A way-too-early look at the 2026 boys lacrosse season

In a lot of ways, the end results in 2025 looked a lot like they have in previous seasons, but the road to get there didn’t.

Bishop Guertin won its fifth Division I title in a row, its 14th overall, and extended its in-state win streak to 79 games. But the Cardinals also were 1-5 in their out-of-state games, with one of the losses a forfeit after one of those couldn’t get rescheduled.

Portsmouth won its fourth Division II in the last five seasons, but lost more games this year than it had in the previous four years combined. As the sixth seed, the Clippers also became the lowest seeded team to win a title in 20 years.

Things were different in Division III, with Plymouth winning its first title and Coe-Brown making it to the final for the first time. But even the Bobcats’ win continued a trend, as now five teams have won the last five titles in D3.

It could be more of the same in 2026. Bishop Guertin loses some great seniors, but has a ton of juniors set to return. Portsmouth was younger in spots than its been in recent years, but will have key spots to fill. While Plymouth and Coe-Brown should have solid returning rosters, D3 is too deep to say for sure if one or both will be back in this spot, at least as of right now.

This is the second year of the NHIAA’s two-year cycle, meaning there are no expected changes to the divisions or teams that in co-ops.

Division I

Bishop Guertin is losing 10 seniors to graduation, but the Cardinals had 16 juniors on their playoff roster, with half of them making major contributions this season. And now that Brian Cameron has a season of being a head coach under his belt, expect the Cardinals to be ready to go when the balls roll out next preseason.

Bedford will go into the year looking like the team with the best chance at challenging Bishop Guertin, at least on paper. The Bulldogs lose just eight seniors and should have a strong core of players returning who just finished their sophomore and junior seasons.

Exeter and Pinkerton should also be in that upper echelon of the division, but each will be in a different spot going into the season. The Blue Hawks see 13 players move on, but with so many injuries, a number of underclassmen saw more time than expected. Meanwhile the Astros lose just six to graduation, but all played a key role. Still, Pinkerton has more than enough returning to make another deep run.

Londonderry will say goodbye to 11 seniors, but always seems to have the numbers to fill the gaps. This year, a handful of younger players got opportunities, which should help the Lancers battle with the top four. Merrimack, although graduating 14 seniors, had a nice mix of sophomores and juniors who should return with valuable experience.

Concord has been a younger team the last couple of seasons, and with just one senior graduating, the Crimson Tide could take a big step next year. Dover is in a similar spot, graduating three while expecting to return a lot of young talent.

The eight seniors graduating will leave big holes for Nashua South, but the Panthers potentially have a good core to build around. Windham and Salem should also continue to be competitive enough in the division to contend for a playoff spot.

Too-early playoff predictions (9 teams): Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Concord, Dover, Exeter, Londonderry, Merrimack, Nashua South, Pinkerton.

Division II

This was the most unlikely title during this run for Portsmouth, given the inexperience and injuries the Clippers dealt with on offense. With eight seniors graduating, and six of them on the defensive side, Portsmouth will need to build on the experiences its returning players gained in winning the title.

If not, it looks like there will be no shortage of teams ready to knock the Clippers off, starting with this season’s runner-up, Derryfield. The Cougars were undefeated going into the title game, and while they lose five seniors who did a lot for the program, there’s a lot returning, and coming in, to keep them near the top.

Winnacunnet (seven seniors graduating) and Timberlane (nine) should both go in to next season in similar spots. Both lost to the eventual-champs in frustrating fashion and both will likely have a lot of players back who won’t soon forget the end to the 2025 season. If all goes right, both should be in position again to grab a top four spot.

St. Thomas doesn’t graduate a lot, with just five seniors on the roster, but four of them accounted for a large chunk of the Saints’ offense and will be tough to replace. Hollis Brookline also only graduates five, and while the Cavaliers could take a hit elsewhere, numbers have started to head in the right direction after a couple of lean years.

Goffstown was poised to be among the contenders in the spring before injuries derailed the Grizzlies. They graduate seven seniors, but should have a strong enough core returning to be in the mix. Oyster River-Newmarket will lose six seniors, but the Bobcats have had a lot of underclassmen contributing the last couple of seasons, and 2026 could be their year to take the next step.

Hanover and Merrimack Valley returned to the playoffs this past spring, but both lose key players to graduation. Kingswood just missed out on getting in this year while Souhegan looks like it continues to take steps forward.

Too-early playoff predictions (10 teams): Derryfield, Goffstown, Hanover, Hollis Brookline, Oyster River-Newmarket, Portsmouth, Souhegan, St. Thomas, Timberlane, Winnacunnet.

Division III

Plymouth was led to its first title by a solid senior class of 11, but the Bobcats also got big contributions from underclassmen who should help keep them in contention in 2026. That doesn’t mean Plymouth will necessarily be the favorite going into next year.

Coe-Brown graduates eight from this year’s team, many of whom were key in the Bears’ rise over their careers. But the Bears should have a lot returning next season, enough to keep them among the top teams in the division.

After getting upset in the quarterfinals, Bow looks like it should be a team to reckon with next year, as the Falcons lose just four seniors to graduation and will likely have plenty of key returners. Campbell, who upset Bow, will lose nine seniors, most of whom were in key roles, but the Cougars have found ways to remain in the mix despite losing important pieces every year.

Hopkinton also finds a way to be one of the top teams even with the graduation of great players, but the Hawks only lose five from this year’s roster, and should have a big mix of returning players. Laconia loses seven to graduation, but the Sachems also got key contributions from underclassmen.

Kearsarge and Lebanon look to be on the verge of taking the next step while Pelham will look to have a bounce back year. Bishop Brady and Gilford always seem to find ways to be in contention for a playoff spot while ConVal and Kennett, which will be eligible for the postseason in 2026, could be in the mix.

Too-early playoff predictions (12 teams): Bishop Brady, Bow, Campbell, Coe-Brown, Gilford, Hopkinton, Kearsarge, Kennett, Laconia, Lebanon, Pelham, Plymouth.

Only 38 weeks until the start of the 2026 preseason.