2025 Preview: Canandaigua
February 28, 2025 -
Driven by Dedication: Canandaigua Boys Lacrosse Gears Up
As the 2025 lacrosse season approaches, the Canandaigua Boys Lacrosse team is gearing up for another competitive year in Class B. Last year's performance showcased a well-rounded team, and this year looks promising with a solid mix of returning talent and fresh faces ready to step up.
Recap of the 2024 Season
The Grey Wolves wrapped up the 2024 season with a commendable 12-6 record. They displayed a strong offense, scoring a total of 172 goals with an average of 9.6 goals per game. Defensively, they held their opponents to 106 goals, averaging 5.9 goals against per game. The team excelled in close games, winning 12 games with a margin of fewer than five goals and maintaining a perfect record in games decided by a +5 goal margin.
Departing Seniors
The team bids farewell to a significant group of 13 seniors, including standout players like Braden Gioseffi (Nazareth), Alex Rheude (Geneseo), Andrew Murphy (Nazareth), Dom Gullace (Wingate), and Sean Olvany (also Wingate), who earned various accolades and have gone on to join collegiate teams. Their leadership and contributions on and off the field will be missed, but their legacy will undoubtedly inspire the next wave of talent.
Key Returning Players
The Grey Wolves are not starting from scratch. They have a strong core of 13 rising seniors and several juniors and sophomores who are poised to make an impact. Notable returning players include Mike Belles, who will attend Canisius, earned All-League Honorable Mention Attack last year with 22 goals and 20 assists. 
Ryan Bremer earned All-League Honorable Mention Midfield with 10 goals and 10 assists. Trey Comella secured a spot on the All-League 2nd Team SSDM Midfield. Mason DePew, with an impressive face-off record, made the All-League 2nd Team FO Midfield. Will Rheude, committed to Loyola, was named to the 2nd All-Section team and the All-League 1st Team Defense. Drew Williamee, who made the Section 5 (Class B) All-Tournament Team and the All-League 2nd Team Attack, contributed 30 goals and 16 assists. The team will also be looking for help from senior midfielder Jack Stanney (Clarkson).
With these key players returning, Canandaigua is well-equipped to build on last year's successes. Additionally, several players have already announced their college commitments, further highlighting the talent and dedication within the squad.
Challenging Schedule Ahead
This season, the Grey Wolves will face a challenging schedule. They have an early game against Irondequoit, who they lost to, 10-6 in the semifinals, last year. Other strong opponents include Victor, JD, Penn Yan, and their last regular season game against Baldwinsville.
2024 Game Highlights
Reflecting on last year's games, Canandaigua had some thrilling matches. They started strong with a 14-3 victory against Geneva and a close 5-4 win against Fairport. The team showed resilience, bouncing back from losses to top teams like Victor and Irondequoit, and securing crucial wins against Pittsford and Schroeder in the quarterfinals.
Looking Ahead
Head Coach Deven York, entering his 9th season with an impressive 93-38 record, continues to instill a winning mentality and strong work ethic in his players. With his leadership and the returning talent, Canandaigua is poised for another successful season. The team has dedicated this season to their former coach. "We are dedicating the season to our coach Dave Nieman. His gift was bringing out the best in everyone. He brought passion and energy to everything he did. We hope to honor that this year".
As the new season dawns, the Canandaigua Boys Lacrosse team is ready to take on the challenges ahead, fueled by determination, teamwork, and a rich tradition of excellence.
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.
