By Will Boyce ’15 | Staff Writer

Having played lacrosse since fifth grade, Mac Carroll  ‘15 has finally achieved his dream and received an offer from a Division I college lacrosse team.

Shortly after giving up on the idea of playing Division I lacrosse in college, Carroll said he was approached by Steve Manitta, the head coach of Manhattan College, in New York.

At a Michigan War Lax tournament in Ann Arbor this August, Manitta explained to him that his team had just lost its faceoff specialist recruit to the University of Denver, and that he was interested in offering him a scholarship to play for Manhattan, Carroll said.

“I’m really looking forward to the increased level of play at Manhattan,”Carroll said . “It will be very fun taking on that challenge, and not going to lie the gear is going to be awesome.”

Carroll began playing lacrosse in fifth grade at The Grosse Pointe Academy. He said that at the Academy students play sports all year around, and he chose lacrosse because of the physical aspect of the game.

“To get to play at a Division I level, it takes another level of dedication and it feels great to know that I get to work with kids that are passionate about the game,”  South head coach Don Wolford said.

It was as early as his freshmen year that Carroll said he knew he wanted to play lacrosse in college.  After being pulled up to the varsity team during the playoffs his freshmen year, Carroll spent the rest of his high school career playing with them.  Carroll’s primary specialty is his ability to win face-offs, Carroll said.

“A good face-off player makes an opposing team frustrated and wonder if they’ll ever get the ball back, not to mention the instant offense it can produce with a fast break,” Wolford said . “Mac is downright oppressive when it comes to face-offs.”

Carroll said that he won about 75 to 80 percent of his face-offs his junior year, when he was selected first team all-state, but looks to up those numbers to about 85-90 percent this year.

“There are games we should have lost significantly because we were outmatched, but because Mac could prevented them from going on runs, we held our own,”  Wolford said. “There are also games that should have been close, but because he won 75 percent of his face-offs, we ended up with more possessions and were able to go on runs of our own.”

Fast hands and great eye coordination are some of the things Carroll said lead to his success at midfielder. In addition to his face-off skill, Carroll said his shot is getting very good, and he can pick the corners of the net with ease.

“In Mac’s case, not only does he have the hand/eye coordination and quickness of a face-off guy,” Wolford said . “He is a stellar athlete and has a cannon of a shot.”

In addition to the brotherhood and intensity of the games, the physicality and speed on the field are two things that Carroll said he loves about lacrosse. Carroll has played for South every spring, GP Select every summer and 313 Lax Club every fall since he began playing lacrosse.

313 Lax Club has sent 40 players on to play in the NCAA, and just seven of those, including Mac, have played at the Division I level, according to Ken Brubaker, Carroll’s 313 Lax Club coach.

“Not only an accomplished face-off player, he was also a strong contributor on the offensive and defensive side of the ball as a midfielder,” Brubaker said . “Simply stated, when Mac was on the field, we got possession of the ball, which leads to success in games.”

Brubaker said it is always an honor when his players go on to play lacrosse in college but that coaching plays a minor role in that. In reality it is the players’ commitment and work ethic that lead to such success.

“Mac is one of the best face-off middies in the state. He went head to head with Division I recruits last year and beat them all,” Wolford said . “If he keeps the same focus that he’s had in high school, he should be turning heads for Manhattan in May.”