St. Mary’s Saints Men’s Lacrosse 2026 Season Recap: Saints Finish 9-6 Against One of America’s Toughest Schedules
St. Mary’s Saints Men’s Lacrosse 2026 Season Recap: Saints Finish 9-6 Against One of America’s Toughest Schedules
The St. Mary’s Saints entered the 2026 season knowing every week would feel like a playoff game.
Competing in the MIAA A Conference means facing some of the nation’s premier high school lacrosse programs. Programs such as Boys’ Latin, Archbishop Spalding, Loyola Blakefield, Calvert Hall, McDonogh, Gilman and St. Paul’s annually produce Division I talent and national rankings. There are no easy games. There are no weeks off.
Despite that challenge, St. Mary’s finished the season with a 9-6 overall record and a 6-3 conference mark, good for fourth place in the MIAA A Conference. The Saints battled through adversity, earned several impressive victories and remained one of Maryland’s top lacrosse programs throughout the spring.
For a program with championship expectations every year, the 2026 season provided numerous memorable moments, breakout performances and evidence that the future remains bright in Annapolis.
Season at a Glance
Record: 9-6
MIAA A Conference Record: 6-3
Conference Finish: Fourth Place
Notable Wins:
- Loyola Blakefield (11-8)
- Mount St. Joseph (13-7)
- DeMatha (10-5)
- St. Anne’s-Belfield (7-6)
- Springside Chestnut Hill (11-10)
- Christ School (17-1)
The Saints faced one of the most difficult schedules in Maryland and consistently proved they could compete against elite opponents.
Early Season Tests
St. Mary’s wasted little time jumping into difficult competition.
The Saints opened March with a road trip to Georgetown Prep. The game went to overtime before Georgetown Prep escaped with an 11-10 victory. While disappointing, the performance demonstrated that St. Mary’s could immediately compete against one of the region’s strongest programs.
Instead of dwelling on the loss, the Saints responded with one of the most exciting wins of the season.
A narrow 11-10 victory against Springside Chestnut Hill showcased the team’s resilience and offensive balance. Close games would become a recurring theme throughout the spring, and this early victory provided confidence heading into the remainder of the schedule.
Offensive Explosion Against Christ School
The Saints delivered one of the most dominant performances of their season on March 10.
St. Mary’s overwhelmed Christ School by a score of 17-1. The offense moved the ball beautifully, the midfield controlled possession and the defense allowed virtually nothing all afternoon. The victory remains one of the most lopsided wins recorded by the Saints during the 2026 campaign.
Games like that demonstrated the offensive potential of this roster.
When the Saints were clicking offensively, few teams could keep pace.
Learning Through Adversity
Every successful season includes setbacks.
For St. Mary’s, one of those challenges came against Western Reserve Academy.
The Saints suffered a 16-6 defeat against a nationally respected opponent. The loss exposed areas that needed improvement, particularly against teams capable of forcing turnovers and creating transition opportunities.
Great teams respond to adversity.
The Saints immediately did exactly that.
Four-Game Winning Streak Changes the Season
Following the loss to Western Reserve Academy, St. Mary’s produced arguably its best stretch of lacrosse all season.
The Saints won four consecutive games:
- St. Anne’s-Belfield (7-6)
- DeMatha (10-5)
- Mount St. Joseph (13-7)
- Loyola Blakefield (11-8)
Those victories transformed the trajectory of the season.
The defense tightened considerably.
The offense remained productive.
The faceoff unit improved.
Most importantly, confidence grew throughout the roster.
The victory over DeMatha stood out because of how complete the performance was. Holding a talented offense to just five goals showed how much the Saints had improved defensively since the Western Reserve loss.
The following week, St. Mary’s defeated Mount St. Joseph 13-7 in one of its best offensive performances against MIAA competition.
Then came a signature victory.
An 11-8 win over Loyola Blakefield announced that the Saints belonged among the conference’s top contenders. Loyola remains one of the MIAA’s flagship programs, and beating the Dons represented a major accomplishment.
Top Players Who Defined the Season
Liam Hahn, Attack
Few players were more important to the Saints’ success than Liam Hahn.
The UMBC commit consistently provided offensive leadership throughout the season.
Hahn’s ability to score from multiple spots on the field forced defenses to adjust. Defenders could not simply slide early because Hahn also possessed the vision to find open teammates.
Leadership often separates good teams from great teams.
Hahn’s presence helped set the tone offensively every game.
Connor McAndrew, Defense
Every elite lacrosse team needs a shutdown defender.
For St. Mary’s, that player was Connor McAndrew.
The Air Force commit anchored the Saints’ defensive unit and routinely drew difficult assignments against opposing top scorers.
McAndrew’s physical play, positioning and leadership were instrumental during the Saints’ four-game winning streak.
Many of St. Mary’s biggest victories were built on strong defensive performances, and McAndrew played a major role in those efforts.
Chase Overend, Midfield
Midfield depth often determines success in the MIAA.
Chase Overend gave St. Mary’s a versatile two-way presence capable of impacting the game offensively and defensively.
The Tampa commit excelled in transition situations and helped create matchup problems for opposing defenses. Overend’s ability to contribute in multiple phases made him one of the roster’s most valuable players.
James Brimhall
While much attention focused on seniors, James Brimhall emerged as one of the most exciting young players in the program.
The Penn commit represents the future of St. Mary’s lacrosse and gained valuable experience against elite competition throughout the season.
Spencer Gale
The Dickinson commit provided leadership, consistency and toughness.
Players such as Gale often do the little things that don’t always appear in box scores.
Ground balls.
Ride pressure.
Clearing situations.
Communication.
Winning programs need players like Spencer Gale.
Geaton Messineo
Messineo provided offensive depth and scoring ability.
The Baldwin Wallace commit helped keep pressure on opposing defenses and contributed important minutes throughout the season.
Rocco Pellito
The Stevenson commit gave St. Mary’s another dependable midfield option.
Pellito’s athleticism and versatility helped the Saints maintain strong midfield rotations throughout the season.
Team Strengths
Balanced Scoring
One aspect that made St. Mary’s dangerous was offensive balance.
The Saints did not rely on one player to carry the scoring burden.
Multiple attackmen, midfielders and transition players contributed throughout the season.
That balance made defensive game planning extremely difficult.
Defensive Improvement
The defense showed tremendous growth over the course of the season.
After allowing 16 goals against Western Reserve Academy, the Saints responded by allowing:
- 6 goals
- 5 goals
- 7 goals
- 8 goals
during their next four games.
Those improvements were critical in helping St. Mary’s climb the conference standings.
Midfield Depth
The Saints consistently rolled multiple midfield units.
Fresh legs created advantages throughout games and helped maintain a fast pace.
Few teams in Maryland possess the depth that St. Mary’s displayed this season.
Coaching
The coaching staff deserves significant credit.
Adjustments following the Western Reserve loss helped spark the season’s most successful stretch.
Good coaching is often measured by how a team responds after setbacks.
The Saints responded exceptionally well.
Defining Moments
The Christ School Victory
Winning 17-1 against any opponent is impressive.
The game showcased what St. Mary’s could accomplish when firing on all cylinders.
DeMatha Win
Holding DeMatha to five goals represented one of the strongest defensive performances of the season.
Loyola Blakefield Victory
Many observers viewed Loyola as a conference contender.
St. Mary’s proved otherwise with an 11-8 victory that became one of the defining wins of the spring.
Looking Ahead to 2027
The future remains bright.
While graduating seniors leave significant holes to fill, the Saints have a strong foundation returning.
Young players gained invaluable experience competing against some of the best competition in America.
Programs are built through sustained success, not just one season.
St. Mary’s demonstrated once again that it belongs among Maryland’s elite programs.
The Saints finished with a winning record, a top-four conference finish and several signature victories against respected opponents. The experience gained during the 2026 campaign should position the program for another strong run in 2027.
Maryland Sports Blog Team Awards
Team MVP: Liam Hahn
Defensive MVP: Connor McAndrew
Midfielder of the Year: Chase Overend
Breakout Player: James Brimhall
Unsung Hero: Spencer Gale
Best Win: Loyola Blakefield (11-8)
Most Dominant Performance: Christ School (17-1)
Season Grade: A-
A 9-6 record may not fully capture how impressive this season was. The Saints faced one of the toughest schedules in high school lacrosse, earned major wins against elite competition and finished among the upper tier of the nation’s premier conference. For St. Mary’s, the 2026 season reinforced a familiar reality: the Saints remain one of Maryland’s flagship lacrosse programs and a team no opponent wants to face.
