CLEVELAND, OH -- Ohio Wesleyan junior attackman Henry Ross (Snoqualmie, WA/Mount Si), senior defenseman Trey Weber (Castle Pines, CO/Rock Canyon) and senior faceoff specialist Noah Citek (Long Beach, CA/St. John Bosco) were named the Players of the Year to highlight the 2026 All-North Coast Athletic Conference men's lacrosse team after balloting by the league coaches.
Ross, a three-time All-NCAC first team selection, is the back-to-back NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, earning Ohio Wesleyan its fifth such honor. In eight conference games, the attackman totaled 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points. His 4.75 points and 2.25 assists per game ranked second and third in the NCAC, respectively. The junior also scooped up 27 ground balls and caused seven turnovers in conference play. He recorded at least three points in all eight league games, including five games with at least five points, highlighted by a career-high eight-point performance in a 20-11 win over John Carroll. Across 17 games, he averaged 2.71 goals, 1.65 assists, and 4.35 points per game, all ranking among the top four in the NCAC, while adding 53 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers.
Weber, who elevates to the first team this season after earning second team honors a year ago, is the second-straight and fifth overall Ohio Wesleyan player to be named NCAC Defensive Player of the Year. The senior helped anchor a Battling Bishop defensive unit that averaged 10.63 caused turnovers and 48.25 ground balls per game in conference play. Individually, he caused 10 turnovers and collected 14 ground balls in NCAC action. Across 17 games, Weber totaled 20 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls, while also contributing offensively with two goals and one assist.
Citek earns Ohio Wesleyan its first Specialist of the Year honor in the award’s nine-year history. He returns to the All-NCAC team with a first-team selection after previously earning third-team honors in 2023. The senior won 129 of 175 faceoffs (.737) in eight conference games and recorded 13 or more wins at the X in each league contest, highlighted by a career-high 27 wins against John Carroll. In NCAC play, Citek collected a league-high 107 ground balls (13.38 per game), including a career-best 22 against the Blue Streaks. Over 17 games, he posted a conference-best 260 faceoff victories in 393 attempts (.662) while scooping up 187 ground balls.
Thirteen men’s lacrosse student-athletes were named to the first team. Denison junior Brady Monturio (Weymouth, MA/Thayer Academy) and Oberlin senior Jacob Starcke (Northport, NY/Northport) join Ross as first-team attackmen, while a trio of senior midfielders were named to the top team: Oberlin’s Solomon Brennan (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) and Ohio Wesleyan’s Will Siegenthaler (Elmhurst, IL/York) and Garrett Smith (Fishers, IN/Hamilton Southeastern). Denison sophomore long-stick midfielder Colin Swanson (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) and senior short-stick defensive midfielder AJ Boxler (Westport, MA/Tabor Academy) earned spots on the first team as specialists along with Citek. Joining Weber as first-team defenders were Denison junior Charlie Haight (Portland, OR/Middlesex) and Oberlin junior Colin Taylor (Baltimore, MD/Friends School of Baltimore), while with Big Red senior Andrew Albert (Weston, CT/The Hill School (PA)) claimed All-NCAC first-team goalkeeper recognition.
Denison first-year attackman Jonah Frank (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley) was named the 2026 NCAC Newcomer of the Year as the league’s top first-year player. He is the 11th overall and second-consecutive Big Red recipient of the award, following teammate Khari Freeman (Uniondale, NY/Poly Prep Country Day School) last season. In eight conference games, Frank recorded 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points, ranking among the top 15 in the league. He also added 15 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Overall, Frank totaled 30 goals and 15 assists while collecting 30 ground balls and causing five turnovers.
Oberlin earned the 2026 Coaching Staff of the Year honor, marking the program’s second-straight and third overall recognition. The Yeomen are led by head coach Ryan Polak and associate head coach Thomas Klosowski, who guided the team to a 6-2 NCAC record and a share of the program’s first conference championship. In conference play, Oberlin ranked among the top three in goals (105), assists (55), points (160), goals allowed (67), ground balls (320), and faceoff wins (154). Overall, the Yeomen totaled 216 goals, 112 assists, and 328 points, along with 179 caused turnovers. They also led the league with 722 ground balls and a .712 faceoff winning percentage, while posting a conference-best 8.68 goals-against average.