 at Cornell (reigning national champs)

Crawley scheduled this on purpose.

If this team survives February and March, it will be hardened for April.

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🔮 The Verdict

High Point in 2026 is not chasing a past version of itself.

This team is:

• Deeper
• Smarter
• Better positioned structurally
• Built to win close games
• Built to survive poor shooting nights
• Built to beat anyone with patience and discipline

The specialists give them a chance in every game.

The system gives them sustainability.

The question is execution — especially against Richmond.

• Ceiling: A-10 Champion, NCAA berth
• Floor: Conference semifinalist
• Reality: The most complete HPU roster since 2019, but maybe still a year out

The program has crossed the bridge from Torpey. Now it just needs to climb with Crawley.