NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Jan. 29, 2026) - The 2025 season was an all-timer for Georgian Court Men's Lacrosse. One not soon to be forgotten as the Lions claimed the CACC Tournament Championship and went on to their first ever appearance in the NCAA North Regional Tournament. But we're a few weeks away from the start of the 2026 campaign, which means it's time to start looking ahead to what the next chapter brings.

That starts with the CACC Preseason Coaches Poll where the Lions are picked to finish first. Georgian Court split the first-place votes with Wilmington, 5-4, and that one vote made the difference as the Lions finished with 61 points in the poll to the Wildcats' 60. Those two garnered all nine first-place votes in the nine team league. Behind sit Chestnut Hill in third, Bridgeport in fourth and Holy Family in fifth.

A year ago, GCU finished 12-7 and 7-1 in the CACC. The 12 wins matched a program record. Should the preseason poll hold true and the Lions win the CACC regular season, it'll be their third in program history and first since 2023. 

The season gets started on the road Wednesday, Feb. 18 against Mercy. They're then home for three straight Northeast-10 teams as they host Assumption, American International and Pace. GCU finishes their nonconference slate with games on the road at Molloy and at St. Thomas Aquinas in March. Their first conference game is on the road at Post Saturday, March 7. With a nine-team league, the Lions will play four home CACC games and four on the road. Interestingly, three of the four teams that make up the rest of the preseason top five, Wilmington, Chestnut Hill and Holy Family, the Lions will travel to. They'll play at home against the bottom three teams.

Part of the reason for optimism among the Lions is senior goalkeeper Vincent Burkhart. The three-time All-CACC goalie is also a two-time All-Region selection and back between the pipes. Including Burkhart, there's also a long list of seniors on what's proven to be a veteran Lions team that has done a lot of winning. GCU features 13 seniors and six juniors as they hope to get back to the top of the CACC. 

Additionally, the Lions also received some national attention. They're receiving votes in the USILA top-20 national preseason poll. 

2026 CACC MEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1.	Georgian Court (5)	61 pts.
2.	Wilmington (4)	60
3.	Chestnut Hill	43
4.	Bridgeport	39
5.	Holy Family	36
5.	Post	36
7.	Dominican	24
8.	Felician	16
9.	Caldwell	9