With the 2025 DI men's lacrosse tournament around the corner, let's break down the top offensive players competing. The tournament kicks off with two opening round games on May 7 before the first round begins Saturday, May 10.
This list is in no particular order, and many more names could have been added. This is just a handful of a large pool of remarkable talent looking to take home a title in 2025.
TOURNAMENT: 2025 NCAA DI men's lacrosse championship: Bracket, schedule, results
CJ Kirst, Cornell
This list is not ranked, but if it were, it would also lead with Kirst. The senior attackman has built a trophy room of accolades this season, and he will likely be adding more by the time May wraps up. He already broke the DI men's lacrosse career goal record, and his 68 this season puts him top 10 all-time in single-season goals. With 15 more in this tournament, he will break the all-time record of 82. He has 13 more goals and 12 more points than any player in the country. He is also the only player in the nation averaging over four goals per game (4.53).
But outside of individual accomplishments, Kirst led the Big Red to its third Ivy League tournament title — and its first No. 1 seed since 1978. He is the catalyst of the offense that leads the nation with 16.47 goals per game, including 20-plus in three of its last four outings. Kirst is the guy to stop on the team to beat this May.
WATCH: All nine of CJ Kirst's goals vs. Yale 🔥🔥🔥
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork)
(via ESPN+, )
READ MORE: How 2 of DI men's lacrosse's most historic programs could return to glory
Coulter Mackesy, Princeton
The second of three Ivy Leaguers on this list, Mackesy has led the Tigers to their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. While, of course, other factors are involved, before Mackesy arrived in New Jersey, Princeton had not made the tournament since 2012. He made an immediate impact with 28 goals as a freshman in 2022, and he has led the Tigers in goals every year since.
Mackesy scored multiple goals in every game this season until the Tigers' matchup with Cornell in the Ivy League title game, but this is a guy who carries three years of tournament experience who leads a program hungry to capture its first title since 2001. Even amidst his worst statistical season since 2022, he still sits right outside the top 40 in points per game and inside the top 30 in goals per game.
Joey Spallina, Syracuse
The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022 continues to impress in his junior season, ranking eighth in the nation in points per game (4.88). The attackman leads one of the most battle-tested teams in the country, finishing with three wins against top-10 RPI teams. All five of Syracuse's losses came to fellow tournament teams, and the Orange are peaking at the right time, knocking off Duke for its first ACC tournament title since 2016.
Spallina's scoring ability is certainly a threat, but his vision from the x-position behind the goal makes him the ultimate threat. He ranks third nationally with three assists per game, and with two more in the tournament, Spallina will have his second consecutive 50-assist season.
how did Joey Spallina dominate his matchup vs. the best defenseman in the country?
— Kevin Boilard (@KevinBoilard)
he used his off-ball IQ to consistently force Shawn Lyght to slide and switch off of him, creating high-quality shot opportunities
Chris Kavanagh, Notre Dame
It wouldn't be a men's lacrosse tournament list without mentioning someone on the defending back-to-back national champions, and Kavanagh is the go-to guy in the Irish offense. While he is not quite touching the 81-point mark he posted last season in Notre Dame's dominant championship run, the senior attackman is still a top player in the game — and he has the rings to back that up. He sits in the top 10 in DI in points per game (4.67), even with Notre Dame owning more losses this season than the previous two combined.
The Irish have certainly felt the loss of Chris' older brother Pat this season, but it is hard to count out an Irish team in May with a Kavanagh still on the roster.
Owen Duffy, North Carolina
The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023 has continued to build on an incredible freshman season in Chapel Hill. He has led the Tar Heels to their first tournament appearance since 2021, snapping their second-longest tournament drought in program history. His connection with fellow sophomore Dominic Pietramala is one of the best in the country, with the majority of Pietramala's 45 goals assisted by Duffy.
Over 30% of UNC's goals have either been scored or assisted by Duffy. He is the focal point of a young but talented offense averaging 13 goals per game.
Sam King, Harvard
King, the final Ivy Leaguer to make the list, ranks 11th nationally in points per game (4.57), and he has led the Crimson to its eighth NCAA tournament appearance in program history in his senior year. King followed up his 73-point junior season with 64 so far this season — and he is posting a career-best .361 shooting percentage.
Harvard has its first 10-win season since 2014, and it is searching for its first tournament win since 1996. It has a tough draw against Syracuse in the first round, but the Crimson already took down the Orange 15-14 in the regular season. King leads a veteran Harvard offense that has the pieces to make a run.
Eric Malever, Duke
Malever has provided a huge spark for the Blue Devils in his lone season in Durham. He transferred from Maryland for his fifth year after missing 2023 with an injury. He has already shattered his previous career high in points by 16 with at least one more game to play. The attackman leads Duke in points (64), goals (32) and assists (32), owning a perfect split, showing off his versatility
He brings championship experience after winning the title with Maryland in 2022, and Duke has found its x-factor as it searches for its first title since 2014.
Ryan Goldstein, Cornell
Yes, there is another Cornell guy. That is how good the Big Red offense is. In his sophomore season, Goldstein is fifth in the nation in total points (79), and his two-man game with Kirst has been lethal all season. Kirst is obviously the engine of the nation's top offense, but that was expected heading into this season. Goldstein is a true sophomore, leading the No. 1 team in the country in assists. He is just one of two sophomores in DI with 40-plus assists alongside Colgate's Liam Connor. His rise has been instrumental to Cornell's historic season, and when he and Kirst are at their best, it'd be tough to find a better attack duo in the country.
