Top 8 Offensive Stars to Watch in the 2025 DI Men’s Lacrosse Tournament

Here is a breakdown of the top offensive players competing in the 2025 DI men’s lacrosse tournament. On May 7, the event began with two games in the opening round. On Saturday, May 10, the first round starts.

There is no set order for this list, and there are many more names that may have been included. This represents only a small portion of the vast pool of exceptional talent looking for a title in 2025.

CJ Kirst, Cornell

Kirst would also be at the top of this list if it were ranked. The veteran attacker has built up a collection of awards this season, and by the end of May, he will probably have many more to add. He has already surpassed the DI men’s lacrosse career goal record, and with 68 goals this season, he ranks in the top 10 all-time. He needs 13 more to break the all-time record of 82 in this competition. He leads all players in the nation by 12 points and 13 goals. He also averages more than four goals per game (4.53), making him the only player in the country to do so.

Aside from personal achievements, Kirst guided the Big Red to its first No. 1 seed since 1978 and its third Ivy League tournament championship. The offense, which leads the country with 16.47 goals per game and has scored 20 goals or more in three of its last four games, is led by him. When it comes to the team to beat in May, Kirst is the player to stop.

Coulter Mackesy, Princeton

Mackesy has guided the Tigers to their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, making him the second of three Ivy Leaguers on this list. Although there are certainly other factors at play, Princeton has not qualified for the tournament since 2012 before to Mackesy’s arrival in New Jersey. With 28 goals as a freshman in 2022, he made a big impression and has subsequently led the Tigers in goals each season.

This is a man with three years of tournament experience who leads a program hungry to win its first championship since 2001. Mackesy scored multiple goals in every game this season up until the Tigers’ clash with Cornell in the Ivy League title game. Although he is having his poorest season statistically since 2022, he is still in the top 30 in goals per game and just outside the top 40 in points overall.

Joey Spallina, Syracuse

In his junior season, the top-ranked prospect in the class of 2022 continues to show promise, finishing eighth in the country in points per game (4.88). With three victories over top-10 RPI teams, the attackman leads one of the nation’s most battle-tested teams. Syracuse lost all five of its games to other tournament teams, and the Orange are playing at a good moment as they defeated Duke to win the ACC tournament for the first time since 2016.

Spallina’s ability to score goals is certainly a threat, but what really threatens him is his vision from the x-position behind the goal. With two more in the tournament, Spallina will have his second straight season with 50 assists, and he currently stands third nationally with three assists per game.

Chris Kavanagh, Notre Dame

A list of men’s lacrosse tournaments wouldn’t be complete without naming one of the reigning national champions, and Kavanagh is the mainstay of the Irish offensive. Even while he isn’t quite reaching the 81 points he scored during Notre Dame’s thrilling championship run the previous season, the senior attackman is still one of the best in the game, and he has the rings to prove it. In terms of points per game (4.67), he is among the top 10 in DI, despite Notre Dame suffering more losses this season than the prior two combined.

However, it is difficult to rule out an Irish squad in May with a Kavanagh still on the roster. The Irish have certainly felt the loss of Chris’ older brother Pat this season.

Owen Duffy, North Carolina

In Chapel Hill, the top recruit in the class of 2023 has built on an outstanding debut season. The Tar Heels’ second-longest tournament drought in program history has ended under his leadership as they make their first tournament appearance since 2021. His relationship with fellow sophomore Dominic Pietramala is among the greatest in the nation; Duffy has assisted on most of Pietramala’s 45 goals.

Duffy has scored or assisted on more than 30% of UNC’s goals. He is the center of a youthful, gifted offense that scores 13 goals a game on average.

Sam King, Harvard

In his senior year, King, the last Ivy League player to make the list, has guided the Crimson to its eighth-ever NCAA tournament trip and is ranked 11th nationally in points per game (4.57). King has scored 64 points this season, matching his junior season total of 73 points, and he is shooting at a career-high.361 percent.

Harvard is chasing its first tournament victory since 1996 and is having its first 10-win season since 2014. Despite their difficult first-round draw with Syracuse, the Crimson defeated the Orange 15–14 during the regular season. King is in charge of an accomplished Harvard attack that is ready to succeed.

Eric Malever, Duke

Malever has been a tremendous asset to the Blue Devils during his one season in Durham. Following an injury that kept him out of 2023, he transferred from Maryland for his fifth season. And he still has at least one game left to go, breaking his previous career high in points by sixteen. With a perfect split and a lead in points (64), goals (32) and assists (32), the attacker demonstrates his versatility.

Duke has discovered its x-factor as it looks for its first championship since 2014, and he adds championship experience from winning the title with Maryland in 2022.

Ryan Goldstein, Cornell

Another Cornell person, indeed. The Big Red offense is that strong. Goldstein is fifth in the country with 79 points in his sophomore campaign, and he has been extremely effective in his two-man game alongside Kirst. Although it was anticipated going into this season, Kirst is certainly the engine behind the country’s best offensive. As a true sophomore, Goldstein leads the nation’s top team in assists. He and Liam Connor of Colgate are the only two sophomores in DI with more than 40 assists. When he and Kirst are playing at their best, it’s difficult to find a finer attack combination in the country. His ascent has been crucial to Cornell’s historic season.