ANNVILLE, PA (Jan. 22, 2026) -- The DeSales University men's lacrosse team has been picked second in the MAC Freedom men's lacrosse preseason poll announced by the conference office on Thursday morning and voted on by the eight MAC Freedom coaches.  

The Bulldogs finished with 42 points, right behind Stevens who tallied 49 points and seven first place votes. In third place, five points behind DeSales is Arcadia at 37. Misericordia with 32 points, is in fourth place. Rounding out the top five is Lebanon Valley with 24 points.  

DeSales finished the 2025 season 9-10 overall and 5-2 in MAC conference play. The Bulldogs made it to the MAC conference game where they fell to Stevens.  

Matthew Brancaccio returns for his 11th season as head coach for the Bulldogs. He has led DSU to the MAC Freedom post season seven times. Brancaccio is the all-time leader in wins at 81 and the only coach in team \history with a winning percentage over .500.  

Returning for the Bulldogs are seniors Taylor Wikert, Jake Hurd and Mark Winkler Jr. who were all named to the All-MAC Freedom All-Conference team.  

Wikert was named to the All-MAC Freedom First-Team for the 2025 season. He was the leader of the defensive unit, leading the Bulldogs and the MAC Freedom with 39 caused turnovers. He finished the season with 73 ground balls, two goals and three assists.  

Hurd had a breakout season, ranking second on the ream scoring 56 points. He lead the team with 37 goals, and 19 assists, landing him a spot on the All-MAC Freedom Second-Team.  

Winkler Jr. also earned All-Conference honors last season for the first time in his career. He ranked fifth on the team with 23 goals and 12 assists.  

The Bulldogs will begin their season on February 7th at Eastern University. MAC Freedom action will begin on April 1st versus Lebanon Valley at home.