Men’s Lacrosse making program history

KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER

MEGAN NEELEY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

3/24/2025

Alma College Men’s Lacrosse is off to a historic start, boasting a 7-0 record for the first time in program history. The Scots extended their perfect season with a dominant 15-4 victory over Marian University (Wis.) on Sunday, March 9, further cementing their place in the record books.

“Going 7-0 for the first time in program history is awesome, and a lot better than only having [one] win last year,” said Head Coach Zach Cameron, offering a testament to the hard work and determination of the players, who have bounced back with a renewed focus and energy this season.

Those on the field echo this sentiment. “Going undefeated so far this year has been a surreal experience. This is compounded by the fact that we went 1-12 last year. I think that the team this year is very confident, and we promised ourselves that we weren’t going to repeat last year before our season started,” said Preston Stelljes (‘26).

The team has “multiple standouts this season. MJ Humphreys (‘26) and Kevin Koenn (‘25) have taken control of our offense, while Patrick Hodges (‘26) and [Stelljes] have been playing lights out this year for our defense,” said Cameron.

“I think that our defense and myself are performing at a level that I haven’t seen before. As a transfer, last year was my first time being on the field with everyone. [Hodges] is a big piece of the cohesiveness that we have as a defense,” said Stelljes.

The Scots have clearly been dominating both sides of the ball this season. On defense they’ve forced 150 turnovers which have turned to goals with totals in the nineties. Accuracy hasn’t been an issue with over half of their shots reaching their target as their shot on goal percentage is sitting at 56%, 30% of those finding the back of the net.

In the team’s victory over Marian University, Humphreys tied the 2017 program record for single game goals, landing nine goals in the net. The previous record was set by Daniel Buchy (‘18). Humphreys has also been named Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Athlete of the Week this season alongside Koenn and Dylan Smith (‘25).

Amidst frequent staff changes, the team’s success has emerged as a testament to their resilience in overcoming numerous challenges. “I think the biggest change for the team is that this is the first season in [three] years where it has been the same head coach for this team… having that consistency has definitely helped the team’s growth. Also, the players have really bought into the team’s culture and this has really put us in a great spot for the future,” said Cameron.

The Scots’ biggest challenge still lies ahead as they enter into conference play, soon. “We will still be considered the underdogs in every game we play. I believe that we now have the confidence and have proven that we are able to compete with teams in conference this year,” said Cameron. The team faces more challenges when it comes to roster size. The Scots have a 23 athlete roster while their counterparts across the MIAA have between 35-45 on their teams.

Despite these challenges, “Everyone is focused. We’re emphasizing recovery and staying healthy. We’re going game by game and day by day to get better,” said Stelljes.