The Washington and Lee men’s lacrosse team kicked off regular season play on Feb. 14 at No. 11 York College in Pennsylvania. The Generals fell to the Spartans 8-10 on Saturday. But the team has high hopes for this season.
According to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), the Washington and Lee men’s lacrosse team is ranked No. 10 in Division III. The USA Lacrosse Magazine’s poll ranks the Generals No. 6.
The Generals are hoping to build on a strong 2025 campaign.
Men’s lacrosse ended the 2025 season with a 17-4 record while going 10-0 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). They made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Generals have four key returners who received pre-season All American honors: Elliot Cohen, Jay O’Keefe, James Haley, and Chris Datz, all of whom are seniors.
Nick Garcia, ’26, said that some key players from last year’s team graduated. But the freshman class is “very strong and has already made a huge impact,” he said.
He said the new class, paired with the experience and leadership of past players, will help to continue building a positive and competitive team environment.
But everyone contributes to team culture and chemistry. Head Coach Gene McCabe, who is in his 20th season with the Generals, said the seniors have been really valuable to team dynamics.
“Their example has galvanized our roster and helped forge our team culture,” McCabe said.
Garcia said the energy in the locker room has been extremely positive, especially coming off of preseason scrimmages. The senior captains, Ethan Villamater, Colin Beatty, Haley and Datz, have been great leaders and set a tone for improvement, growth and competition each and every day, Garcia said.
“Our captains are phenomenal examples of what our program is all about. Each of them bring their own strengths to the table and work extremely cohesively to lead our team in the best way possible,” he said.
Strong leadership and a skilled team will help the Generals pursue their goal of winning the ODAC Championship. They’ll also look to pick up some key wins playing teams outside of the conference.
That includes three teams in the USILA top 10: No. 3 Christopher Newport University, No. 9 Gettysbrug College and No. 4 RIT.
Several program milestones are also in reach. Haley is just a few points away from reaching the top 10 for career goals, assists and points; Goalie Nick De Cain, ’27, is close to hitting the 10th-most saves in program history; and McCabe is just nine wins away from hitting 300 wins in his coaching career.
Another team goal is to win a national championship, Garcia said.
“We’ve taken great strides over the last couple of years towards that goal and are continuing to work each day to reach that milestone,” he said.
