The Boston University men’s lacrosse team celebrating during a game against Monmouth University February 14 at Nickerson Field. Photo by Matt Woolverton/BU Athletics

Varsity Sports

Men’s Lacrosse Is After Second Title in Program History

Terriers, with 8-2 record, are currently number one in the Patriot League

With just under three minutes left in overtime in the Boston University men’s lacrosse bout with No. 2/3 Army West Point two weeks ago, Jimmy Kohr (CAS’27) ripped a shot from the left side of the field that sent the BU bench flooding the field at Army’s Michie Stadium.

The 10-9 overtime win against Army is indicative of the Terriers’ performance this season: the team has posted an impressive 8-2 record and currently sits atop the Patriot League leaderboard.

“Coming into this season, we were kind of viewed as the underdogs,” goalie Will Barnes (COM’25) says. “It really gives us that confidence to know that when we play our best, we can beat anyone.”

Barnes was a key factor in the Army game, making a career-high 22 saves. The senior has been dominant all year for the Terriers. He’s recorded a .610 save percentage and an 8.12 goals-against average, a top-five mark in the NCAA. Now in his second season as BU’s starting goalie, he says his leadership skills have evolved over the past year. 

“Getting that extra year of experience has really helped me become a leader on and off the field,” he says. 

The freshman class is far and away the largest cohort on the team, with 18 newcomers joining the roster—and several have proven to be a significant part of the Terriers’ winning record this season. 

“You’re not really sure what you’re going to get until you actually put them out on the field,” says head coach Ryan Polley. “The accomplishments that a lot of these inexperienced players are having, and the success they’re having, have certainly been helpful to our team’s success.”

Barnes says the team’s upperclassmen have tried to pass down to the freshmen roster the mindset that “every game is our Super Bowl.” The most notable of those freshman is Timothy Shannehan (Questrom’28), who leads the team in points, with 22 goals and 23 assists on the season. 

“He’s been everything that we thought he could be,” Polley says. “I’ve been most impressed with his improvement, his selflessness, his ability to play within our scheme, and his ability to get other players involved with our offense.”

Behind Shannehan, Jimmy O’Connell (Questrom’25) and Kohr round out the team’s top-three point leaders, with 40 and 36, respectively. The scoring is consolidated among those three, with nearly 60 percent of BU’s points attributable to the trio.

Faceoff specialist Madden Murphy (CAS’28) has provided a .575 winning percentage, which ranks second among all NCAA rookies and second in the Patriot League. 

BU’s high-motor offense averages 12.3 goals per game, surpassing the 15-goal mark four times this season. The Terriers’ most explosive game was a 21-12 win over Bucknell on March 8. The team also dominates on the man-advantage, with a .622 conversion percentage—the second-best mark in the NCAA.

BU’s defensive identity is anchored in Connor Kehm (Questrom’27), who was named an Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-American. Kehm currently ranks ninth in the NCAA in caused turnovers per game, with 2.0, has recorded a caused turnover in all games but one, and is second on the team in ground balls. 

The Terriers will end their regular season with three critical games against Patriot League opponents—Lafayette, Lehigh, and Colgate—and will be fighting to maintain their position at the top of the conference table, with the hope of securing their second title in program history (they earned their first in 2022). 

“Guys have played to their potential and have grown up relatively quickly, and we’re getting contributions from a lot of them,” Polley says. “It’s been a really good start of the season.”

Before those three league games, BU will face off against Duke at Nickerson Field at 1 pm on Saturday. Last season’s game against the Blue Devils was a nail-biting 11-10 loss in Durham. BU is looking to right that loss this weekend.

“We really have to focus on getting better each and every week, and I think we’ve done that,” Polley says. “We all know the standings, we all know what is required of us to get where we want to be in the postseason, but we’re not getting caught up in that.”

For the BU men’s lacrosse Homecoming Game, the Terriers face off against Duke University on Saturday, April 5, at 1 pm on Nickerson Field. Admission is free for students with a Sports Pass, $5 for members of the BU community, and $10 for general admission; purchase here. All Patriot League games can be streamed live on ESPN+.