Two Hope College men's lacrosse players pose for portraits in full uniform.

Men's Lacrosse 2/15/2024 8:00:00 AM Alan Babbitt

2024 Men's Lacrosse Season Preview

Pictured, from left, Gavin Livingston and Marco Mularoni

The Hope College men's lacrosse team is aiming to use last season's memorable postseason run as a springboard to more success this spring.

The Flying Dutchmen return plenty of talent and experience from the group that stunned top-seeded Albion College in the 2023 MIAA Tournament title game, then impressed fourth-ranked Christopher Newport University (Va.) during a second-round loss at the NCAA Championships. Hope finished with a 13-6 overall record.

Head coach Michael Schanhals is excited to see this season unfold for the Flying Dutchmen.

"The effort and the work ethic these guys bring to the table is unmatched, but our experience in situations like [against Christopher Newport], we're relatively a newcomer to that level," Schanhals said. "We've seen newcomers can make a splash. We'd love to have the opportunity to do that, but first things first. To do that, we've got to take care of business. We've got a tough out-of-conference schedule, probably the most aggressive we've had to date. We're going to be forged by fire by the time we get to the MIAA.

"We've got to prove it. We are capable. We're focused on trying to give ourselves the best opportunities but also be patient to understand we've got to take the season as it comes."

2024 Roster

The Flying Dutchmen's roster of 40 features 34 returners and six newcomers. There are seven seniors, 13 juniors, 14 sophomores and six freshmen.

Six of Hope's eight All-MIAA selections from the 2023 season return.

Three returners were first-teamers: junior midfielder David Brace (Plymouth, Michigan / Plymouth HS), senior attacker Michael Mann (Plymouth, Michigan / Detroit Jesuit) and junior long-stick midfielder Luke Wierengo (Northville, Michigan / Northville).

Three of them were second-teamers: senior midfielder Marco Mularoni (Brighton, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central), junior midfielder Caden Brainard (Muskegon, Michigan / Reeths-Puffer) and sophomore defender John Foster (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central).

Mann scored a team-best 58 goals and recorded 36 assists last season. Both rank third-most for a single season at Hope.

Mann is tied for second all-time with 147 career goals and trails career leader Gunnar Elder '17 by 36 goals.

Wierengo topped Hope with 39 caused turnovers in his first season at Hope. Wierengo finished second with 82 ground balls.

Brace recorded a career-best 32 goals as a sophomore.

Flourishing as a first-year starter, Brainard led the Flying Dutchmen with 172 face-off wins last season (.579) and ground balls with 104.

Junior attacker Sam Bowen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Eastern) is back after finishing third on the team in scoring last season with career-highs in goals (43) and assists (25).

Coaching Staff

Head coach: Michael Schanhals, 13th season
Assistant coaches: Chris Scheldt, Pablo Peschiera, Nick Schanhals

2024 Schedule

The Flying Dutchmen open the season on Saturday, Feb. 17, when they host perennial regional power Illinois Wesleyan University at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.

Hope has six more home games this season, including the "One Love" game against Calvin University on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. The "One Love" game is part of a national campaign to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships and empower them to avoid abuse.

The Flying Dutchmen play eight road games, including the first meeting against Virginia Wesleyan University on Wednesday, March 13, at 5 p.m. in Virginia Beach, Va., and the MIAA opener at Albion on Saturday, April 6, at noon.

MIAA Preseason Poll

The Hope College men's lacrosse team tops the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll as the unanimous favorite. The Flying Dutchmen received all six possible first-place votes and recorded a first-place total of 36 points. Coaches could not vote for their team.

Hope finished five points ahead of second-place Albion College, which received one first-place vote. Adrian College took third with 26 points and was followed by Kalamazoo College (20), Calvin University (17), Trine University (11) and Alma College (6).

Coach's Outlook

"I think from top to bottom it's the most talented team we've ever had. The proof will be in the pudding and the work they do, but we have a lot of potential this year," Schanhals said. "The returners on the team, I'm most impressed with their leadership and maturity, especially from the younger guys. We have a really mature sophomore class. The most growth happens between your first year and your second year. They've done a wonderful job of working hard, capitalizing on that and showing some outstanding performance on the field and leadership off the field."

The midfield is a key area to watch on the field, Schanhals said.

"The heart of our team is our midfield and how everybody jumps into that effort. When we were great last year, we were putting a ton of strain on our opponents, then counter-attacking. It started with our ride and how hard they fought to get the ball back. About a third of our goals started with guys who aren't in our offense."

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Players Mentioned

#11 Sam Bowen: A; 5' 9"; Junior; Business

#16 David Brace: M; 5' 11"; Junior; Business

#3 Caden Brainard: M; 5' 9"; Junior; Engineering

#22 John Foster: D; 6' 0"; Sophomore; Exercise Science

#43 Michael Mann: A; 5' 9"; Senior; Public Acct/Business

#17 Marco Mularoni: M; 6' 1"; Senior; Business

#7 Luke Wierengo: LSM; 6' 2"; Junior; Business

Players Mentioned

#11 Sam Bowen
: 5' 9"; Junior; Business
: A

#16 David Brace
: 5' 11"; Junior; Business
: M

#3 Caden Brainard
: 5' 9"; Junior; Engineering
: M

#22 John Foster
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; Exercise Science
: D

#43 Michael Mann
: 5' 9"; Senior; Public Acct/Business
: A

#17 Marco Mularoni
: 6' 1"; Senior; Business
: M

#7 Luke Wierengo
: 6' 2"; Junior; Business
: LSM