2025 Preview: Hilton
February 26, 2025 -
A Promising new Season: New Challenges Await in Class B
As the Hilton Boys Lacrosse team prepares for the 2025 season, there's a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. Coming off a solid 9-8 record last year and moving from Class A to Class B, this year's squad aims to build on their successes and address areas for improvement.
A Season of Close Calls and Victories
In 2024, Hilton showed their mettle in tightly contested games, with 11 of their matches decided by 5 goals or fewer. Notably, they secured four victories with a margin of 5+ goals, demonstrating their capability to dominate. However, they faced some heartbreakers, with two losses decided by just one goal.
Offensive Firepower Returns
The team scored a total of 157 goals last year, an average of 9.2 goals per game. While they lost ten seniors, they have a good core returning, with 89 goals and 39 assists coming back, making up 57% of last year's production.
Among the key returning players are sophomore Gianluca Auriuso (25 goals, 13 assists), who earned All-League Honorable Mention Attack (MC-d1) last year. 
Joining him are Drew O`Buck (4 goals, 69% face-off man with 121 wins and a Hobart commit) and Braydon Pike (26 goals, Syracuse commit), both of whom made the All-League 1st Team FO Midfield (MC-d1) and All-League 1st Team Midfield (MC-d1) respectively.
Defense and Midfield Changes
Hilton's defense, which allowed an average of 8.4 goals per game last year, will see significant changes with the graduation of several key players. Seniors like Brady Quill, an All-League 1st Team Defense selection, and Braden Miller, an All-League Honorable Mention Defense, have moved on. The team will look to fill these gaps with upcoming talent.
New Opportunities in Class B
Transitioning to Class B presents new challenges and opportunities for the Hilton team. While last year they managed to edge out a regular-season victory against Pittsford 9-8, their season ended with a tough 7-16 loss to the same team in the quarterfinals. This year, they are determined to make a deeper run in the challenging Class B postseason.
Leadership and Experience
Head Coach Tim Byrnes, entering his fourth season with a 24-22 record, will rely on the leadership of his rising seniors and the experience gained from last year's competitive schedule. The team has shown resilience and growth, with several players announcing their college team plans, signaling a strong foundation for the future.
As Hilton prepares for the new season, the blend of returning talent, new leadership, and the challenge of a new class promises to make the 2025 campaign an exciting journey.
Preseason stories are based on information from SportsFive.NET databases and coaches.
Stories are planned for each of the teams in Section V and will be released, a few at a time, between now and the start of the playing season. The stories will remain on the front page for about one week and then will be available in the NEWS archive. There will be links for all the published stories HERE and a link will also be available on each TEAM PAGE.
