MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo men's lacrosse is set to open the 2025 season on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. when the Falcons take on Emmanuel in Montevallo, Ala.
 
Following the Falcons' season opener on Feb. 1, Montevallo heads out for a two-game road trip at Mars Hill on Feb. 5 and Emory & Henry on Feb. 7. The Falcons return to central Alabama to take on Saint Leo on Feb. 13 before hosting Thomas More on Feb. 15. Montevallo travels to Belmont, N.C. on Feb. 22 for a meeting with Belmont Abbey before heading north to UIndy on March 1. UM is set to host North Greenville on March 8 before William Jewell comes to Montevallo, Ala. on March 16. The Falcons close a three-game homestand with a matchup against Maryville on March 22 before heading to Malone on March 26. Montevallo closes the nonconference slate with a trip to North Canton, Ohio on March 28 to take on Walsh. Montevallo opens the Peach Belt Conference schedule with a trip to Lander on April 5^th before hosting Flagler on April 12. Montevallo closes the 2025 regular season against Alabama Huntsville on April 19 during the Falcons' Senior Day ceremonies.
 
Following the completion of the regular season, Montevallo moves on to the two-round Peach Belt Conference tournament. The winner of the PBC tournament will face the winner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for the first automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament for either conference.
 
"...If you lose one or two games in the years past, your season's over. Your season could be over in February. Now, there's always a chance with the AQ," said Lange about the new developments with PBC lacrosse.
 
Ahead of the start of the 2025 season, the PBC released its annual Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-Conference team with the Falcons voted to finish at the top of the league and Alex Egorshin earning a slot on the preseason all-conference squad.
 
"I'm grateful that the other coaches in our league think highly of us, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. So, we will have a target on our back, and I think we're excited for that," said Lange.
 
In the Preseason Coaches' Poll, Montevallo and Lander tied for the top spot on the poll with seven points each while the Falcons received a pair of first-place votes with Alabama Huntsville and Flagler tied at third place.
 
Montevallo won its second PBC regular season title following a 3-1 conference record and a 9-6 overall mark in 2024. The Falcons led the league with an average of 15.60 goals per game and 9.93 assists per game for a PBC-best 25.53 points per game. Defensively, the Falcons were also one of the PBC's top defensive teams with a .548 save percentage and just 12.04 goals allowed per game. The Falcons also led the PBC with 43.07 ground balls per game and a .663 faceoff win percentage in 2024.
 
Egorshin, the PBC's two-time Defender of the Year, was the lone Falcon named to the early All-Conference team as the league's top keeper. The Hoover, Ala. native earned his second-consecutive superlative award after posting and overage of 12.5 saves per game with just 12.19 goals against per game. Egorshin was also named USILA All-America Honorable Mention and USILA All-South Region Honorable Mention a season ago.
 
Montevallo also returns its top offensive threat with Matthew Boas remaining on the squad for the 2025 season. In 2024, the junior score a team-high 36 goals while adding 15 assists for a total of 51 points on the season. The Nanaimo, B.C., Canada native also led Montevallo's 2024 squad with eight man-up goals while also recording 20 ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
"I think a guy who kind of was in the shadows last year behind a couple of the better middies we lost, Will Angus. In the two weeks since we've been back, he has taken a massive jump, and has really asserted himself as, I think, our guy at the midfield," said Matthew Boas.
 
Angus, a late addition to the 2024 squad, finished the season with 10 goals and seven assists for a total of 17 points in his 15 appearances a season ago. The sophomore also added 17 ground balls and scored the game winner against Shorter on April 6, 2024.
 
"Our younger guys have done a fantastic job of adapting and playing in a new system. And I think our older guys have done an awesome job just guiding these new players, transfers, freshmen, and taking them under their wing and helping them understand how we do things. I think we appreciate all of our new guys," said Lange on the Falcons' 2024 recruiting class.
 
"I think we're better than last year, and I think we got a lot to prove, and I'm just excited for that. I'm also excited to prove some people wrong. I'm just ready to get after it," said Egorshin.
 
Montevallo opens the season on Saturday, Feb. 1 against Emmanuel at 11 a.m. as the Falcons host Pockets of Peace, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and offers resources to parents who have children with autism.