By Ryan Massad
Contributing Writer
School: Saint John’s High School
Sport: lacrosse
Coach: Terry Leary
Class: 2015
What made you want to first get into lacrosse?
“I had fiddle sticks lying around my house that I used to play with all the time, but didn’t know it was a sport until I was in fifth grade. Up until then, I was a baseball player, but was never any good, and since I was a lefty, I always got hit when I was up to bat because pitchers had a tough time throwing to a lefty.”
What would you consider to be the best part of your game on the field?
“I feel that the best part of my game is my quick first step, and my lacrosse IQ.”
What has been the single most-special game of your young lacrosse career?
“The most special game that I’ve played to date was in my sophomore year when we beat Grafton by 1 to win the district championship.”
What was it like to play for Coach Leary?
“It’s been a great experience to play under Coach Leary. I feel that my game has gotten a lot better over the years. I look forward to ending my final year here in a pile.”
Which teammate in particular has really encouraged you to succeed?
“The teammate that pushes me in the offseason to better myself is Liam Donovan. We lift together in the offseason, always pushing each other to get higher weights so that we will be faster and stronger for the upcoming season.”
You’ve committed to play at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) next year – what made you choose that school?
“I chose RPI first off because of its reputation of great academics and job placement after college. I have always been a math and science guy, and am planning on majoring in engineering. RPI offers a variety of phenomenal engineering majors. Coach Jim Townsend made it an easy choice for me as well because of the way he runs the program up there. He is really honest with all of the players, telling them what he feels they need to work on to take the team to the next level. I look forward to play under him for the next 4 years.”
What has been your all-time favorite class at Saint John’s?
“My favorite class I have ever taken was engineering. I really enjoyed that class because of all the projects that we did, such as building small scale bridges and buildings out of Popsicle sticks that we would test until they failed.”
What are your hobbies outside of lacrosse?
“Outside of lacrosse, I really enjoy mountain biking and fishing in the summer, and skiing in the winter.”
What is your favorite type of music, and artist in that genre?
“I enjoy all kinds of music, but I tend to mostly listen to alternative music. One of my favorites is Sublime.”
What legacy would you like to leave behind at Saint John’s?
“I hope to lead the team to a state championship to show all the younger players in the program that hard work and team work will pay off.”