WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's lacrosse team is set to begin their 2023 season after finishing 5-12 in the 2022 season. Head coach Curtis Jaques enters his eighth season heading the program in the 2023 season.
 
When asked about preparation for the season, Jaques stated that "Energy has been great, we're healthy, and we're ready to go."
 
Five seniors return for the Colonels this season. Tyler Knappenberger (Orefield, PA/Parkland) and Dillon Kadis (McSherrystown, PA/Delone Catholic) make up the attack, Jacob Kudysch (Stratford, CT/Frank Scott Bunnell) is part of the midfield along with Bradley Anacreon (Nesconset, NY/Sachem North), who also does face-offs, and Hunter Riley (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa Central) belongs to the defense and midfield.
 
Talking about the returning seniors, Jaques stated that "Hunter is definitely going to be a force all over the field and be a bit more of an offensive presence." He also added that "Kudysch and Kadis are doing a great job and taking over the reins of the offense."
 
Knappenberger had the highest points for the Colonels of the returners last season with 21, and Kadis followed close behind with 19. 18 of Kadis' points came from goals. Riley started and played in all 17 games for Wilkes last season, and recorded the highest ground balls of the season last year with 61. He was also named Second Team All-MAC Freedom following the 2022 season. Anacreaon played in 10 games for the Colonels and was 69-160 in face-offs. Kudysch played in 15 games for Wilkes and recorded five goals and two assists.
 
Brendan Keegan (Middletown, NY/Pine Bush), Tyler Haasis (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood), Bryan Schulcz (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham), Tommy Steffney (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford), and Tucker Parmer (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) make up the junior defenders. Henry O'Connor (Baltimore, MD/Dulaney) and Blake Billingsley (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) are midfielders and do face-offs for the Colonels. Colby Opromolla (Patterson, NY/Carmel), Matthew Warns (Cutchogue, NY/Mattituck), and Austin Seames (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional) make up the rest of the junior midfielders. Joseph Marino (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) rounds out the junior class as the only goalkeeper in the class.
 
Opromolla earned four points for the Colonels last season with one goal and three assists, and started 15 of 17 games he played in. He also had the most caused turnovers on the team with 24 and the second most ground balls on the team last season with 51. Seams followed close behind with three points in the season having three assists. Keegan wasn't far behind earning 38 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. Parmer started 11 of the 16 games he appeared in, earning one goal, 30 ground balls, and nine caused turnovers. Schulcz and Steffney both appeared in three games last season and each earned two ground balls. O'Connor appeared in 16 games last season and earned 28 ground balls, he also won 80-167 face-offs. Billingsley earned two ground balls last year in four appearances. Warns tallied 18 ground balls and three caused turnovers for the Colonels last season. Marino appeared in two games last year, earning five saves.
 
The Colonels have 10 sophomores on the team this year. Aiden Battista (Hockessin, DE/Delaware Military Academy) and Charles Gordon (Pompton Plains, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) are both defenders and long stick midfielders. Justin Wawrzynek (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area) and Luke Weakland (Sparks, MD/Hereford) make up the midfielders of the sophomores. Cameron Krisko (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) and Joseph Kozlowski (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) are both midfielders and attack. Jackson Casper (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) and Anthony DelDuca (Westchester, NY/Westlake) both come back playing attack. Luke Wawrzynek (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area) is the only sophomore face-off specialist. Rounding out the class is Nicholas DeVitis (Conshohocken, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh) who returns as a goalkeeper.
 
Battista saw five games for the Colonels last season and recorded three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Weakland appeared in 16 games last season and tallied six goals and five assists. Krisko started all four games he appeared in last season, earning four goals and six assists. Casper earned one goal and three ground balls in his four appearances last season. DelDuca returns for the Colonels after earning 10 goals and three assists last season. L. Wawrzynek started four of 14 games he was in last year and earned an assist and 11 ground balls. DeVitis saw the goal twice in last year's season, earning two saves.
 
Five first year players have come in for the Colonels this season. Cole Bourgeois (Green Island, NY/LaSalle Institute) and Caleb Miller (Mohrsville, PA/Schuylkill Valley) are goalkeepers, and Michael Rauch (Jackson, NJ/Jackson) is a defender as well as a long stick midfielder. Joseph Markey (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) is a midfielder and Tim Hartka (Phoenix, MD/Calvert Hall) is an attack.
 
"Right out the gates we are going to see some freshmen making an impact."
 
This will be the last season in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) for the Colonels, so their non-conference season is in preparation of seeing new teams in the Landmark Conference.
 
"We are going to see some new faces this year to prepare us for the Landmark."
 
The Wilkes men's lacrosse team opens the season hosting three games in a row, the first on February 15 against Susquehanna University at 4:00 p.m. The Colonels will also open the MAC Freedom season hosting Arcadia University on March 29 at 7:00 pm.
 
"We are going to have a lot of home games, hopefully we'll bring a good crowd out to bring more lacrosse to this area," said Jaques.