Babson Park, FL – The 2026 season proved to be one of the most challenging in recent history for Webber Men's Lacrosse, as the Warriors battled through adversity, injuries, and inconsistency to finish 8–7 and narrowly miss the NAIA National Tournament for the first time in four years.
Plagued by injuries throughout the campaign, Webber found themselves fighting uphill from the very start.
"It was one of those years where everything that could go wrong did," said Head Coach Chris Burdick. "When you do this as long as I have, you think you won't be surprised by anything—and then 2026 happens."
Tough Start, Strong Response
The season opened with a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to preseason No. 10 Taylor University.
"That was a tough blow for our guys," Burdick said. "We felt we had multiple chances to win it in the first overtime. But credit to Taylor—they made the play when it mattered."
Webber rebounded with a win at Columbia SC however the injury bug would show its ugly face as starting LSM Jakob Trickler would break his hand on the final play of the game. In Trickler's absence, Dane Angelillis stepped up and filled the role playing very strong lacrosse in 2026.
Despite the early setback, the Warriors responded with key wins, including an overtime victory over William Penn—one of two wins against eventual NAIA Tournament teams. The game-winning goal came from standout attackman Jeremiah Loo.
"We felt that win was a turning point," Burdick noted. "To battle back and finish it showed real resilience and would become the identity of our team this season."
Momentum Meets Adversity
Webber's season quickly became a pattern of highs and lows. A narrow loss to Columbia College followed the William Penn and William Woods victories on the spring road trip. Loo also had a record day as he recorded14 assists vs. Ottawa in a 28-3 victory to end the road trip. The attack line of Loo, Shields and Sheaffer would end the day with record 40 points between them.
Burdick notes, "Our players work extra hours fundraising at the [Tampa Bay] Buc's games to afford these trips and it was worth it to get the William Penn and William Woods wins. However, a lot of travel and playing four games in five days caught up with us as did a very good Columbia [MO] lacrosse team."
Grit and Big Wins
Webber answered with impressive wins over Life University (14–9) and Point (13-12 2OT) in a thrilling double-overtime contest, sealed by Sam Shields off an assist from Izzy Miranda.
"Izzy was outstanding in those games," Burdick said. "He was so locked in that we just let him go to work late. He earned that moment."
But once again, injuries followed success. Faceoff specialist Alan Basic and team captain Cam Paleski were both sidelined in those victories, further depleting the roster.
Adversity Strikes Again
A 14–10 loss to SCAD—another NAIA Tournament team—proved costly beyond the scoreboard, as All-American goalie Liam Murphy suffered a season ending lower-leg injury.
"We had already dealt with broken hands and some tough injuries," Burdick said. "But when Liam went down, that could have ended our season."
Instead, freshman goalie Colton Riekowitcz stepped up, helping stabilize the defense as the team rallied to beat Columbia SC.
Signature Win Comes at a Cost
One of the season's defining moments came in a road win over No. 8 University of the Cumberlands. Webber jumped out to a 9–3 halftime lead before surviving in overtime, with Jeremiah Loo scoring the game-winner.
Freshman goalie Colton Riekowitcz delivered a standout performance with 23 saves and Jack Polomski would hold UC's top attackman to just one assist. During the contest, both Jeremiah Loo and Nick Sheaffer recorded their 200th goals, fitting as the duo would lead Webber's attack for the past two seasons in scoring.
However, the win came at a steep price. Both Loo—the nation's leading scorer—and attackman Sam Shields suffered injuries during the game.
"It was the story of our season," Burdick said. "Huge win on the road, but we lose Jeremiah and Sam—two guys who were critical to everything we do offensively. After that, we just weren't the same team."
Season Slips Away
With key players sidelined, the Warriors struggled down the stretch, dropping their final four games of the season. Off one days rest the group was not up to par with out two thirds of the attack unit (including the nation's leading scorer Loo) and dropped a game at Montreat despite late game efforts by Miranda and Nick Sheaffer. Webber would return home to play #4 seed Reinhardt dropping a low scoring contest followed by a back-and-forth affair with TWU who would pull out the win, ultimately causing the tie breaker that would put the Bulldogs in the AAC tournament over the Warriors. Another bright spot for the Freshman class, Max Carry, also a victim of the broken hand club, scored four goals in his return to action.
The adversity peaked on Senior Day, when both primary goalies were unavailable due to injury, forcing defenseman Dontaye Wallace into an emergency start in net.
Despite the challenges, Webber showed grit throughout the season, finishing with notable wins and multiple standout individual performances. Webber faced 10 teams in the top 14 RPI during the season as well as five teams that ended up in the 2026 NAIA Tournament, beating two of them.
"This season might have been one that we could have done something special," noted Burdick. "However, you see champion's character in times like these. Anyone can be a good example and a leader when teams are winning."
Looking Ahead
Jeremiah Loo and Nick Sheaffer were both recognized with All-Conference honors in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, highlighting their impact during the season and Ben Sheldon, Malachi LaRue, Joey Xiarhos, and Loo all were named to the AAC All-Academic team. Sam Shields, Malachi LaRue, Cam Palesky, Jack Polomsky and Dane Angelillis were All-Conference nominees.
The Warriors now turn their focus to the future. With nine graduating seniors who contributed as starters, the program is entering a new phase—but one filled with promise.
Head Coach Chris Burdick and his staff have already signed 20 newcomers for the upcoming season and continue to build what they hope will be a deep and competitive roster. "This is a great time to come to Webber," remarked Burdick. "With a number of key players graduating, we have a solid core of returners but need major pieces to build the roster back so it's a chance to come into a program and contribute right away for a motivated high school senior or college transfer player."
Despite the setbacks of 2026, the foundation remains strong. Webber has been to three NAIA tournaments in the past Four seasons and has been ranked in the top 10 consistently though that period. They are the only team not to be selected in the 2026 NAIA tournament who has two wins over the tournament field as they defeated both #5 seed William Penn and #8 seed University of the Cumberlands.
Coach Burdick notes that…"this season we saw resilience and determination from our group that is rare. Our seniors never gave up on themselves and their team, consistently leading and pushing regardless of the adversity faced. It was truly a great example that they set for this program and our younger players. Life is about battling adversity and being your best when things are hardest."
And if anything, the season reinforced the resilience and culture of a program determined to return to national prominence.
May 9 Prospect Camp at Webber 10am to 1pm
Webber hosts its Spring Prospect Day this Saturday, May 9th from 10am to 1pm at Warrior Field. Information can be found at www.laxwar.com. High School and college transfer players are welcome to attend.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on Warrior Athletics. Please visit www.webberathletics.com. Follow us on Twitter- @WebberAthletics, Instagram- @Webber_Athletics, and Facebook by searching Webber International University Athletics.
