Men's Lacrosse | 6/2/2026 12:56:00 PM
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Navy men's lacrosse head coach Joe Amplo announced on Tuesday that rising seniors
Zach Hayashi (FO / North Potomac, Md.) and
AJ Marsh (D / Reisterstown, Md.) have been selected by their teammates to serve as team captains for the 2026-27 academic year.
"Both Zach and AJ have established themselves as leaders within our program since the day they arrived on campus. It comes as no surprise that their teammates overwhelmingly supported them as captains," said Amplo. "Their performance on the field speaks for itself, as both rank among the best nationally at their respective positions. But what makes them the right captains for the 2027 team is not their talent, but their relentless pursuit of excellence and the way they elevate everyone around them. They are servant leaders who have earned the respect of this team through their consistency, accountability, and daily commitment to high standards. As our 2027 team works to prove it can compete for championships, I am proud to have Zach and AJ as captains for the journey ahead."
Hayashi is one of the winningest faceoff specialists in program history, winning 384 of the 686 draws (56.0) he's taken in three years. While he is one of just four players in Navy history to win at least 300 faceoffs, his 384 victories trail only record holder Brady Dove who amassed 637 faceoff wins from 2014-17. Hayashi was named the 2024 Patriot League and ECAC Rookie of the Year after becoming the only player in school history to win over 200 faceoffs in a season, posting 214 and and breaking the previous school record by 29.
This past spring, Hayashi and
Colin Shadowens combined to win 216 of 391 (55.2) draws for the Mids. Navy, along with Penn State, were the only two schools in the country to have two players with 100-plus wins this season. Meanwhile, it was the first time in Navy history it has churned out two 100-win draw specialists in the same season.
Hayashi has also etched his name among Navy's best in ground balls, sitting among the top five. Grabbing 194 ground balls over his career, he needs just six more to become only the fifth player in school history to reach 200. He needs 29 more to take sole possession of second place, while he trails Dove, the Mids' record holder, by 154.
Marsh is a three-time All-Patriot League player (2025, '26 first team / 2024 second team) and two-time USILA Honorable Mention All-American. The two-time Tewaaraton Award Watch List member began his career on close defense before switching to long-stick midfield his rookie campaign. He moved back to close defense as a sophomore where he has started each of the last 27 games in which he has played.
One of the most talented and dangerous poles Navy has seen run the transition game, he has produced 24 points on 12 goals and 12 assists in his three seasons. The 24 points are the most by a Navy pole (LSM or D) in school history, while his 12 goals are the third most.
Marsh will head into his senior campaign tied for 11th on the Mids' all-time caused turnovers list with 32, needing eight more to become one of just eight players to reach the 40-career caused turnovers milestone. He stood second on the team in the spring with 12 ground balls, missing the final two games due to injury.
He served as the veteran member of Navy's defensive unit this past season that allowed 12.57 goals per game and held three teams - Iona, Jacksonville and Lafayette - to single digits. The three-year starter spearheaded a defensive effort that tamed the nation's eighth-ranked scoring offense (Jacksonville / 14.33 GPG) and held the Dolphins to single digits for the first time since 2025. Marsh played a pivotal role in Navy holding #11 Penn State, who went on to make the NCAA Quarterfinals, to its fewest goals (11) since since its NCAA Tournament loss to Georgetown last spring and well under its 14.67 scoring average going into the game against the Mids. Marsh held All-American Hunter Aquino to an extra-man goal, an assist and forced him into a pair of turnovers in the overtime win by the Mids.
Both Hayashi and Marsh have had stellar careers off the field, as well. Hayashi, who owns a 3.91 grade-point average in cyber operations, ranks 15th in his class (1,078 students) in overall order of merit which includes academic (86th) and military (4th) performance. He has been named to both the Academy's Superintendent's and Commandant's Lists five times. Hayashi was named the 2026 Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Navy's first since Colin Finnegan earned the award in 2007. Additionally, Hayashi is a candidate for the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America recognition.
Marsh, meanwhile, has achieved a 3.12 GPA in quantitative economics. He has been named to the Commandant's List multiple times, as well as to the Dean's List.
### Go Navy ###
