The Hamilton men’s lacrosse team earned two impressive victories this past week, beating SUNY Cortland 12–8 on March 23 and Colby 7–2 on March 26. A key piece behind these road wins was starting goalie and junior captain Seamus Fagan ’22. Fagan made 14 and a ridiculous 24 saves against Cortland and Colby, respectively, holding down a potent Colby offense to a measly two goals, behind an absurd .923 save percentage. Fagan leads the entire NESCAC with 16.57 saves per game on the season and ranks second with his .678 season-long save percentage for the 4–3 squad.
The Spectator
sat down with Fagan to discuss the team’s recent success and some upcoming NESCAC matchups.
Looking back on the team’s wins over Cortland and Colby, what would you say were the biggest reasons for the team’s success?
Definitely our approach. Coming off a pretty brutal and humbling loss at Conn, we knew we needed to practice better and play a full 60 minutes. Things were not perfect against Cortland or Colby, but we stuck together, played our game and finished both games.
Only conceding two goals against Colby is an impressive feat for both you and your defense. What did it feel like to totally lock down an offense like that?
It felt good, but I don’t think we’re satisfied by any means. There are definitely still some things we need to improve on, especially in the clearing game, but I think we are definitely getting better and building more chemistry as a unit.
You’re currently leading the NESCAC in saves and first among starting goalies in save percentage for the season. Do you focus much on those statistics, and do you have any personal goals for the season?
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t aware of those stats, but I try not to pay them too much attention. Ultimately, my only goal is to win a NESCAC championship and compete for a national championship with my teammates. That’s all that really matters to me.
Tell us a little bit about your path to becoming the starting goalie and a captain for this team through some of the challenges of the past couple of years.
It was definitely not the most traditional path. After the pandemic hit, I took a gap year during the 2020–21 academic year. During that time, I worked an internship for an energy company in the Boston area before working on a farm in California. The time off from school and lacrosse provided a new perspective for me and affirmed my commitment to Hamilton lacrosse.
What are your hopes for playing Wesleyan this weekend, and how can the team rise to the occasion for a historically tough matchup?
It’s really nice that we don’t have a midweek game and will be able to string together four straight practices before Wesleyan on Saturday. We need to capitalize on that and practice well. If we prepare well, the result will take care of itself.
Lightning Round
Best team tradition?
Listening to the song “Rick and Morty” after wins.
Go-to gameday meal?
Fruit Snacks, Clif Bars and Body Armor.
Any personal superstitions before games?
Yoga and meditation.
Song/artist on your personal pregame playlist?
Celine Dion.
Teammate with a secret talent?
#34 Jake Mair — Top 100 Fortnite Controller Player in the world.
Teammate who will score the winning goal against Wesleyan?
#5 Charlie Ratner.
