MANCHESTER, N.H. — For a fifth consecutive season, the Saint Anselm College men's lacrosse team has finished as the top Division II team in the season-ending rankings from the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA). The Hawks solidified their spot atop the New England rankings with their fourth victory this season over Bentley in the NCAA First Round.
Helping Saint Anselm to this milestone were nine student-athletes who earned spots on the NEILA First and Second Teams. Additionally, for a third time in program history, the Hawks were led by a NEILA Coach of the Year—head coach Drew Bourdeau '18, who claimed the prestigious honor.
This marks Bourdeau's second coaching accolade of the season, having already been named NE10 Co-Coach of the Year. A former three-time NEILA honoree as a player, Bourdeau becomes just the third coach in Saint Anselm history to earn NEILA Coach of the Year, joining Michael Sciamanna (2021) and Dave Moloney (2002). Under his leadership, the Hawks secured a program-record 14 wins and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second time in team history—both trips coming in the past two seasons.
Among the season's milestones were the program's first-ever victory over Adelphi (a 9–6 win) and its highest national ranking to date, reaching No. 3 in the USILA national poll.
Freshman Matt Lemay (Westminster, Mass.), the NE10 Co-Rookie of the Year, was one of five Hawks named to the NEILA First Team. Lemay led the team with 41 goals and 55 points in a stellar debut campaign. He posted five game-winning goals, 14 multi-goal games, and nine hat tricks, while also collecting 22 ground balls and causing six turnovers.
Senior Will Andrews (Cumberland, R.I.), also a First Team and All-NE10 First Team selection, recorded career highs with 24 goals, six assists, and 30 points from the midfield. He added four game-winners and two man-up goals, while grabbing 15 ground balls and forcing four turnovers.
Freshman long pole Johnny Lucas (Peabody, Mass.), an NE10 Third Team pick, earned First Team NEILA honors after consistently starting on defense or at long-stick midfield. He ranked second on the team with 49 ground balls and added nine caused turnovers.
Sophomore goalie Finn Granara (Reading, Mass.), an NE10 Second Team honoree, earned the NEILA First Team goalie spot. Granara's 8.09 goals-against average is the third-lowest single-season mark in program history. He won 13 of his 15 starts—tying the program's single-season win record held by CJ Hart '22 (also of Reading).
Junior Colby Goodchild (Reading, Mass.) rounds out the First Team selections. The NE10 First Team short-stick defensive midfielder recorded 29 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers and added eight ground balls and four caused turnovers across three NCAA Tournament games. He also scored his first career goal in the NCAA win over Bentley.
On the Second Team, junior Chris Claflin (Newton, Mass.) was recognized for a breakout year that earned him a spot on the NE10 Second Team. He tied for second on the team with 44 points, including a team-best 31 assists—more than doubling his total from 2024. His five assists against Adelphi on April 5 were a season high, and his 31 assists rank seventh-most in a single season in program history.
Senior attacker Colin Mulvey (Reading, Mass.), an NE10 Third Team pick, also landed on the Second Team. He finished the season with 63 career appearances—third-most in team history—and 118 career points (82 goals, 36 assists).
Senior midfielder Joe Lombardi (Holliston, Mass.) was honored for a standout senior campaign in which he contributed 13 goals and 15 assists—eight more than he had in his first three seasons combined. With 61 career goals, Lombardi has scored in double digits in each of his four seasons on the Hilltop.
Junior Quinn Gannon (Scituate, Mass.) closed out the Hawks' NEILA selections. The NE10 Second Team faceoff specialist won 169 faceoffs at a 64.0% clip—the second-best single-season mark in program history. His 112 ground balls tie Craig Yannone '24 for the most ever in a single season in team history, and his 8.0 ground balls per game top the program's all-time single-season list.
With a deep roster, rising and returning talent, and a coach of the year at the helm, men's lacrosse aren't just celebrating the end of a special season—they're building toward an even brighter one.
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