Duke Lacrosse Set to Open 2026 Season Against Bellarmine Amid Winter Conditions
It’s not your typical season opener, but then again, Duke men’s lacrosse isn’t your typical program. With snow expected to blanket Durham, the Blue Devils will kick off their 2026 campaign Monday at noon against Bellarmine - not at Koskinen Stadium, but on Cohan Turf Field.
Admission is free, but fans will need to watch from outside the fence for safety reasons. The game will stream live on ACCNX, though don’t expect commentary - just natural sound from the venue’s existing cameras.
A Delayed Debut, But a Loaded Roster
This was supposed to be a historic January debut for Duke, marking the first time the program would play a game in the season’s opening month. But winter weather had other plans, pushing the opener to February 2. Still, the Blue Devils enter the year with high expectations and plenty of firepower, both returning and newly added.
Ranked No. 8 by USA Lacrosse, No. 10 by Inside Lacrosse, and No. 11 in the USILA poll, Duke is once again a team with championship aspirations. The offense will look a little different this year - only 45% of last season’s scoring returns - but that 45% includes two key names: Benn Johnston and Max Sloat, both of whom are back after strong 2025 campaigns and enter this season with preseason All-America honors.
On the other side of the field, the defense remains largely intact - and that’s great news for Duke fans. All-Americans Charlie Johnson and Aidan Maguire return after breakout seasons that saw them become one of the most disruptive duos in the country. Johnson’s 32 caused turnovers last year were the second-most in single-season program history, while Maguire’s career total of 51 puts him just 16 away from cracking Duke’s all-time top five.
New Faces, Big Potential
There’s also a healthy injection of new talent. Duke welcomes 16 new players to the 2026 roster, including 10 freshmen, a sophomore transfer, and five graduate transfers. Four of those freshmen are ranked in the top 20 nationally, including players slotted at No. 10 and No. 11 - a sign that the pipeline of elite talent into Durham is alive and well.
Scouting Bellarmine
Bellarmine enters its 22nd season coming off an 8-9 campaign and brings back two cornerstone players: leading scorer John Allie and top defenseman Christopher Reynolds. Allie, a Preseason All-ASUN second-team selection, piled up 77 points last season on 52 goals and 25 assists - a serious offensive threat. Reynolds, a Preseason All-ASUN pick, anchors the Knights’ defense after forcing 15 turnovers and scooping up 32 ground balls in 2025.
Duke and Bellarmine have met five times before, and the Blue Devils have dominated the series with a 5-0 record and an average margin of victory of 12.6 goals. That includes last year’s 26-7 rout.
By the Numbers: Duke’s Defensive Dominance and More
- 45% of Duke’s points from last season return in 2026
- 51 career caused turnovers for Aidan Maguire - just 16 shy of Duke’s all-time top five
- 32 caused turnovers by Charlie Johnson last season - second-most in single-season program history
- 58 total caused turnovers by Maguire and Johnson last season - the most by a defensive duo in Duke history
- 169 saves needed by goalie Patrick Jameison to crack Duke’s all-time top five - he had 187 last season
- 70% of Duke’s caused turnovers from 2025 are back this season
- 8 home games on the 2026 slate, including five in February
- 4 preseason All-Americans: Johnston, Maguire, Johnson, and Sloat
- 8 points for Tomas Delgado in his final four games of 2025 - after scoring just two in his first 24
- 484 career wins for head coach John Danowski - just 16 away from 500, a milestone only one other coach in NCAA men’s lacrosse history has reached
Preseason Accolades Roll In
Duke’s top players aren’t just getting love from the polls - they’re stacking up preseason honors across the board.
- USILA Preseason All-America: First Team: Aidan Maguire, Benn Johnston Second Team: Charlie Johnson
- USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-America: First Team: Maguire, Johnston Third Team: Johnson Honorable Mention: Sloat
- Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America: First Team: Maguire Second Team: Johnston Third Team: Johnson Honorable Mention: Sloat
- USA Lacrosse Magazine Specialist of the Year: Maguire (Short Stick Defensive Midfielder)
- Preseason All-ACC Selections: Johnson (Defense), Johnston (Midfield), Maguire (SSDM), Sloat (Midfield)
What’s at Stake Monday
A win over Bellarmine would be more than just a strong start - it would mark:
- John Danowski’s 485th career win
- His 266th victory at Duke
- The fifth straight season-opening win for the program
- A 17-3 record in season openers under Danowski
- An 11-1 mark in openers against unranked opponents since 2007
Looking Ahead
Duke won’t have much time to rest after the opener. The Blue Devils are back on the field just four days later, hosting Utah on February 6 at 5 p.m., with that matchup airing on ACC Network.
But first, it’s Bellarmine. Snow or no snow, the 2026 season is here - and Duke is ready to make its mark.