With the inaugural Division I season approaching for Le Moyne College’s lacrosse program, the Dolphins look to make waves at the D-I level as they set out on their first ever D-I season. This transition to D-I signals a new era for the lacrosse programs here at Le Moyne, challenging players and coaches to bring their game to the next level while also competing at the highest level.

Reflecting on the long journey leading to this historic moment, Coach Dan Sheehan, head men’s lacrosse coach, acknowledged the difficulty of change: “Change is difficult, when the news broke we were a few days away from competing in an NCAA semifinal game.” When questioned about whether the decision was the right call, Sheehan stated, “It was absolutely the right decision for the school, looking in the rearview mirror, we have had a bunch of kids over the years tell us no thanks we are not coming to Le Moyne, we want to play division one.”

A program that has thrived at the Division II level, now taking the next step to Division I lacrosse: It’s a jump into the unknown, a challenge that asks the Dolphins to redefine their legacy at the next level.

Nick Noel, a grad student defender for the men’s lacrosse team, shared his excitement about playing at the Division I level:

“I was excited for my last year to be at the Division I level (and the) 12-year-old me would be jumping for joy,” he said. He expressed high expectations for the team, emphasizing the importance of not settling for being average. “My expectations are high for our team, but then again, why would you aim for a goal that is easy to achieve? Reaching for a goal so many think is unattainable would make it that much better to achieve.”

Coach Liz Beville, head of the women’s lacrosse team, believes that the team will be very competitive in the new division. “Last year we won the Northeast 10 division and believe we have a unique opportunity in front of us this season.”

 When asked about how she plans to prepare her players for the upcoming season, she said: “We expect to get 1% better every day, both on and off the field, and to compete against every opponent we see.”

Unfortunately for all sports teams at Le Moyne, they are not eligible to play in the NCAA tournament for four years. Even if a team topped its conference, it would not be sent to the tournament. However, all teams are allowed to compete in conference championships immediately. Focusing on lacrosse, coach Sheehan says, “I feel for the guys on our roster this year. Our season is going to be over in April, which hasn’t happened in 20-plus years.”