Lake Show Rolls Forward
The Mercyhurst Lakers were the best story in the NEC in 2025, far exceeding our expectations to have a shot at a piece of the conference championship in the final week of the season. This kind of success leads to changes, and Erie wasn’t spared the usual slew of personnel turnover that big seasons bring.
A major shift for the upcoming season is the change at the helm. Following Ryan Riemedio's departure to become the defensive coordinator at Youngstown State, Tom Sydeski has been elevated to head coach. Additionally, the Lakers have retained Mike Waring, who will serve as the team's General Manager and Recruiting Coordinator, helping to maintain the success the program has established. The Lakers have had a sort of unique footprint in the NEC with an ability to recruit into areas like Kentucky, Virginia, and especially the West Coast. They’ll likely look to maintain that identity as well as the passing game fireworks with their retentions. Among other losses, Coach Eli Altizer, who was one of the names we heard most often from recruits, has gone to coach at Memphis. Again, success has a cost.
With the graduation of star quarterback Adam Urena, the team looks to Anthony Wolter to step into the QB1 role. Wolter is a transfer from Nevada and a former 3-star recruit. Like Urena, he brings a West Coast background to Erie, Pennsylvania, hailing from Lancaster, California. He lacks typical size at 5’11”, but he’ll have the option to spread the ball to some incredible targets. The cabinet remains well-stocked with experienced receivers:
Dylan Evans: Coming off a strong 2025 campaign where he recorded 43 receptions for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Evan Van Dyke: A key contributor in 2025 who hauled in 41 receptions for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Swiss army knife Jameir “Mookie” Gamble will also return for the Lakers. He could step into an even bigger role this season.
The Lakers captured the league's attention last season, staying in the hunt for a share of the NEC championship until the very final week and pushing Central Connecticut to the absolute limit in the finale. Now, the goal shifts. After proving they can compete with the conference’s elite, the question for 2026 is whether Mercyhurst can flip the script in key matchups, most notably seeking revenge against Duquesne, and cement themselves as the team to beat in the NEC. Can the league’s best story become the league’s best team?
