If you’ve watched men’s lacrosse, no matter if it’s professional outdoor, professional indoor or at the collegiate level, you’ve very likely heard the last name ‘Kirst’. This group of 5 brothers has been dominating lacrosse for the past few years. Let’s take a look at each one of the boys, and review the most notable of them all – CJ Kirst, the highest goal-scorer the NCAA has ever seen, and a seemingly shoo-in for the Tewaaraton. Three others have made names for themselves in the professional game, and the youngest is just making his way into the collegiate game and is sure for greatness like his brothers.

The Oldest – Connor Kirst

Midfielder, Connor, spent 4 years at Villanova where he accumulated 84 goals and 42 assists. He transferred to Rutgers University in 2021 as a graduate student where he recorded 37 goals and 16 assists in just 13 games with the team. He currently plays in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He has spent his four season in the PLL with the Boston Cannons and was selected to play in the PLL All Star game in 2024. In the NLL, Connor has spent all but his first season with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs (drafted by the Georgia Swarm in 2022 in the 7^th round). He was named captain of the team in 2024, and plays transition, providing assistance with both offense and defense.

Colin Kirst

Goalie, Colin, is arguably the second most notable name, following his younger brother CJ. He started his collegiate career at Lehigh University and then transferred to Rutgers University for his Graduate year, 2021-2022. In 2022, he was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List and earned multiple All-American and USILA Scholar All-American honors. In what was a great year for Colin, he was drafted 24^th overall to the PLL’s Boston Cannons. Colin has yet to spread his talent to the NLL like his brothers, however the goalie position is much different between the outdoor and indoor game.

Cole Kirst

Attacker / Midfielder, Cole, played at Lehigh University to play along side his brother, Colin. Like his two other brothers, he also transferred for his graduate year. Cole transferred to Syracuse to finish out his collegiate career where he recorded 37 points over his single season in orange and was named All-ACC. In 2023, he was selected 18^th overall in the PLL draft. He currently played for the California Redwoods, and in the NLL, he plays for the Halifax Thunderbirds.

CJ Kirst – The Star

Attacker, CJ, has been in the news for a few years now because of his outstanding play and goal scoring ability in the NCAA. In 2023 he was a Tewaaraton Award Finalist, in 2024 he was a semifinalist, and was again named a finalist in 2025. For any other player, a three-time nomination for the Tewaaraton Award would be the highlight of someone’s career, but not for CJ. Last week, Cornell’s CJ Kirst broke the NCAA’s all time scoring record, with 225 career goals. He is expected to enter the PLL draft this summer, and is likely a shoo in for both the Tewaaraton Award and the first overall pick.

Caden Kirst – The Youngest

Goalie, Caden, is just a freshman at Rutgers University. He had a standout high school career, however did not see any playing time this season.

The Kirst brothers continue to grow in popularity, especially with the immense rise of CJ’s successes at the collegiate level. The brothers together hold lacrosse clinics and run a lacrosse-based business called “Kirst Brothers Lacrosse”. They promote the idea of becomes better lacrosse players, and better young men simultaneously. Kirst Brothers Lacrosse states that it focuses on the values of hard work, family, leadership, mental toughness, and giving back to the lacrosse community.

They also sell merchandise. As the family continues to find collegiate and professional successes, they are bound to bring in many young athletes who strive to find that level of greatness themselves. You really can’t ask to learn how to score from anyone better than the greatest to ever do it, CJ Kirst.

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