POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist men's lacrosse program announced that senior
Drew Anderson will wear jersey number 34 for the upcoming season to honor the legacy of the late Eddie Coombs. This announcement was made before the start of a private team meeting, and Anderson was awarded the jersey by former men's lacrosse head coach Keegan Wilkinson, who made the trip back to Poughkeepsie for the event.
The recipient of Eddie Coombs' number 34 jersey each year is the Marist men's lacrosse senior who best represents the outstanding characteristics that Coombs showed every day: passion, determination, energy, and being a great teammate and member of the community. Eddie passed away in a car accident in 2011, just before the start of his sophomore year at Marist, and was a well-respected member of the college community by staff and students.
"When we talk about culture for the Marist Lacrosse Program, Edward Coombs and everything that he represented is at the forefront of what we do. His relentless attitude on the lacrosse field, his pursuit of excellence in the classroom, and his magnetic personality are still talked about to this day within our program," head coach Dave Scarcello '15 said.
Anderson burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2023, earning All-MAAC Rookie Team honors after posting two goals and three assists for five points. The Los Alamitos product appeared in 14 games as a sophomore, tallying 10 goals and six assists for 16 points.
Anderson enjoyed a breakout junior campaign, scoring 29 goals and recording six assists while making appearances in all 16 of Marist's games that season. Anderson firmly closed the season, recording eight multigoal performances over the final 10 games of the campaign.
"We are responsible for carrying forward the legacy that he left at Marist. Many of the characteristics Edward embodied are what we look for in a Marist Lacrosse player. Our 2026 recipient, senior captain Drew Anderson, personifies those characteristics in the way that he carries himself both on and off the field. In many ways, Drew became a heartbeat for our team during the final stretch of our 2025 season. The toughness he displayed daily at practice, on gameday while taking faceoff wings, and playing on both sides of the ball reminds us of the way Eddie played the game."
The tradition dates back to the 2015 season, with current head coach Dave Scarcello '15 being the first recipient. Past honorees include
Joseph Radin '16,
Jimmy Murphy '17,
Brian Corrigan '18, Matthew Selts '19,
Joe Tierney '20 and '21,
James Lyons '22 and '23, and
Joshua Balcarcel '24 and '25.
Coombs' legacy lives on through the Edward Taylor Coombs Foundation, which honors student-athletes who exemplify Eddie's same strong character, provides outstanding scholar-athletes with financial assistance to pursue their higher education goals so they can reach their full potential, and works with high school students around the issues of responsible decision-making through seminars, forums, videos, and other educational programs.
"Every film session following a game, we highlight the type of plays that Eddie would have made. Drew has been a mainstay on those film playlists for many years during his career at Marist," Scarcello added. "We know that simply by continuing to be himself, he will make the entire Marist Lacrosse Family, the Coombs family, and all of our supporters proud as he wears the #34 this season. We were so fortunate to welcome back to campus Coach Keegan Wilkinson to not only present the #34 to Drew, but to share the stories and memories of Eddie that continue to connect us all with the Coombs Family and the Marist Lacrosse Family as a whole."
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