“He makes everybody around him better, I don’t know where we’d be without him”
Senior attackman Co-captain, and second-team All-SUNYAC honoree, Caden Yancey, returns to lead the SUNY Cortland men’s lacrosse team in the 2025 season. Yancey has been a pivotal force for the Red Dragons throughout his collegiate career. Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 215 pounds, Yancey has consistently demonstrated his offensive prowess and leadership.
Yancey is from from Fayetteville, New York, Yancey is a 2021 graduate of Fayetteville-Manlius High School.
During his high school tenure, he was a three-year lacrosse team member, earning a captain spot, first-team all-league, and All-Central New York honors as a senior.
Yancey spoke about what his time at Fayetteville-Manlius meant for him and his lacrosse career.
“My time at Fayetteville-Manlius gave me experiences and relationships that helped shape me into the person I am today. I learned lessons on what it takes to be successful like discipline, hard work, and accountability. We were expected to show up and give our best effort every day and we learned to hold our teammates accountable in doing that. I had coaches that pushed us to be our best every day and taught us great lessons that translate to every aspect of my life.”
His contributions were instrumental in securing two sectional titles for Fayetteville Manlius. Lacrosse runs deep in his family as his father, Bruce, played at Hofstra and Washington College.
Since joining SUNY Cortland, Yancey has been a cornerstone of the Red Dragons’ offense. In the 2022 season, he appeared in 13 games, starting three, and tallied 13 goals and three assists.
A standout performance that year was a six-point game against a rival school Geneseo, where he netted five goals and added an assist.
The 2023 season saw Yancey elevate his game, starting 17 of 18 contests and earning 22 goals and 14 assists. Notable performances included a five-point game against New Paltz and hat tricks in victories over Oswego and Plattsburgh.
Yancey’s junior year in 2024 was his best yet. He earned second-team All-SUNYAC honors after playing in 16 games, 15 as a starter, with 55 points on 30 goals and 25 assists.
His consistency was evident, scoring in 14 of 16 games, including a seven-game streak from March 13 to April 6. A highlight was his seven-point performance in a 15-7 road win over St. John Fisher, where he recorded three goals and four assists.
Throughout his tenure, Yancey has received multiple accolades. In March 2024, he was named the SUNYAC Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week after a stellar two-game stretch, accumulating 12 points on seven goals and five assists. His efforts were crucial in victories over St. John Fisher and Scranton.
In April 2024, Yancey continued to showcase his clutch performance by scoring four goals, including the game-winner, in an 11-10 triumph over Brockport.
Fellow attacker, Senior, and Captain Sam Rothman had this to say about Yancey’s performance in that game.
“That game was chaos, everyone had an excuse for why they weren’t playing well, except Caden. When our team was spiraling it was his performance that held us together and got us a win.”
As the 2025 season approaches, Yancey, now a senior, is poised to lead the Red Dragons both on and off the field.
The team is set to face formidable opponents, including a season opener against No. 7 RPI on Feb. 26 and a notable home game against No. 11 St. Lawrence on March 5.