coach mendoza - huddle at RMU

Lacrosse

VMI Lacrosse 2026 season continues program’s upward trend

The 2026 VMI Lacrosse season showed the program continues to improve and will continue to be a force in the Northeast Conference under the leadership of Head Coach Taylor Mendoza.
 
While the season saw its ups and downs with a 7-7 overall record, the Keydets finished the season strong by winning their final three games of the year to qualify for the program's first postseason appearance in four years with a 4-3 mark in league play. The Keydets had not qualified for a conference tournament since their final year in the Southern Conference back in 2022.
 
At the NEC Tournament, the No. 4 seed Keydets put up a good fight against the No. 1 seed and tournament host Robert Morris where VMI battled to a 12-5 loss on April 3. Sophomore attackman Beau Durkin and senior goalie Adam Norris were named to the All-Tournament Team as Durkin registered a hat trick while Norris logged 13 saves against an aggressive Colonial attack.
 
Six Keydets earned NEC postseason recognition as coaches around the league took notice of VMI's talent. Junior Dayton Bagwell achieved First Team All-Conference honors while Durkin, junior Jack Duncan-Bloom and sophomore Greg Peters received Second Team All-Conference recognition. In addition, freshmen midfielder Ethan Ostrowski and defenseman Alex Seaton were named to the NEC All-Rookie Team.
 
The turning point of the season came after consecutive double-digit losses to Cleveland State and Robert Morris with only a month left to play in the regular season. The Keydets faced a daunting trip to LIU on April 11, a team which at the time shared the conference lead with Robert Morris and was 3-0 in league play. Unfazed from two straight losses, the Keydets rebounded by going up to Long Island and earning a 10-8 upset over the Sharks to put the Keydets back in the picture for postseason qualification.
 
VMI handled business on Senior Day with a 13-6 win over Wagner on April 18 to set up the opportunity to qualify for the postseason in the regular season finale at Detroit Mercy the following weekend. The Keydets were dominant from the start as they built and 8-1 lead by halftime against the Titans en route to an eventual 14-5 victory to earn a berth to their first ever NEC Tournament.
 
The Keydets showed resilience in other victories throughout the season as they rallied from behind to achieve wins over Monmouth, Queens and Hampton in non-conference play.  VMI also showed toughness in a 19-12 loss to the Naval Academy on February 17 after trailing by just two at halftime.
 
With a strong contingent of starters and underclassmen with significant playing time returning to the roster in 2027, the future looks bright for the VMI Lacrosse program.







 
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Players Mentioned

Dayton Bagwell

#55 Dayton Bagwell

A/M
6' 0"
Sophomore
Jack Duncan-Bloom

#1 Jack Duncan-Bloom

M
5' 9"
Sophomore
Adam Norris

#26 Adam Norris

GK
6' 0"
Junior
Greg Peters

#19 Greg Peters

D
6' 0"
Freshman
Beau Durkin

#42 Beau Durkin

A
5' 9"
Freshman
Ethan Ostrowski

#40 Ethan Ostrowski

M
6' 0"
Freshman
Alex Seaton

#66 Alex Seaton

D
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Dayton Bagwell

#55 Dayton Bagwell

6' 0"
Sophomore
A/M
Jack Duncan-Bloom

#1 Jack Duncan-Bloom

5' 9"
Sophomore
M
Adam Norris

#26 Adam Norris

6' 0"
Junior
GK
Greg Peters

#19 Greg Peters

6' 0"
Freshman
D
Beau Durkin

#42 Beau Durkin

5' 9"
Freshman
A
Ethan Ostrowski

#40 Ethan Ostrowski

6' 0"
Freshman
M
Alex Seaton

#66 Alex Seaton

6' 0"
Freshman
D