Courtesy of Brian Beard

The men’s lacrosse team (11–1; 7–1 NESCAC) has had a strong season thus far, in part thanks to attackman Casey Ryan ’27. Over the weekend, the team’s success continued with the Polar Bears’ decisive 19–8 win over Williams, where Ryan ended the game with four goals and six assists, playing a key role in the victory.

The win was an important step in Ryan and the team’s journey this season.

“There is a lot to be happy with. Last game was really cool. We were at Williams. [It was] our first win at Williams since Covid[-19], which was [exciting],” Ryan said.

Ryan began playing lacrosse in first grade after watching his brother pick up the sport.

“One of my brother’s best friends introduced him to lacrosse. Since he was playing, I obviously had to start playing. I went from there, fell in love with the game and have played ever since,” Ryan said.

Although Ryan has always been drawn to a variety of competitive sports, he feels that lacrosse offers the style of play he prefers.

“I think competing is super fun, whatever sport it might be, but I really like that [lacrosse] is fast-paced, [forcing] you to think on your feet a lot,” Ryan said.

Ryan stuck with lacrosse, and so did his familial connection to the sport as he moved to collegiate athletics.

“Early on, I knew I wanted to play lacrosse in college, so it was natural for me. In terms of Bowdoin, my older brother actually played here, so when I was being recruited, this was one of the first schools I thought of,” Ryan said.

Witnessing the success streak and dynamics of the team during recruitment further strengthened Ryan’s bond with the program.

“The team culture was really exceptional, and they were also starting to win a lot of games—that’s kept up since I committed…. It’s a super close and tight-knit team,” Ryan said.

Since joining the team, Ryan noted that the team’s energy has played an important role in its ability to connect on and off the field.

“I like to be in the locker room very early, so that’s kind of what gets me going. It’s fun being in the locker room before the game because the music’s on our speakers. It’s very loud and everyone’s dialing in together,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the game that secured the team a ticket to the NCAA Final Four last year was one of his career highlights.

“A favorite moment from last year was our win against [Rensselaer Polytech Institute]. We had a lot of seniors last year, and it just felt like everything was coming together for that group, and everyone else was very excited for them. Looking back into the team, it was just a very like full-circle happy moment,” Ryan said.

Ryan noted that the bond between all of the players this season, seniors and first years alike, has allowed for the leadership dynamics to work naturally.

“There are a lot of young guys filling big roles, so everyone’s maturing faster than they otherwise might have. But also, there’s really great senior leadership. Some guys played, for four years, the best in Bowdoin lacrosse history. So, I think just seeing the team gel around that and put forward this new era has been really cool to see and really fun to be a part of,” Ryan said.

This year, the Polar Bears have big goals for the postseason but continue to focus on the present.

“We lost in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament. [So this season], we are trying to make it to the finals, and, [hopefully] win a NESCAC Championship,” Ryan said.

“Our goal right now is Saturday [against Wesleyan University (9–3; 6–2 NESCAC)], and then also, you know, on the national stage, trying to win those big games down the stretch and hopefully go to the national championship,” Ryan said.