Golden Griffins fight for playoff race survival

By Jase May, Sports Reporter

Competition for the 2026 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Championships is coming down to the wire and the Canisius Golden Griffins are right in the midst of the action.  

The tournament, which kicks off on April 26, is a five-team tournament in a conference with nine teams in contention for spots. Currently, Canisius sits in sixth place in the MAAC standings, just outside of the playoff picture. 

The Griffs are currently on a four-game losing streak against MAAC competition, the second-longest streak in the MAAC, with last weekend's loss against Merrimack only adding to the recent skid.  

The Merrimack contest saw the Golden Griffins hold strong for three quarters before ultimately allowing seven unanswered to give the lead away late, a recurring issue for the team over the past few games. 

All contending teams are only within a few games of each other. Iona, for example, the team ranked directly below Canisius, has the same record in conference play at 2–4. However, Canisius’ victory over the Gaels earlier this season will keep them ahead in the rankings.

In addition, Siena and Marist have already clinched the tournament, leaving only three spots available for the remaining teams. With competition so tight, one loss might be the difference between the playoffs and the couch.

Canisius’ next opponent is Manhattan, the only team ranked below Canisius, which they have yet to play. Manhattan is ranked last in the standings and has yet to collect a single conference win, currently standing at 0–6 in the MAAC. 

The contest will take place on Saturday, April 18 at Gaelic Park in Riverdale, N.Y.

Micah Hanson with the ball (via Jeff Kosloski)