TOWSON, Md. - The Catholic men's lacrosse team has been selected third in the Landmark Conference preseason poll, it was announced today. The Cardinals received 64 points in the poll.

Defending champion Scranton topped the poll, collecting 81 points and nine first-place votes after defeating Elizabethtown in the 2025 Landmark Championship for the third consecutive season. Elizabethtown followed closely behind in second, receiving 72 points in the poll.

Entering his third season at the helm, head coach Peter Donley is once again in the hunt for the conference title. Donley guided the team to a 9-10 overall record in 2025, going 6-3 in Landmark play. Catholic reached the semifinal round of the conference tournament where they fell to the Royals. 

Offensively, the Cardinals return key contributors Ryan Carickhoff and Steven Dezelic. Carickoff tallied 28 goals last season, accounting for a significant portion of the Cardinals' 271, while Dezelic added 25 goals and 10 assists as a crucial playmaker.
 
Zach Gibson and Connor Baia both return for the Cardinals after standout 2025 campaigns. Gibson recorded 30 ground balls and nine caused turnovers during the season while Baia had a 65.2% success rate in face-offs and recorded 26 ground balls. 

Catholic will open their 2026 season on February 14th at Carlini Field. The game is set for 3:00 p.m. against Messiah.