Army West Point lacrosse crossed a threshold it had been building toward for almost a decade on Tuesday night, as senior midfielder Evan Plunkett was selected fourth overall by the Denver Outlaws in the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft.
The pick tied Army's highest ever PLL draft position, matching John Glesener's fourth-overall selection in the 2015 MLL Draft and Tom Rigney's fourth-overall pick in the 2020 PLL Draft. Plunkett's selection extends a consistent theme at West Point — a program that, despite service commitments shaping its recruiting, has routinely produced top-tier PLL talent.
Head coach Joe Alberici, who has led Army's men's lacrosse program for over a decade and coached Plunkett through his development, was effusive in his reaction after the pick.
"I am happy for Evan to be selected in the PLL draft," Alberici said. "He has worked incredibly hard to be his very best and, in doing so, has helped to elevate our whole program. Throughout his career, he has been his best in our biggest moments. When the time comes, there is no doubt that he will do the same for the Denver Outlaws."
Plunkett graduates from West Point as the active career scoring leader at Army with 170 points. His production across four seasons has included spikes in high-pressure games against Patriot League rivals Navy and Loyola Maryland, and the midfielder has built a reputation as a player who lifts his team in elimination contexts — exactly the kind of profile PLL coaches covet for late-game possession work.
The Outlaws, reigning PLL Championship runners-up, entered the draft looking to add a two-way midfielder capable of winning possession from face-off wings and converting off-ball matchups in the offensive half. Denver's scouting department identified Plunkett as the highest-rated two-way midfielder available at the No. 4 slot, and the franchise moved quickly when he remained on the board.
Service obligations shape the PLL pathway for any Army graduate. Plunkett, like his predecessors Glesener and Rigney, must first fulfil his commissioning commitments, which will determine when he is available for full-time PLL play. The league has, in recent years, demonstrated flexibility in working with Army, Navy and Air Force alumni to schedule training camp attendance and part-season availability around military duties.
Alberici's statement that Plunkett would "do the same for the Denver Outlaws" carries a specific weight given the service context. Army lacrosse alumni arriving in professional locker rooms have historically brought leadership traits honed at West Point that translate quickly into professional environments. The Outlaws, who rebranded and relocated to Denver under the PLL's franchise era, have been explicit about valuing leadership profiles to anchor their midfielder rotation.
Across the 2026 PLL Draft class, Patriot League representation was strong once again, continuing the conference's pattern of punching above its weight in collegiate lacrosse. Plunkett's selection in particular underscores the durability of Army's development model under Alberici's long tenure — a program that recruits within the constraints of academy admissions and still produces PLL first-rounders.
The Patriot League regular season now heads into its tournament phase with Army West Point sitting at the top of the table on 5-2 conference play, 10-3 overall. The program's NCAA Tournament ambitions remain the immediate priority. But having Plunkett walk into West Point's locker room as a PLL first-rounder will, Alberici has acknowledged, "help every young player in the room believe what the next level looks like." The recruiting runway out of that message is the kind of benefit that extends well beyond one draft night.
