Tiger Lacrosse Report – April 6, 2026

Ridgefield lit up the scoreboard early, ending the first quarter with a 6-0 lead. Junior Tommy Lunn set the pace with two of his three goals in the opening frame, while junior Chris Colsey, senior Ryan Troy, and Vickers all found the back of the net. The momentum continued in the second quarter as Neligan and junior Andrew Lycoyannis joined the scoring surge, sending Ridgefield into halftime with a double-digit advantage.

Neligan remained hot in the third, adding two more goals to his tally, while senior Sam Gay extended the lead to 13-0 off an assist from fellow senior Liam Kristan, who finished the day with three helpers. Warwick Valley finally managed to break the shutout in the fourth quarter, but late goals from sophomore Kieran Troy and junior Andrew Tebbe put an exclamation point on the dominating performance.

Defensively, the Tigers were nearly impenetrable. Freshman goalie Brady Reinhardt pitched a shutout in the first half of his varsity debut, while junior Sebastian Miller held down the fort in the second half with three saves. The battle at the X was equally decisive, led by senior and New England wrestling champion Johnny Carrozza, alongside juniors Lycoyannis and Sonny Barrella.

2026 Season Preview: A New Chapter for the Defending FCIAC Champions

While the opening day victory provided a glimpse of the Tigers’ high ceiling, it also marked the beginning of a significant transition period for the program. Ridgefield enters the 2026 season carrying the prestige - and pressure - of being the defending FCIAC champions, having captured its first conference title last spring since 2009. That historic feat helped earn Ridgefield the #7 ranking in the Inside Lacrosse National Preseason Public High School rankings and reinforced the Tigers’ status as a Connecticut lacrosse powerhouse.

The Tigers’ FCIAC title was a landmark achievement for head coach James Goldmann, who was named the Connecticut Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm. Goldmann has seamlessly continued the culture of excellence established by longtime head coach Roy Colsey, keeping the Tigers at the forefront of perhaps the most elite public high school lacrosse conference in America.

However, the road to a repeat comes with hurdles. The Tigers were hit particularly hard by graduation, losing 19 seniors from that championship roster. The 2026 roster is certainly younger than the 2025 version, but Coach Goldmann will lean heavily on his returning contributors and a core of collegiate commits to bridge the gap.

Positional Breakdown

• Attack: The attack unit is spearheaded by junior Chris Colsey, an elite playmaker rated as a five-star recruit by both Inside Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse Federation. The North Carolina commit is ranked among the top 20 players nationally in the Class of 2027, and is widely regarded as one of the most lethal scoring threats in all of high school lacrosse. Joining Colsey on attack is a formidable rotation including fellow junior snipers Conor Vickers (High Point U commit) and Preston Penn, senior Henry Neligan, and promising sophomore Ollie Cronin.

• Midfield: The engine room is powered by the team captains, senior Liam Kristan (Skidmore College commit) and junior Andrew Lycoyannis (Binghamton U commit). Kristan’s pivotal goal against Darien last spring was one of the highlights of 2025 and helped propel the Tigers to their first victory over the Blue Wave since 2018. And along with Colsey, Lycoyannis is one of the Ruden Report’s “Players to Watch” in the FCIAC this season, providing critical two-way versatility and anchoring the defense at SSDM. The Tigers are also expecting big things from senior Ryan Troy (Ithaca College commit) and junior Tommy Lunn (coming off a hat trick in the 2025 state semifinals), while sophomores Ryan Carney and Kieran Troy are expected to contribute as well.

• Defense: Junior Connor Chojnacki (Boston U commit) headlines a stout backline that also features junior Andrew Fitzpatrick, who will be an important factor at both close defense and LSM. They are joined by super sophomore Anders Gerosa, who excelled as an injury fill-in down the stretch during last year’s title run, and freshman Alex Coleman.

• Goalie: Following the graduation of three-year starter Dylan Penn, the Tigers turn to the tandem of freshman Brady Reinhardt and junior Sebastian Miller – and the early returns are very promising for this duo.

• Faceoffs: To fill the void left by the graduation of Brandon Penn – arguably the top faceoff man in Connecticut last year – the Tigers will rely on a rotation featuring senior Johnny Carrozza (Wesleyan U wrestling commit) and Lycoyannis to maintain a steady presence at the dot.

• Who else will emerge? Contributing to the success of the 2025 squad were multiple players who, before the season, wouldn’t have been included by name in a preseason positional breakdown. Many Tigers not named above have been working hard since last summer in preparation for the season, and their inevitable emergence during the 2026 campaign will provide an additional boost to Coach Goldmann and his staff as they navigate another challenging schedule.

• The Bench Mob: No positional breakdown would be complete without a shout-out to the Bench Mob, which provides boisterous vocal support and tireless enthusiasm that fuels the players on the field, ensuring that the Tigers’ intensity never wavers no matter the score.The Bench Mob exemplifies that every single player on the roster has a role in the Tigers’ success and that Ridgefield lacrosse truly is one team, from the first man on the roster to the last.

• Coaching Staff: Greg Lewis returns as an assistant on Coach Goldmann’s staff, joined by Chris Sgritta, who comes to Ridgefield from the Darien High School staff. As always, Junior Varsity/Freshman coaches Brendan Carney, Conor Flanagan, and Chris Reinhardt will provide additional and indispensable guidance and support.

The Week Ahead: 4/6-4/11

The “next man up” mentality that fueled the Warwick Valley win will be put to the test immediately as Ridgefield faces a challenging week of interstate competition.

• Tuesday, April 7, 11:00 am: at Carey (Franklin Square, NY). Tuesday brings the first of the Tigers’ two Long Island road trips in 2026. The Seahawks have shown resilience early in their 2026 campaign, currently holding a 3-2 record. Ridgefield’s defense will need to stay disciplined to contain a Carey offense that has already flashed its potential, including a 14-goal shutout performance in late March.

• Saturday, April 11, 11:00 am: Home vs. Shawnee (NJ). The Renegades make the long trek to Tiger Hollow from south Jersey following a hard-fought loss against Pennsylvania powerhouse Radnor. Shawnee features elite high-end talent, most notably a pair of Duke University commits in seniors Thomas McAneney and Brett Lundberg. Along with Rutgers commit Tyler Rotkowitz, Shawnee brings a high-octane offense that will test the Tigers’ defense and their ability to control the transition game.

Around the FCIAC

Saturday, April 4:

Darien 12, Fairfield Prep 4

New Canaan 12, Mamaroneck (NY) 9

Greenwich 11, Warde 1