No. 1-Ranked Men’s Lacrosse Reloads for Defense of Back-to-Back National Championships

The road to an NCAA Division II National Championship runs through Garden City.

Fresh off winning back-to-back national titles, the became the first NCAA Division II team since 2018 and 2019 to repeat, and the first Panther squad to accomplish the feat since 1998 and 1999, under Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer . The ‘Cats enter the 2026 season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, according to the .

A new face will stand between the pipes following the graduation of National Goalie of the Year , who ranks second among the University’s career save leaders with 797 saves. A competitive 鈥済oalie room鈥� featuring four contenders is headlined by , a three-time USA Lacrosse All-American whose collegiate journey has included stops at Belmont Abbey College, Keiser University and The Ohio State University.

While the defense sorts out its next anchor, the offense returns its biggest star.

Kyle Lewis: Tewaaraton Watch List Standout Leads the Midfield

Few moments in Adelphi鈥檚 athletic history compare to overtime game winner in last spring鈥檚 . The strike secured the Panthers鈥� second consecutive national crown and etched Lewis鈥� name into program lore.

Now the All-American midfielder enters the 2026 season as the lone Division II player named to the , lacrosse鈥檚 equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. He has also been cited as and headlines a group of .

Women’s Lacrosse Eyes Another Trip to the NCAA Finals

Under three-time national championship coach , has remained the gold standard in Division II. Though the 鈥楥ats finished as in each of the previous two seasons, falling to the University of Tampa in both instances, the program still boasts a national-best .

in 2026, Adelphi has all three of its All-Americans back from a year ago: , and . Now add and to that, and you have a team leading the country with five USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-America selections.

Lionetti was also tagged as the , after earning recognition last spring.

The foundation is in place for another deep postseason push.

Adelphi Baseball Begins New Era as Mike Gaffney Takes the Helm as Skipper

Spring also signals a fresh chapter for the .

The Panthers are turning the page following the retirement of , who dedicated 12 years to the program, including five as head coach. During that span, Ianniciello compiled more than 100 career victories, guiding Adelphi to an NE10 Championship final in his debut season as skipper and an NCAA Tournament bid just a year later, off the heels of a 30-15-2 finish in 2022.

Now steps into the Adelphi dugout with his own pedigree.

As a player, Gaffney was chosen in the 13th round by the Kansas City Royals in 2002 and spent five seasons in the organization, reaching the AA level. He built LIU Post into a perennial power during his managerial tenure from 2014 to 2019, guiding the Pioneers through the winningest five-year stretch in program history, capped by a single-season record of 38 victories in 2019 that earned him ECC and ABCA East Region Coach of the Year distinction.

鈥淢y family and I are so excited to be a part of Adelphi,鈥� Gaffney said. 鈥淔rom my father being a Hall of Famer here to my sons now donning Panther gear, this is truly a full-circle moment for all of us. Our coaching staff will work tirelessly to make this program a success, on and off the diamond.鈥�

His father, , is an Adelphi Athletic Hall of Famer who led the Panthers to a Knickerbocker Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1977.

Postseason Aspirations: Tennis Hosts at USTA, Golf Builds on Historic Breakthrough

Championship opportunities extend beyond the diamond and turf.

enters the spring unbeaten at a perfect 6-0 against Division II opponents. Later this spring, the team will serve as hosts for the 2026 NE10 Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, home of the US Open Tennis Championships.

After falling short in last fall鈥檚 conference final, the Panthers aim to reclaim both the regular season and tournament titles they captured in .

, meanwhile, continues to build on a historic fall season that saw the program capture its . Just a decade after its inception, the Panthers completed a remarkable rise under head coach , winning the conference crown by 23 strokes and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals this May in Findlay, Ohio.

With a roster that blends award winners and postseason-tested performers, Adelphi鈥檚 momentum shows no signs of slowing.

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But what if you don’t earn a spot on Adelphi’s highly competitive varsity lacrosse or soccer teams?

This fall, there is a solution.

Beginning in Fall 2026, 茄子视频 will introduce premier club offerings in men鈥檚 soccer and men鈥檚 lacrosse, creating expanded opportunities for students who want to play in a competitive league, with full-time coaching and intercollegiate games.

The move reflects a broader vision for : To ensure participation in competitive sports remains a defining and accessible part of campus life.

has long played a central role in the identity of the University. With 19 national championships, Adelphi has built a tradition of excellence that resonates well beyond its Garden City campus. The and teams account for a remarkable 10 of those titles, making them two of the most storied programs in the University’s history.

Now that legacy is opening new doors.

Building on Adelphi’s Championship Lacrosse and Soccer Tradition

The has begun paving the way for a dynasty, entering the 2026 season as the in the land, after winning back-to-back and , the most recent of which was a 9-8 overtime thriller to stun The University of Tampa in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Interest in the program is at an all-time high, and lacrosse continues to be a hotbed as one of the most popular collegiate sports in the region.

The , which staked its only national championship in 1974 (the University鈥檚 first, in fact!), has remained nationally competitive in recent years. Under head coach , the Panthers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times and earned a place in the rankings in five of Book’s eight seasons.

The launch of premier club soccer and lacrosse is not a replacement for that success. Instead, it is an extension of it.

鈥淭hese premier club sports programs are an extension of the strong campus life that Panther Athletics has always supported,鈥� said , Adelphi director of athletics and campus recreation. 鈥淭hey will complement our varsity, club and intramural offerings and give students another meaningful way to connect with the University through sport.鈥�

What Makes Premier Soccer and Lacrosse Clubs Different

Unlike traditional student-run club teams, Adelphi鈥檚 premier club programs will have full-time coaches, regular practices and competitive schedules against peer colleges offering similar high-level club experiences.

鈥淭hese premier club sports serve as an elevated experience,鈥� McCabe discussed. 鈥淭he professional coaching component is the key differentiator. Students will receive high-quality training and structured competition while still enjoying the flexibility that club sports provide.鈥�

For students who want to continue improving and competing at a high level, this pathway offers another avenue to catch the eye of Adelphi鈥檚 varsity squads.

鈥淐ertainly, for students who want to continually improve at their sport, this provides a unique opportunity to compete after high school and potentially try out for varsity teams.鈥�

Expanding Access and Opportunity in Athletics at Adelphi

At its core, this initiative is about widening access.

Competitive sports are often described as one of the most rewarding aspects of college life. Adelphi鈥檚 leadership believes that experience should not be limited to a select number competing only at the varsity level.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to know that we will offer athletic opportunities to every kind of athlete,鈥� McCabe noted. 鈥淔rom intramurals to club to varsity, our students will have options to stay active and be part of a vibrant campus community.鈥�

A Model for the Future of College Athletics

Men鈥檚 soccer and men鈥檚 lacrosse will be the first premier club sports at Adelphi, serving as the initial launch of a model designed to expand structured athletic opportunities across campus.

鈥淭here are a number of schools offering high-level club experiences like this,鈥� McCabe said. 鈥淲e look forward to competing with those institutions as schedules are developed and continuing to evaluate how this model may work with other sports.鈥�

The University鈥檚 long championship history remains a point of pride. Now, with the launch of premier club sports next fall, that tradition of excellence expands to include even more student-athletes.

At Adelphi, the message moving forward is clear: Competitive opportunity and campus engagement can go hand in hand.

And the foundation remains the same.

Athletics are for everyone.

Students interested in learning more can reach out by email or by filling out an interest form:

• or email clubmsoc@adelphi.edu
• or email clubmlax@adelphi.edu

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The Legacy of Bad Company

Recently, Bad Company returned to their old stomping grounds for a walk down memory lane. At the baseball diamond where Bergelt once played varsity, they admired the renovated clubhouse bearing a plaque in his honor and recalled watching games from their Linen Hall windows. They got to catch up with Danny McCabe, director of and the new head baseball coach Mike Gaffney, whose father, Bill, was Bergelt鈥檚 teammate in the 鈥�70s.

Stories, laughs and jokes were traded among the friends鈥攐ne about a 鈥渂orrowed鈥� bathrobe, another proudly claiming to be 鈥�31鈥�1鈥� over their four-year intramural basketball career. They marveled at the changes to campus, like the 76,000-square-foot Center for Recreation and Sports (CRS), which expanded and modernized the amenities of their cherished Woodruff Hall era.

Inside the CRS, Dennis, Neil, Tony and Steve posed by the and a plaque in honor of Bad Company. Made possible in 2018 through a generous gift from McDonagh, the fueling station is an essential stop for Adelphi鈥檚 23 varsity teams, providing free recovery shakes and snacks to the student-athletes. Two graduate student-athlete leaders, (men鈥檚 basketball) and (volleyball), took a moment to personally thank McDonagh for his support of their success on the court and in the classroom.

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Holder won the long jump and triple jump last week at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at the Armory, putting up an NCAA provisional mark in the triple with a 14.54m mark. That number currently ranks No. 5 in Division II and broke a 50-year-old Adelphi school record. That mark was set by Curtis Goode in the 1976 season, under the direction of Head Coach Ron Bazil.

His competition was a Division I heavy field, as the long jump open featured athletes from West Point, Cornell and Wagner, while the triple jump invitational saw competitiors from Cornell, Brown and Harvard.

The track and field programs will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 30 when they go to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Additionally, some members may attend the Millrose Games, if entries are accepted.

About Adelphi Athletics

A regionally- and nationally-competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., 茄子视频 has been a proud member of the Northeast 10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 19 NCAA Division II National Championships and six NE10 Presidents Cups, Adelphi student-athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the 茄子视频 Department of Athletics is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success, where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping for official Adelphi Panthers gear at .

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