For any other team, winning just four games in a single season, and only three in conference play, would mean a year to forget.

However, when one of those wins is in the playoffs and pushes transition year Bobcats squad to the second round of the MAAC Tournament, perhaps the “down” season is an omen of things to come.

Eighth-year head coach Mason Poli seems to think so, and his team, which was ranked No. 4 in the MAAC Preseason Poll, is right behind him.

“After what we consider a down year last year, they definitely had some motivation to kind of rewrite our history,” Poli said.

That history has its share of ups and downs in recent memory. Two years ago, the Bobcats were making a name for themselves in the regular season. They capped off the season 9-5, ranked No. 20 nationally midway through the year. Yet, Quinnipiac’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion in the first round of the MAAC playoffs.

Last year, a subpar regular season was capped with an unlikely upset against the No. 3 team in the MAAC, the Canisius Golden Griffins.

Now it’s all about putting the two performances, 2024’s regular season and 2025’s postseason, together to build something the program hasn’t seen in a decade: a MAAC championship victory.

As the season starts, the Bobcats look to be in a good place to achieve that goal.

It starts with continuity. Offensively, the Bobcats were relatively young in 2025 but return 10 of the 11 top goalscorers from last year’s campaign. But these athletes are far from the group that often struggled to put balls in the back of the net.

“It’s a lot of the same names, but they’re different people from day one a season ago,” Poli said. “You see the composure they bring to the field now, and the relationships they have, the way they play off each other.”

That offensive firepower is also aided on the coaching side. The Bobcats brought in assistant coach Matt Rice from Ohio Wesleyan University, who’s already made a mark on the offense and team dynamic.

Poli credits Rice’s personality as a key factor in connecting with the team, focusing on “subtle changes” to the Bobcat offense.

One thing that the Bobcats aren’t keen on changing is junior attacker Nate Watson. His team-leading 29 goals and 45 points as a sophomore propelled the Bobcats for much of the season, and Quinnipiac is counting on his offensive production again in his junior campaign.

Poli commended the New Brunswick native’s ability to direct the Bobcat offense last year, along with the finishing ability that kept him at the top of the Bobcat scoresheet. In Quinnipiac’s opening game against the UMass Lowell Riverhawks this season, that prowess around the net was evident. Watson’s eight points tied his career high from last season, with his five goals leading all Bobcat scorers.

For Watson, this new season provides the chance to just continue that maturation as a player and find a greater physicality within his game.

Another consistent star that will be critical for the Bobcats to return to the MAAC tournament is graduate student goaltender Mason Oak.

Even with the laundry list of accolades Oak has collected in his time sporting the Bobcat blue and gold, his impact on the field goes beyond his stellar netminding. That familiar presence in net extends to his on-field communication, and makes the job of Quinnipiac’s defenders that much easier. The defense knows what shots the 2024 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year likes to see, and can adjust accordingly.

“It allows us to play a certain style,” Poli said.

But the Bobcats’ strengths lie beyond the tried and true parts of last season. Problems that surfaced in 2025, such as injuries on the Quinnipiac backend, are becoming strengths. The transition season, although disappointing in result, facilitated new personal combinations that will drive a staunch defense core to continue improving.

One combination to look out for: sophomore defender Joe Konesco and junior long-stick midfielder Glenn Platania.

“We view (them) as the number one cover guys, so to not have to slide and support them, we’re really excited,” Poli said.

Continuing to settle into the defense schemes of second-year assistant coach Logan Tousaw will also benefit the Bobcats’ defensive numbers, and the changes he’s made will keep opposing offenses from figuring the squad out.

“He probably changed a little bit more in some of our defensive slide packages,” Poli said. “…even some of the variability we’re now able to bring on the defensive end.”

There is a lot to be excited about for the upcoming season of Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse, but one thing is for sure; the Bobcats don’t plan on backing themselves into a playoff spot the same way again. With a new postseason format that only includes the top five teams in the standings, Quinnipiac’s 2-6 conference performance last season likely won’t cut it again.

With the jumps Quinnipiac has made in the offseason, and the potential this young team has to take the next step, there’s no reason the top seed in the MAAC tournament is out of the question.

The team’s 15-12 victory against UMass Lowell on Feb. 6, while not a conference bout, is a step in a positive direction for the Bobcats. The next step is winning its first game at home since 2024. Quinnipiac will have the chance to achieve that goal on Friday, Feb. 13, against the UMass Amherst Minutemen. Face-off is set for 2 p.m.