BOSTON – The University at Albany men's lacrosse team collected 12 different end of season America East Awards, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. Silas Richmond and Max Neeson led the way, with Richmond being named the 2025 America East Offensive Player of the Year and Neeson being named the 2025 America East Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Major Awards
Silas Richmond – Offensive Player of the Year
Max Neeson – Defensive Player of the Year
 
First Team All-Conference
Silas Richmond – Attack
Daniel Kesselring – Midfield
Max Neeson – Defense
Conner Fingar – Short Stick Defensive Midfield
 
Second Team All-Conference
Ryan Doherty – Attack
Jackson Palumb – Midfield
Jacob Smith – Long Stick Midfield
 
All-Rookie Team
Brady Smith – Goalkeeper

All-Academic Team
Ryan Doherty – Business & Political Science
Cade Galko – Business

Richmond finished the 2025 regular season with 73 points, leading all conference players by more than 20 (Ryan Doherty finished second with 50 points). The mark ranks him fourth nationally. He's buried 33 goals and tallied 40 assists, averaging 4.87 points per game. His 40 helpers lead the America East and ranks third nationally. He's collected a whopping five America East Offensive Player of the Week awards this season, also earning a spot on the America East All-Conference First Team. He becomes just the third Great Dane to be named America East Offensive Player of the Year, joining the likes of Connor Fields (2017, 2018) and Jakob Patterson (2019)*.
 
Neeson finished the season as the conference's best lock down defender. Tasked with matching up against the best player from every team faced, Neeson finished the year with 39 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers. His caused turnovers numbers ranked third in the America East and landed within the top 30 nationally. With the long pole, the junior from Pottstown, Pa., has found the back of the net four times – scoring his first career goal against Penn in the second game of the season. By being named Defensive Player of the Year, the award returns to UAlbany for the third consecutive year following two straight seasons with the award going to Jake Piseno. Neeson joins the ranks of legendary Great Danes to win the award including Piseno (2023, 2024), TD Ierlan (2018), and Blaze Riorden (2016)*.
 
*Prior to 2016, the conference only named a 'Player of the Year' rather than differentiating between offense and defense.
 
Joining Richmond and Neeson as First Team All-Conference selections were midfielder Daniel Kesselring and short stick defensive midfielder Conner Fingar. Kesselring collects his first career conference award after capping the regular season with 13 goals, 11 assists, 12 ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Fingar re-claims a spot on the conference's top team after being named a First Team selection in 2024. In 2025, Fingar scored two goals, tallied two assists, caused five turnovers, and scooped up 32 ground balls.
 
America East Second Team Selections include attack man Ryan Doherty, midfielder Jackson Palumb, and long stick midfielder Jacob Smith – all sophomores. Doherty, the 2024 America East Rookie of the Year, led the entire conference in goals scored this season with 38 – top 20 in the nation. He added 12 assists to finish with 50 points, second in the conference only behind his teammate Richmond. Palumb found the back of the net 18 times this year, adding two assists to go along with six ground balls and one caused turnover. Jacob Smith, a two-time America East Defensive Player of the Week, finished the year with 17 caused turnovers (sixth in the conference), 39 ground balls, two assists, and four pole goals.
 
Goalkeeper Brady Smith was named to the America East All-Rookie Team. Smith earned the starting job ahead of UAlbany's game with Drexel, keeping the spot for the rest of the year (missed one game due to sickness). The freshman from Bayport, N.Y., collected 119 saves throughout the season to pair with a .469 save percentage and an 11.73 goals against average.
 
Lastly, Doherty and defenseman Cade Galko earned well-deserved sports on the America East All-Academic Team. Doherty holds a 3.97 GPA as a business and political science major. Galko holds a 3.88 GPA as a business major. On the field, both are significant starters and contributors.
 
To view a full list of this year's America East men's lacrosse award winners, click here.
 
The Great Danes will look to defend their 2024 title in this year's America East Championship, hosted by No. 1 seed Bryant. UAlbany, the Championship's No. 3 seed, will take on No. 2 UMBC this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. No. 1 Bryant will host No. 4 Binghamton in the game prior. Semifinal winners will meet in the Championship Game scheduled for 1:00 p.m. this Saturday at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, R.I.
 
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's lacrosse by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMLax) and Instagram (@ualbanymlax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.