Chris Ryan has been the head coach of the Mercyhurst men’s lacrosse team since 2001 after spending two years as an assistant coach for the Lakers. Ryan led the Lakers to the program's first national championship in 2011 and guided the program to consecutive undefeated regular seasons in 2012 and 2013. He holds a 276-72 career record, ranking him among the best active coaches in winning percentage. His teams have never experienced a losing season. His teams have produced Mercyhurst’s first All-American selections, first Academic All-American selections, and first ECAC All-Star selections.
2023 was a year in which the Lakers made their way to the National Championship for the first time since 2013, going 16-3 overall while holding a 6-1 record in GMAC play. The team started with four consecutive wins to begin the year with a 16-13 over then-ranked #6 Wingate. They ended the regular season as well as they had started, outscoring opponent 65-24 in their last three games. They began postseason play with a 22-8 win over Lake Erie in the GMAC Semifinals before defeating Seton Hill in the conference championships to claim their first GMAC title since 2021. They continued to roll from there, defeating both St. Anselm and Le Moyne in the NCAA Tournament to make an appearance in the National Championship. The Lakers had 11 players named to an All-GMAC team with the Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and Specialist of the Year on the roster. They added several more accolades with eight USILA All-Region honors and nine USILA All-American honors including the National Player of the Year in Shawn Doran.
The 2022 season tasked Coach Ryan with developing a group of new faces into a championship-contending team. They started out the year with close losses to Wingate and Le Moyne, who were ranked #1 and #2 at the time, before ripping of an eight-game winning steak which would help them clinch the GMAC Regular Season Title. They would eventually fall to Seton Hill in the GMAC Championship game before squaring off with the Griffins again in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament. Their, the Lakers would fall in heartbreaking fashion, 7-8. The Lakers would have 13 players honored with GMAC All-Conference Honors as well as nine who were named to USILA All-Region Teams. Seven additional Lakers were made USILA All-Americans including Braden McCard who was named the National Short Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year.
2021 looked to be one to remember for the Lakers as they were able to play close to a full slate of games after the 2020 season was cut short. Mercyhurst posted a mark of 12-2 overall and went an unblemished 6-0 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. They racked up a pair of wins over nationally ranked Seton Hill once in the regular season as well as toppling the Griffins in the G-MAC title game. The Lakers fell one win short of playing for a national championship after falling 11-9 on the home turf in the NCAA North Regional Final to the eventual national champion Le Moyne College. Ryan had seven members of the team selected as All-Americans which included the National Midfielder of the Year Nathan Grenon. Fellow All-American Caleb Kueber led the nation in points per game at 6.29, while Devin Pipher was second in assists per game averaging 3.57. Overall the Lakers had 11 players named All-Conference, including sweeping all the major awards like Offensive Player of the Year (Caleb Kueber), Defensive Player of the Year (Tommy Angelicola), and Coach of the Year.
The 2020 season was shortened thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic However, prior to the halt of play Ryan had the Lakers players stellar lacrosse posting a 5-0 record good for a number two ranking in the country which was aided by wins over nationally-ranked Wingate University and the University of Indianapolis. Even with an abbreviated campaign, Mercyhurst racked up the awards as James Wittmeyer, Will Agate, and Caleb Kueber all earned All-American honors. The team also excelled in the classroom with 22 players being named to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference team. The duo of Agate and Wittmeyer continued with personal accolades as they were both selected as USILA Scholar All-Americans. Both men also will have the opportunity to pursue the sport professionally as Wittmeyer was the only Division II player taken in the Major League Lacrosse entry draft by the Philadelphia Barrage, while Agate will join the Barrage as an undrafted free agent.
In 2019, the Lakers won their first GMAC Title defeating Seton Hill on the road. They were then eliminated from the NCAA Tournament falling to Merrimack on the home turf.
In 2015, the Lakers finished with an 8-6 record overall and a 5-2 mark in the conference. They lost 7-6 to Lake Erie College in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) semifinals. Senior Trevor Vargo was named an ECAC Second Team All-Star, a USILA Honorable Mention All-American, a USILA Scholar All-American, and to the Capital One Academic All-District at Large First Team.
In 2014, the Lakers qualified for the NCAA Tournament for a fourth straight season. They won 12 games and took their second consecutive ECAC regular season title. With a loss to Seton Hill March 8, the Lakers saw a 36-game regular season winning streak snapped. Mercyhurst rallied with wins in its last six ECAC matches, including an 8-5 win over Lake Erie April 26, clinching the regular season crown. Mercyhurst collected wins over three NCAA Tournament foes, rallying for a 10-8 win at Dowling March 29, beating Tampa, 14-7, April 5, and then taking LIU Post, 9-7, April 12 at Tullio Field. Andrew Wagner led the stellar senior class, earning his third straight William C. Schmeisser Award as the USILA's Top Defender. He was also a USILA Scholar All-America and the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year. Brady Heseltine was USILA Scholar All-America and an All-ECAC First Team choice. Michael Grace was named USILA All-American Honorable Mention and ECAC Goalkeeper of the Year.
The 2013 campaign was the most dramatic in program history, as the Lakers posted a second straight unbeaten regular season and advanced to their third NCAA Championship in six seasons. Mercyhurst won six one-goal decisions, setting a school record. It won the inaugural Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) regular season and tournament titles. On April 27 at Seton Hill, the Lakers won, 12-9, clinching the ECAC regular season championship and giving Ryan his 150th career victory. After winning the conference tournament, the Lakers beat Lake Erie College, 10-9 in overtime, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The next weekend, Mercyhurst and Limestone played one of the best NCAA Tournament matches of all time. The Lakers rallied from a 17-15 deficit in the final minute, tying the contest with 4.1 seconds left on a James Chayka goal. Deven Alves scored with 2:56 to play in overtime, sending the Lakers to the national title match.
Andrew Wagner led the individual honors, winning his second straight William C. Schmeisser Award as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year in Division II. He was also named USILA First Team All-American and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year. Scheetz earned USILA Second Team All-American honors, along with All-ECAC First Team recognition. Reid was an Honorable Mention All-American and an All-ECAC First Team pick. Scheetz and Reid were each selected USILA Scholar All-Americans following the season two of just six Division II student-athletes on the list.
Mitch McAvoy was the ECAC Specialist of the Year, while
Ryan Sullivan was All-ECAC First Team. Chayka, Maloney, and Grace were All-ECAC Second Team choices.
Trevor Vargo won the NCAA Elite 89 Award for having the highest grade point average among student-athletes at the championship site.
Scheetz finished with a career-high 73 points, including 46 assists. He graduates as one of the top players in school history and holds the program's career points record with 234-79 more than any other Laker.
In 2012, the Lakers recorded the first undefeated regular season in school history in any sport. They went 13-0, becoming the first East Coast Conference (ECC) team to post an unbeaten overall regular season record. Mercyhurst claimed its first outright ECC title in its final season as a member of the league on its way to another NCAA Tournament appearance.
Senior Gregory Bensman was named the USILA Outstanding Player of the Year and Long Pole Defender of the Year to go along with First Team All-American, ECC Player of the Year, ECC Defensive Player of the Year, and First Team All-ECC honors. He anchored the nation's second-stingiest defense, holding every opponent under its 2012 season scoring average.
Brian Scheetz was chosen USILA Attackman of the Year after leading the team with 33 assists and 46 points. Sophomore Andrew Wagner was USILA Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. Ryan was selected ECC Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
On May 5 against Molloy, Scheetz assisted on a Kyle Kallay goal to give him the Mercyhurst career points record. With his 156
th point, Sheetz passed Troy Ledbetter on the all-time list.
In 2011, Ryan guided Mercyhurst to 12 regular season victories, good enough to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. In the semifinals, the Lakers beat C.W. Post, 14-4. The win avenged a loss to Post from the regular season. In the finals, Mercyhurst defeated Adelphi 9-8 in Baltimore, Maryland, to capture the national title.
Four Lakers garnered All-America honors, including Bensman, who was named to the national first team. Ian Wild was named most outstanding player for the final match. Wild was later named PSAC Pete Nevins Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In 2010, the Lakers recorded one of their best seasons to date, finishing the year 13-1. Ryan’s squad reeled off 12 straight wins before suffering their first loss of the season, an 11-9 setback to eventual national champion C.W. Post in early May. For their efforts, seven players earned All-East Coast Conference honors, and three were tabbed All-Americans.
The Lakers posted an 11-3 record in 2009, finishing the season at No. 3 in the final national poll. Mercyhurst went 6-0 at Tullio Field, increasing its home winning streak to 17 games with a 6-5 victory over No. 3 New York Tech May 2. Two Lakers earned All-America honors in Jason LaShomb and Matt Spahr. They also joined Mike Thon as the team’s first-ever participants in the USILA North / South Game. The team averaged 11.87 goals, a three-goal improvement over 2008, and lowered its GAA to 6.22. Mercyhurst opened the season 9-1, staging a seven-game winning streak.
In 2008, Ryan guided a young and inexperienced team to yet another Top 10 ranking. While the Lakers missed out on an NCAA playoff bid for the first time in three seasons, Mercyhurst did finish 9-4 and tied for second place in the toughest conference in Division II, the East Coast Conference (ECC). Mercyhurst went undefeated at home, including an 8-1 win over then-No. 4 C.W. Post. Junior goalkeeper Jason LaShomb was named USILA Division II Goalie of the Year.
The 2007 season saw Mercyhurst rise to new heights. The program was ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time ever on April 9 and held onto the spot for five consecutive weeks through the end of the regular season. Mercyhurst hosted an NCAA Final Four game for the first time, defeating New York Institute of Technology 13-10. The win sent the Lakers to the National Championship game for the first time after three losses in the semifinals. Despite a last-second loss to Le Moyne in front of 22,000 people at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., Ryan was named USILA Coach of the Year. Mercyhurst finished the season with a record of 13-2 overall and dominated the ECC, going 6-0 and winning by an average margin of 6.5 goals per game.
After the season, Joe Thon was named USILA Defensive Player of the Year and became the first Laker drafted into professional lacrosse, being selected by the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse in the fourth round. Eight players were named All-ECC and five were named All-Americans. Thon was also named the ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The 2006 season saw the Lakers once again prove themselves to be one of the top programs in Division II. The Lakers finished the regular season with a 12-2 record and a 4-1 mark in their first year as a member of the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC). Mercyhurst tied for first in the NYCAC and ended the regular season with a No. 3 ranking in the USILA poll. The Lakers had six All-NYCAC picks, including a pair of first-team selections, finished the regular season with a 5-2 mark against top 10 teams and their 12 wins set a school record. The season came to an end with a loss at No. 2 Dowling in the NCAA Division II semifinals, which was the team’s third NCAA tournament appearance in the last four years.
In 2004 Ryan was chosen to coach the North Division I All-Star team in the Senior All-Star Game. He currently is the Division II USILA representative to the NCAA and is a member of the Central Regional Advisory Committee.
Prior to Mercyhurst, Ryan spent a year as a graduate assistant at Alfred University, where he worked with the women’s program. He had come to Alfred after a one-year stint at Monroe Community College in 1997.
Ryan played two years at Monroe Community College, where he was a two-time Academic All-America, team captain and was selected to play in the Junior College North-South game. After two years at MCC, Ryan moved to Randolph-Macon College where he was a two-time Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference defenseman and team captain in his senior year. Before assuming the head coaching duties after the 2000 season, Ryan served as Mercyhurst’s assistant coach, working primarily with the defense and serving as the recruiting coordinator.
A native of Rochester, New York, Ryan is a 1998 graduate of Randolph-Macon College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History. He and his wife, Karin, reside in Erie with their three children, Caleb, Brianne, and Gavin, and their two labrador retrievers, Daisy and Bo Schembechler.
| Year |
W |
L |
W |
L |
|
| 2001 |
9 |
3 |
-- |
-- |
|
| 2002 |
8 |
6 |
-- |
-- |
|
| 2003 |
11 |
3 |
-- |
-- |
NCAA Semifinals |
| 2004 |
11 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
NCAA Semifinals |
| 2005 |
11 |
3 |
-- |
-- |
|
| 2006 |
12 |
3 |
-- |
-- |
NCAA Semifinals |
| 2007 |
13 |
2 |
-- |
-- |
NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2008 |
9 |
4 |
-- |
-- |
|
| 2009 |
11 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
| 2010 |
13 |
1 |
9 |
1 |
|
| 2011 |
14 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
NCAA D-II Champions |
| 2012 |
13 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
NCAA Semifinals |
| 2013 |
18 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2014 |
12 |
4 |
6 |
1 |
NCAA Quarterfinals |
| 2015 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
ECAC Semifinals |
| 2016 |
15 |
3 |
7 |
1 |
NCAA Opening Round |
| 2017 |
12 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
GMAC Tournament |
| 2018 |
11 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
GMAC Tournament |
| 2019 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
GMAC Champions, NCAA Opening Round |
| 2020 |
5 |
0 |
-- |
-- |
Ranked No. 2 in the country (COVID-19 shortened year) |
| 2021 |
12 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
NCAA Semifinals, G-MAC Regular Season and Tournament Champ |
| 2022 |
11 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
NCAA Opening Round |
| 2023 |
16 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
NCAA National Champion Runner-Up |
| Career |
268 |
69 |
90 |
13 |
|
