Patriot League season preview
Does BU have what it takes to become repeat champions?
July 15, 2024 I Jack Latterman I Patriot League
I would like to preface all of this by saying that this is an opinion piece. I have watched all these teams play last season and done heavy research to create this preview, but that doesn’t mean it is going to be correct… and that is what makes sports so great! My intention is not to make anyone angry with a preseason poll, as they are rarely accurate anyways. This is what I think might happen and I would love to hear if you agree or disagree.
The Patriot League is always interesting because there seem to be new teams making surprise runs each season. I see Loyola and BU being strong again, and Holy Cross and American being those teams who shock some people.
Boston U
BU had a fantastic season last year, winning 12 matches, doubling their total from 2023, and tripling it from 2021. The Terriers also won the Patriot League regular season championship and tournament championship, getting to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015.
Unfortunately, 2023 leading goalscorer, Eitan Rosen, left for NC State and their best creative playmaker in the middle, in Colin Innes, graduated. Goalkeeper Francesco Montali and defender Griffin Roach both graduated as well.
Midfielder, Andrew Rent, will be a main piece of the Terrier attack, after his 4 goals and 3 assists last year. Alex Bonnington will also be back up front for BU, after a few goals in massive situations in 2023.
I like BU to be good again this season, but not to run the table as easily as they did in 2023. They are without their top scorer and goalkeeper, which will likely be costly, at least to some extent.
Loyola Maryland
Loyola had a great season, winning 7 matches, including 6 in the Patriot League. Ties against UNC and WVU show that this team played well against the best of the best.
The Greyhounds are returning 10 out of 11 starters from last season. They had 14 goalscorers in 2023, proving how deep this team was. The one starter who is no longer with the team is Thomas Gray, a 6’4” defender who was incredible in the air.
Jordy Lunchies will be back to lead the defense for Loyola, after leading the team in goals. Sean McEvoy is back at the #6, and Jake Sweeney also returns on the wing. They also have their starting goalie back.
This team is returning so many guys and also added a striker in Juston Rainey. I like this team to be fantastic this season and be the favorite to take home the Patriot League.
Lafayette
The Leopards were good in 2023, winning 9 matches and making a run to the conference final, where they fell to BU.
Much to the dismay of Lafayette fans, last season’s leading scorer, Hale Lombard, is no longer on the roster. His 11 goals and 4 assists will be tough to replace. Benji Grossi is also gone, a creative leader from 2023’s squad.
The good news is that Lawrence Aydlett and Carter Houlihan are both back for their Senior years in the midfield. Roy Biegon is also back and will likely start more games this season. The Kenyan striker was dangerous off the bench in 2023.
I expect Lafayette to have a similar season to last year, or maybe a bit worse. They lost a lot of production, but return enough where I don’t think they will be impacted too much.
Colgate
The Raiders struggled last year in non-conference play but were able to pick it up and win 4 in the league.
Unfortunately, 2023 top scorer Aidan Davock transferred to Providence College for his final season, leaving ‘Gate without a proven striker. #10 Adam Fam also transferred, meaning someone must step up in that creator role.
On the positive side, winger Alejandro Coury will be back for his Senior season and will be a veteran leader, as well as a scorer. Mason Pahule is another piece that is returning in the midfield, and Jacob Blackwin is as well on the backline. The Senior class for Colgate is really strong.
I thin Colgate will be ok, but not as good as last year.
Navy
The Midshipmen played well at times, but hit some rough spells in their 6-8-5 2023 season.
Navy lost crucial pieces from last season in Cristian Coelho, David Jackson, Zach Wagner, and Jason Aoyama.
Of the returners, Senior defender Charlie Kriel will captain the side and be essential to this team. A.J. Schuetz is one to watch up front, after 3 goals during his second year with the team. Victor Saade is another name to look for this season, as he was fantastic in defense during his Freshman season.
Navy is another team, similar to Colgate, where they will be without 3-4 big players, but are returning some key young guys as well. I think they will be decent, but not compete to win the conference.
American
The Eagles had a mediocre season, winning 6 matches, with 3 being in the conference. They did have one of the more difficult non-conference schedules, as they will again this season facing Vermont, UVA, and Hofstra.
Big centerback Mike Bleeker is the main loss for this team, after starting every match in 2023. He and midfielder Evan Schweickert will be tough to replace.
2023 leading scorers Ethan Boyle and Sam Hershey are both back from last season, as Hershey will presumably take over the starting #9 role. Zemi Rodriguez, the danger man out wide, will also be with the squad again. Cooper Nunn, Josh Fogel, and Troy Elgersma are all returning as well to the starting lineup.
This team is bringing back a lot of weapons that will help them look to improve from their 6-win season. I think they will be better and will finish in the top 4.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks had a pretty lousy season in 2023, winning 3 and losing 10. They had a really hard time getting on the score sheet.
The Mountain Hawks will be without center piece Hassane Diakho, but returned the majority of their other starters. They did lose many depth pieces off the bench though.
Forward Perry Kingston was the only Lehigh player with more than 2 goals on the season, with his 5. He will be back to lead the attack this year. Winger Beckett Wenger also returns to the squad. Thomas Robertson and Trey Sheeler had solid first years in Bethlehem, PA and will be back to improve on last season.
Lehigh is returning the majority of their starters, but lost a ton of the first guys off the bench from a year ago. I think they will finish similarly to last season.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders struggled to score in their 2023 campaign, getting shutout 8 times. They finished 5-10-3 on the year.
They lost two starters from last season, but are returning the vast majority of their dangerous pieces.
Ethan Gill and Evan Jones, the only two players who were able to bring a major goalscoring threat consistently, are both back in 2024. Brock Frasier also returns after a fantastic first year on the defensive side of the field. With Tristan Stephani back in net and Jonathon Klein continuing in the #10 role, this team should be improved from last season.
I see them finishing in the middle of the pack.
Army
The Black Knights were streaky last season, playing a few good matches in a row, then losing multiple straight. They finished with 3 wins and just 1 in league play, scoring just 14 times on the season.
They no longer have 4 starters from last season, but retain the rest, including goalkeeper Harrison Faulkner.
The one guy that was able to score a few times last year was Gage Lyons. The forward is back in 2024 and will be the main scoring threat along with Jubril Bamgbala.
I’m not sure if Army will miraculously just be able to score this year, after they couldn’t last season. I see them grinding out a few results, but having a rough time against many of the best teams.
Bucknell
The Bison won their first and last matches of the season, but couldn’t find another win. They went winless at home and finished 2-10-4.
Charlie Holmes was a bright spot with his 3 goals and 2 assists, but he left for Uconn. Marco Valentic, one of the other main pieces from 2023, also transferred to Uconn.
Waldemar Kattrup will be back in the midfield and 6’4” defender Ben Sheffield is also returning. Jackson Sullivan is also returning to the back line after starting every match in 2023. They also picked up Cohen Weaver, a transfer midfielder from Penn State.
I am a bit worried about Bucknell after they struggled mightily last year, and lost two of their top weapons from that team. I think they might have another tough season.
2023 Final Standings
2024 Predictions
- Loyola MD
- Boston U
- American
- Holy Cross
- Lafayette
- Navy
- Colgate
- Lehigh
- Army
- Bucknell
Want to read more?
Check out some of our recent articles
Ivy League Preview
The Ivy League came down to the wire in 2023 and I expect the same to happen again this year. There is a gap between the top of the table and the struggling teams, but that means the first 3-4 will be even closer come the final week. I expect multiple teams to compete and think any of those few could win the league, as well as the tournament. I am having a really hard time picking the order of the top 3.
Atlantic 10 Preview
This conference is filled with attacking weapons, but there is quite a bit of turnover on the backlines of most of these sides. I expect high scoring, exciting games throughout the A-10 season. Watch out for URI and St. Bonaventure to be much improved and fight towards the top of the table. VCU struggled in non-conference play in 2023, but turned it on late, winning their last 3 matches to secure…
MVC Preview
WMU entered the conference last season and did not disappoint. It was a fantastic battle between them and Missouri St. for the title. Quite a few teams towards the bottom of the table struggled, but I really feel like one or two will make a real run towards the top 3 or 4. Call me crazy, but I think Western is going to have a rough year after losing 75% of their difference makers.
WCC Preview
Between Portland, Santa Clara, San Diego, and new comers Oregon State, this conference is absolutely loaded. The battle for the conference title will likely be extremely tight and these conference matchups will be incredible to watch. I think Portland and Oregon State will finish 1,2, but the questions is who will take home the championship? I’m going Portland!
Big East Preview
The Big East is a conference with a few top dogs at the top, headlined by Georgetown, but lacking the depth that many of these other big soccer conferences have. In 2022, Creighton made it to the NCAA Tournament semis, when Duncan McGuire went on an absolute terror, but they struggled last season. The Hoyas were one of the nation’s top ranked teams throughout 2023…
Sun Belt Preview
The Sun Belt was easily the best conference in the regular season in 2023. Marshall, UCF, and West Virginia were all ranked first at one point in the season, and James Madison and Kentucky both made it through 2+ games in the NCAA tournament. Although Marshall and UCF both crashed out early in tournament play, the conference as a whole still had a fantastic season.