BUENA VISTA, Va. - The USA South released its preseason poll ahead of the 2026 men's lacrosse season. Voted on by the Head Coach of each team, Southern Virginia University is projected to finish 4th in the conference. Pfeiffer, the defending tournament champions, are the favorites.

The Knights have finished in the top four of the league standings every year since joining the USA South ahead of the 2022 season. Last year, they finished fourth in the regular season standings before bowing out of the postseason in the conference semifinals.

With a proven track record of success, Southern Virginia is looking to get back to the conference final for the third time in just five seasons. They were USA South regular season champions in 2022 and 2023, with the 2022 season culminating in a conference tournament crown.

Clay Haacke, the Knights leading goal scorer of the past two seasons returns for his senior year. Haacke has found the back of the net 125 times in his career and is a two-time first team all-conference performer.

Jace Lightfoot is another key returner, back in between the pipes as the Knights starting goalkeeper. The team welcomes twelve freshmen into the fold to offset the loss of some key graduates from 2025, including reigning USA South Defensive Player of the Year, JT Cutrer.

Season Opener 

The opening faceoff for the Knights' 2026 season will be in South Carolina where they'll visit the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD) this Saturday, January 31st at 12:00 PM.

Southern Virginia will host nine games at Knight Stadium this season, the first being on February 7th against Marymount.  

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_mlax on Instagram.