WILLIAMSPORT, PA (February 18, 2026) -- The King's College men's lacrosse team kicked off their 2026 campaign on a high note, using an offense-filled first 30 minutes of action to defeat Lycoming College 10-8, Wednesday afternoon at UPMC Field at Keiper Stadium.  The nonconference victory puts the Monarchs at 1-0 to begin the season, while the Warriors fall to 0-1.
 
King's controlled the pace early, winning the opening faceoff as Caleb Sopkie secured the ground ball to start the possession. After several early shot attempts, Brenden Lynch broke through at 10:50 to give the Monarchs the first goal of the season. B.Lynch struck again at 9:20 to double the advantage as King's continued to pressure the Lycoming defense.
 
Just over a minute later, the Monarchs extended their lead to 3-0 when Miles Wilson finished a feed from Ryan Lynch. The King's offense kept flowing, as Wilson added another tally at 7:06 off a second assist from R.Lynch to push King's in front 4-0. The Warriors answered at 4:49 to get on the board, but strong defensive play and a key save from Ryan Rickards at 2:54 preserved a 4-1 edge after one.
 
King's carried its momentum into the second quarter and made it 5-1 at 13:12 as EJ Schreiner converted a pass from B.Lynch. The Monarchs successfully killed off multiple Lycoming extra-man opportunities midway through the frame behind timely ground balls and clears. Wilson completed the hat trick on an unassisted marker at 9:35 to stretch the margin to five.
 
The Warriors capitalized on a man-up chance at 3:10 to cut into the deficit, but King's responded late when R.Lynch netted an extra-man goal at 1:05 off a feed from Schreiner. After winning the ensuing faceoff, Wilson struck a fourth time at 0:08 with R.Lynch earning the assist to send the Monarchs into halftime with an 8-2 lead.
 
Lycoming came out aggressive in the third quarter, scoring at 11:08 to make it 8-3 before adding another at 9:04 to trim the margin to four. Rickards made several key saves during the stretch to prevent further damage. After sustained pressure on the offensive end, B.Lynch netted his third of the day at 1:05 to give King's a 9-4 cushion heading into the final quarter.
 
The Warriors mounted a strong rally to open the fourth, scoring at 14:45 and then adding three straight tallies in a span of two minutes to pull within one at 9-8. The Monarchs weathered the momentum swing and earned a crucial extra-man opportunity midway through the final frame. B.Lynch capitalized at 4:06 to tack on a fourth tally and restore a two-goal lead.
 
King's defense closed the door from there, forcing key turnovers and controlling possession in the final minutes to secure the season-opening victory.
 
The Monarchs were paced offensively by Wilson and B.Lynch, who each posted four-goal performances. R.Lynch contributed multiple assists and an extra-man goal. Schreiner added a goal and an assist in the win. Sopkie led King's in the circle, winning eight faceoffs.
 
Josh Hilpp was a noticeable presence on the turf, picking up a team-high five ground balls and causing two turnovers. R.Lynch and Erik Matulevicius also forced a pair of turnovers to share the team lead. Rickards anchored the defense in goal with several timely stops - particularly during Lycoming's second-half surge - to finish with nine saves.
 
The Monarchs return home to McCarthy Stadium on Saturday, February 28 to take on Susquehanna University. Game time in the home opener against the River Hawks is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.