Wilmington College men's lacrosse team opens 2026 season
The Wilmington College men's lacrosse team looks for improvement in 2026 under its first-year Head Coach Brian Kingsbury.
Kingsbury, the sixth head coach in program history, is joined by Bear Davis and Ryan Madison as assistant coaches, along with student assistant coaches Ely Hatten and Maura Carr.
"The team is coming together. The team has bought in - They are gelling, and the chemistry is there, which is awesome to see," says Kingsbury. "The culture of accountability and grittiness is our base, and the guys have been getting after it. They are willing to do anything to get the ball in their stick and play as a team."
Attackers
Coach Kingsbury highlighted senior Nick Roca and sophomore Garrett Reigelsperger as two mainstays who are returning to the Quakers lineup as attackers.
Roca, who was named Honorable Mention All-OAC last season, was the Quakers third highest point scorer in 2025 with 39, and goal scorer with 29. Roca also led the team in assists with 10. Across two seasons, the attacker has totaled 51 goals and 14 assists, collecting 65 points in his career.
Reigelsperger, a sophomore attacker, was the leading point scorer for Wilmington last year. The sophomore led the Quakers with 38 goals and 42 points, starting all 17 games. He added four assists and had 10 multi-goal contests.
Kingsbury mentioned junior Tyler Cunningham and freshman Danny Fitzpatrick as other pieces of their attack. Cunningham appeared in all 17 games last year and scored one goal with five assists. Danny Fitzpatrick was a 2024 Second Team Offense All-Region performer at Franklin High School in Ohio.
Midfield
In the midfield, Kingsbury noted sophomores Zach Swearingen and Manny Castillo as mainstays in the middle.
Swearingen appeared in 16 games, starting six last year while scoring two goals and collecting three assists.
Castillo appeared in all 17 games with 10 starts, scoring three goals and adding four assists. "Manny played attack last year, but he will be in the midfield this year," adds Kingsbury. "He has been playing and practicing really well."
Freshmen KJ Davis, Dawson Fitzpatrick, and Brandon Osborne will be joining these two in the midfield.
The two primary defensive midfielders are freshmen Bryson Mcclanahan and Cash Zickefoose.
Defense
Wilmington's defense will be led by veteran defenders, with juniors Elijah Loux, Damian Dean, and Brody Parsley. Sophomore transfer Dmitri Rose will also contribute defensively. Loux and Parsley will join sophomore transfer Sincere Gleaton as long-stick midfielders.
Loux appeared in all 17 games last season, making seven starts and scoring one goal. Parsley appeared in 14 games and started two. He scored two goals and secured one assist. Dean was featured in seven games. Rose, a transfer from Herkimer County Community College, played 13 games last year. Gleaton is another transfer athlete from Mount Vernon Nazarene University who played in five games.
Between the pipes, freshman Skoebie Atkinson has impressed the coaching staff. "He has been doing well and is expected to start," adds Kingsbury. Atkinson was a state champion and All-District goalkeeper in high school. Junior Peyton Thompson started in 14 games last season, making 196 saves.
Newcomers to Watch
Faceoff midfielders Sam Snyder and Tyler Spotts, two freshmen, are expected to have a larger impact for the Quakers. Fellow freshmen midfielder Dawson Fitzpatrick, alongside his brother Danny, will be key contributors for the green and white.
Schedule Notes
Wilmington's Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play kicks off on the road at the University of Mount Union on Saturday, March 21. The Quakers conference home-opener is against Muskingum University, scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
Senior Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 18 at 1 p.m. against Heidelberg University, and Wilmington will conclude its regular season on the road Wednesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. against Ohio Northern University.