ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State men’s lacrosse was picked to finish second in the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll, behind preseason No. 1 and 2025 national runner-up Maryland. The Nittany Lions were selected ahead of the reigning Big Ten regular season and tournament champions, Ohio State.
In addition to the poll, the conference offices also announced the Big Ten Players to Watch list. Sophomore Hunter Aquino, and seniors Jon King and Alex Ross were named to the list.
Aquino, who has already been tabbed a preseason All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine, posted six Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in 2025, setting a new Penn State record for most collected in a single season. The recognitions culminated in the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. Aquino scored 16 goals and dished 21 assists to total 37 points on the season. He ranked second in the conference in assists per game (1.31) and 11th in points per game (2.31), consistently the only freshman in the Big Ten in the top 12 in those respective categories throughout 2025.
King, a short-stick defensive midfielder, finished 2025 with a pair of goals and an assist. He vacuumed 50 groundballs across the season and has caused 15 turnovers. In the fall, King was honored with the captainship and asked to don the number 11. The program’s number 11 is presented to a young man who has persevered in the face of adversity. The number 11 jersey, worn by Michael Jacober from 2002-05, has become symbolic of the strength and compassion of the 2005 Penn State lacrosse team who rallied around Michael after his family was tragically killed in a plane crash during his senior season.
Ross, who was also named a preseason All-American by the same publication, earned a second team All-Big Ten nod in 2025. In the national semifinal, the Davidsonville, Maryland, native held the 2025 Tewaaraton winner, Cornell’s CJ Kirst, to zero points for the only time in his five-season career. He finished 2025 with 31 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers. A threat in transition, he also tallied a goal in Penn State’s 13-12 overtime win over Cornell in the regular season.
Big Ten Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
- Maryland
- Penn State
- Ohio State
- Johns Hopkins
- Michigan
- Rutgers
Big Ten Men’s Lacrosse Players to Watch List
Quintan Kilrain, Jr., Defense, Johns Hopkins
Matt Collison, Sr., Midfield, Johns Hopkins ^
Charlie Iler, Jr., Attack, Johns Hopkins
Braden Erksa, Sr., Attack, Maryland
Will Schaller, Sr., Defense, Maryland +
Brian Ruppel, Sr., Goalie, Maryland
Hunter Taylor, Sr., Goalie Michigan
CJ Reilly, Jr., Midfield, Michigan
Nick Roode, Jr., Attack, Michigan
Alex Marinier, Grad., Attack, Ohio State +
Bobby Van Buren, Grad., Defense, Ohio State +
Caleb Fyock, Jr., Attack, Ohio State +
Alex Ross, Sr., Defense, Penn State ^
Hunter Aquino, So., Midfield, Penn State *
Jon King, Sr., Defensive Midfield, Penn State
Cardin Stoller, Jr., Goalie, Rutgers +
Colin Kurdyla, Jr., Attack, Rutgers ^
Joe Juengerkes, Grad, SSDM, Rutgers ^
+ 2025 All-Big Ten First Team
^2025 All-Big Ten Second Team
* 2025 All-Big Ten Freshman Team
The trio and the rest of the Nittany Lions are set to kick of the 2026 campaign next week when the team hosts Colgate on Sunday, February 1 at 12 p.m. For fans at home, the action will be streamed live via B1G+.