Photo via Quinnipiac University Athletics, Photo taken by Rob Rasmussen
Vincent Quill, Lacrosse Beat Writer
Lacrosse goalie Mason Oak’s future in Hamden was unclear after his senior season.
Oak had an impressive resume from his four years at Quinnipiac, winning the starting goaltender position as a junior. He took the job and ran with it, being named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 with more than 200 saves and a 9-5 record.
To start his senior season with the Bobcats, Oak was selected as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in the coach’s poll. With just one year of eligibility left, Oak explored all of his options.
After his 2025 season, Oak entered the transfer portal on May 10, 2025. Lacrosse has always been a big part of his life, starting in second grade.
“Our team didn’t have a goalie, and [coach] said, ‘Want to hop in net a give it a shot?’ And I loved it from the start, made a couple saves and said this is what I want to do” he said on the Lax Goalie Rat podcast. “My high school coach, coach Mitchell, would throw me through cone drills over and over again, and I gradually kept getting better.”
Ever since, he has been a standout, being named the 2021 Division II goalie of the year at Comsewogue High School where he also made All-Long Island second team and 2021 All-county team.
“For me it’s all about having fun in [net] whether it’s practice or a game situation,” Oak said on the Lax Goalie Rat podcast. “I’m always having fun.”
Especially in Hamden, where he has spent the past four years under head coach Mason Poli. Oak wasn’t ready to walk away from the team, and on June 25, roughly a month and a half after he entered the transfer portal, Oak announced he would return to Quinnipiac.
Oak and the Bobcats have had a disappointing 2026 season so far, starting 2-7. After a win at UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac has lost seven straight – its longest losing streak since 2022, when Oak was a first year.
Since being pulled against Sienna on March 7, Oak hasn’t played the past three games. The Bobcats got back in the win column on Wednesday, defeating Merrimack 15-12. Quinnipiac will look to keep this momentum going Saturday when the Bobcats take on Marist in Hamden.