2025 Hope College Men's Lacrosse Season Preview

"The Mann" graduated, leaving the Hope College men's lacrosse team without its all-time leading scorer heading into the 2025 season.

The Flying Dutchmen — despite the absence of 199-goal scorer Michael Mann — still expect to pack a formidable punch on the field.

With seven All-MIAA honorees returning, including sophomore attacker and 2024 MIAA Rookie of the Year Gibson Heethuis, Hope holds much promise. The Flying Dutchmen topped the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, making them the favorite in their quest to repeat as MIAA champions.

Hope swept regular-season and league tournament titles last season and played in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament before at third-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology.

Head coach Michael Schanhals believes his team is primed to replace the production of seven seniors, including Mann.

"Michael exemplified the team-first approach to our game. If he had a game he scored a little bit, that was fine. If he had a game where he scored a lot, that was fine," Schanhals said. "That is really congruent with the way that we want to be as a team, one that shares the work. Michael did that within our system of generating goals.

"I wouldn't look at it as so much replacing him. I would look at it as an opportunity for others. There are some shots there that I know our guys would love to take. We're excited about that."

ROSTER

Hope's roster of 44 features 12 seniors, 13 juniors, four sophomores and 15 freshmen.

Three of the Flying Dutchmen's four Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association all-region honorees from the 2024 season return: senior long-stick midfielder Luke Wierengo (Northville, Michigan / Northville HS), junior midfielder Jackson Early (East Lansing, Michigan/ East Lansing) and junior goalie Jack Balmforth (Livonia, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central).

Balmforth, Early and Wierengo also claimed All-MIAA accolades last season.

So did four of this season's teammates: Heethuis (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville), senior attacker Sam Bowen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Eastern), senior face-off specialist Caden Brainard (Muskegon, Michigan / Reeths-Puffer) and senior midfielder Owen Mueller (Traverse City, Michigan / Saint Francis).

Balmforth, Mueller, senior midfielder David Brace (Plymouth, Michigan / Plymouth), senior defender John Foster (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) and senior midfielder Andrew Lanham (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) are co-captains.

The Flying Dutchmen, who went 13-4 last season, outscored opponents by a 219-158 margin.

While Mann scored 49 times, Heethuis ranked second on the team with 36 goals and first with 34 assists. Bowen finished second with 29 assists and third with 26 goals

"We have a great core of guys who have been working, since Day 1, the right way, which I think is really important," Schanhals said. "There is a legacy that's carried on in terms of the way we do things. We've done a nice job living into that. The freshmen are fun guys who work hard and are excited to learn and grow. We've done a nice job of coming together."

COACHING STAFF

Head coach: Michael Schanhals, 21st season (13th as an NCAA Division III program)
Assistant coaches: Chris Scheldt, Nick Schanhals, Pablo Peschiera
Student assistant coach: Jack Morris
Director of Operations: Rachel Wozniak

In 2024, the Flying Dutchmen were voted as the IMLCA Region 5 Coaching Staff of the Year. Schanhals also was selected as the MIAA Men's Lacrosse Coach of the Year by his peers.

SCHEDULE

The Flying Dutchmen open the season with two games over three days at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hope faces Rhodes College (Tennessee) on Saturday, Feb. 8, at noon MST, and the host Tigers on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. MST.

Hope's home opener is Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. against Elmhurst University (Illinois) at Van Andel Soccer Stadium.

The Flying Dutchmen will play at the University of Michigan on Wednesday, March 5, at a time to be announced against Oberlin College (Ohio).

Hope has seven home games scheduled, including the MIAA opener on Wednesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. against Albion College. The top six teams in the MIAA regular-season standings qualify for the league tournament that begins on Saturday, April 26. The first- and second-place teams receive first-round byes.

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Players Mentioned

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

#29 Jack Balmforth: G; 5' 11"; Junior; Business

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

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

#3 Caden Brainard: FOGO; 5' 9"; Senior; Engineering

#31 Jackson Early: M; 6' 0"; Junior; Accounting - Public Acct

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

#12 Gibson Heethuis: A; 5' 11"; Sophomore; Biology

#8 Andrew Lanham: M; 6' 4"; Senior; Biology

#45 Owen Mueller: M; 5' 10"; Senior; Accounting/Business Dbl Major

Players Mentioned

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

#29 Jack Balmforth
: 5' 11"; Junior; Business
: G

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

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

#3 Caden Brainard
: 5' 9"; Senior; Engineering
: FOGO

#31 Jackson Early
: 6' 0"; Junior; Accounting - Public Acct
: M

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

#12 Gibson Heethuis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore; Biology
: A

#8 Andrew Lanham
: 6' 4"; Senior; Biology
: M

#45 Owen Mueller
: 5' 10"; Senior; Accounting/Business Dbl Major
: M