NCAA Men's Lacrosse Preview: No. 18 Harvard's Search for Consistency

USA Lacrosse Magazine is beginning its countdown to Feb. 1 — the first day of the 2025 men's lacrosse season — by releasing one team preview per day beginning on Monday, Jan. 13.

We continue the countdown with No. 18 Harvard, a talented team in need of consistency given the COVID-related upheaval in the first five years of the Gerry Byrnes era.

Harvard boasts a top-notch offense and aggressive defense. At the very least, the Crimson also have options in goal following the graduation of Christian Barnard.

Where the options aren’t as plentiful is the faceoff dot, a place where the Crimson finished 64th out of 73 Division I teams a year ago at 43.1 percent.

Of course, head coach Gerry Byrne wants that number closer to 50 percent. He does, however, acknowledge the fact that not all faceoff wins are created equal.

“There are lies, damn lies and statistics,” said Byrne, paraphrasing author Mark Twain’s famous saying. “People look at the statistics, but if you get stripped one step after you pick up the ball, you still get the faceoff win. We have the ability to create some scrums to make it a little bit more of a battle.”

Owen Umansky, who won 12 of 24 faceoffs in a limited sample in 2024, looks like the guy to beat. If he can win close to half his draws, the Harvard offense can soar even higher than its No. 10 finish from last season (13.92 goals per game).

It helps, of course, when you have one of the top players in the Ivy League, and maybe even the country. Sam King (38G, 35A) has steadily improved year over year and will be bestowed a high honor this season.

“He’s a very selfless and collaborative leader,” Byrne said. “He’s not leaving anybody behind. He’s going to be one of the first two-time captains in nearly 150 years of Harvard Lacrosse.”

Add around King a midfield led by Logan Ip that likes to fly all over the field and make plays on offense, and Harvard will have ample chances to score. Plus, Andrew Perry and Owen Gaffney are back from injury to deepen an already experienced midfield group.

An injury-riddled 2024 is officially in the rearview mirror. Can Harvard get back to its goal of upsetting the balance of power in the Ivy League?

TOP RETURNERS

Sam King, A, Sr. (38G, 35A)
Logan Ip, M, Jr. (20G, 8A)
Martin Nelson, D, Sr. (30GB, 14 CT)

King is among the best players in the Ivy League, if not the entire country, and Ip proved himself after injuries thrust him into a starring midfield role — even if Byrne believes Ip is best suited to be a stellar Robin, not Batman. Teddy Malone (28G, 11A) is yet another offensive weapon alongside Jack Speidell, while Andrew Perry and Owen Gaffney are back from injuries looking to reassert themselves as All-Ivy midfielders. Ray Dearth, a senior SSDM, is someone Byrne thinks is ticketed for first-team All-Ivy honors this spring.

KEY ADDITIONS

Graham Stevens, G (Pingry School, N.J.)
Nathan Cobery, A (The Loomis Chaffee School, R.I.)
Michael Savadove, D (Radnor High School, Pa.)
Patrick Grimley, M (Ocean City High School, N.J.)

There’s an open competition for goalie starts, and Graham Stevens could be the beneficiary of Christian Barnard’s graduation. There isn’t a single goalie on the roster who saw game action last year, with sophomores Miles Barakett and Teddy Kim also looking for time.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES

Graduations: Graham Blake, A; Christian Barnard, G
Transfers: Greg Campisi, LSM/D (Notre Dame), Andrew O’Berry (North Carolina)

X-FACTOR

Joost de Koning, LSM, So.

A broken foot suffered against Vermont robbed de Koning of his freshman season after just a game. He started against the Catamounts, though, showing that Byrne already had faith in the 6-2 product of The Loomis Chaffee School. This fall, de Koning impressed in a scrimmage matched up against Notre Dame’s Chris Kavanagh, and Byrne thinks he has an incredibly high ceiling.

THE NARRATIVE

It’s not inaccurate to say that Harvard has been inconsistent in Gerry Byrne’s tenure. But that statement doesn’t consider the entire story.

Byrne was hired the summer before a 2020 season that was eventually lost to COVID-19. In his five years, only three have included full seasons. That first full year (2022), Harvard made the NCAA tournament. That was followed by a 2023 season in which he said Harvard simply didn’t execute. Then a rash of injuries marred the 2024 season.

Where does that leave Harvard this year? Well, this is the first year in which most of the roster is comprised of guys Byrne and his staff recruited. The goal is to establish consistency like the Ivy League powerhouses Penn, Yale, Princeton and Cornell have thrived on.

“Part of the challenge is the disjointed nature of our time here. In five years, I’ve only coached three full seasons,” Byrne said. “It’s not an excuse. It’s trying to get consistency. Consistency of your interaction with the players and coaching and your recruits.”

Even with faceoff questions and a goalie competition, this could be the deepest roster Byrne has had to work with.

“I know we’ve made great progress here,” he said.