GROVE CITY, Pa. – The Grove City College men's lacrosse program achieved new heights during the 2023 season by winning its first-ever NCAA Division III Championship Tournament game and advancing to the final 16 of the national tournament.

With eight of the team's nine top scorers back in the fold, along with several veterans at midfielder and defender, as well as a three-year letterman in goal, Grove City aims to continue its climb in 2024 while maintaining the top spot in the rapidly-improving Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Six All-PAC honorees return this season, including First Team All-Conference attack Matt Blythe (Mendon, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima). Blythe led the Wolverines with 61 goals and 70 total points last season as a sophomore and is expected to be a focal point of Grove City's offense again this spring.

Second Team All-PAC selections Kobi Bui (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) and Zachary Hougan (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) also return after strong sophomore seasons in 2023.

Bui ranked second on the squad with 48 goals and 67 points while playing in all 20 games. His 19 assists ranked fourth on the team. Hougan dished out a team-leading 29 assists in 2023 while also pumping in 35 goals.

Grove City's offensive attack will also benefit from the return of graduate student attack James Petrolle (Damascus, Md./Damascus). Petrolle missed the 2023 season due to injury after earning Second Team All-PAC in 2022. Petrolle has scored 90 career goals and added 50 assists in 34 career matches played.

Junior midfielder Luke Jayne (Vero Beach, Fla./Saint Edward's) capped his first season at Grove City in 2023 by earning Second Team All-PAC honors. Jayne quickly became a key contributor at the offensive end by ranking third on the team with 22 assists. He also tallied 30 goals and is expected to be an integral part of the offensive attack again in 2024.

Junior short stick defensive midfielder Jason Muench (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) returns as a key cog in Grove City's defense after earning Honorable Mention All-PAC last season. Muench will help lead an experienced defensive corps that has plenty of veterans vying to fill vacancies in the starting lineup.

In goal, senior Danny Stone (Chantilly, Va./Flint Hill) has played in 29 career games over his first three seasons. He will look to secure the full-time starting post this year after making five starts in 2023.

Sophomore Tyler Gladstone (Marriottsville, Md./Marriotts Ridge) started three games as a rookie and will also challenge for the starting nod in goal.

Graduation thinned Grove City at the defender position but the Wolverines have several seasoned men battling for starting spots.

Injuries limited junior defender Zach Furry (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro) to three starts in 2023. He looks to return to the starting lineup on a full-time basis after making 14 starts as a rookie in 2022.

Sophomores Andrew Glasgow (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), Sam Stevenson (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) and Aidan Nosal (Parker, Colo./Eaglecrest) all saw extensive action as rookies. All three are expected to have expanded roles this spring.

Junior Tyler Curry (Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei) returns at long stick midfielder after having made 30 appearances during his first two seasons.

Sophomores Ryan Evans (Crofton, Md./DeMatha) and Ryan Ledermann (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) are also back at long stick midfielder after seeing extensive action in 2023. Evans ranked second on the team with 15 caused turnovers while Ledermann caused 10 turnovers in his eight games played.

Grove City again features ample depth at midfielder, led by seniors Griffen Agawa (San Ramon, Calif./California) and Prince Ayivon (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora). Agawa made a career-high 15 starts in 2023, finishing with a dozen goals and 10 assists. He has played in 50 career games at Grove City.

Ayivon has made 24 career appearances at Grove City and is in the mix for a starting spot this season.

Juniors Alec Jones (Chesterfield, N.J./Notre Dame) and Trey Zabroski (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) are also back in the midfield. Jones has 24 career goals in his 38 career appearances while Zabroski tallied a career-high 13 assists last year. Zabroski also handled faceoff duties for much of last season due to injuries and could be again used in that role at times in 2024.

Sophomore letterwinners Boden Davidson (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian) and Ryan Walton (Advance, N.C./Davie County) will also be counted on at midfielder. Davidson played in all 20 games as a freshman, recording 15 goals and eight assists. Walton saw action in 13 games as a freshman.

Sophomores Mac Faircloth (Greensboro, N.C./Page) and Rigdon Greene (Marietta, Ga./Pope) both emerged as threats at attack in 2023. Faircloth posted 20 goals and 10 assists as a rookie while Greene added 14 scores and a dozen assists. Both men will again bolster Grove City's explosive offensive scheme.

Attack Stewart McClain (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) and faceoff ace Colton Lehberg (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian) are set to debut this season after having their respective rookie seasons cut short by preseason injuries in 2023.

Seventh-year head coach Alec Jernstedt (61-30) also expects several newcomers to challenge for time this spring.

Grove City opens its seventh season of intercollegiate play Saturday, February 10 at Salisbury, the defending NCAA Division III champion. The Wolverines will also visit national semifinalist Rochester Institute of Technology in non-conference play February 24, along with a March 2 trip to national semifinalist Christopher Newport.

Grove City opens its home schedule February 17 against Ohio Wesleyan. Conference play begins three days later when the Wolverines host Thiel at Robert E. Thorn Field.