Men's Lacrosse Eric Conaway Learned Lessons Through A Tough Streak

Image going through your entire high school career and not winning a game until the final contest of your high school career. It was an experience that Eric Conaway endured as a boy's lacrosse player at Cristo Rey Jesuit in Baltimore, but he learned from that experience.

"When the game was over, I almost felt a sense of relief," said Conaway. "After three years of back-to-back-to-back losing seasons, we finally got a win. It felt like I was leaving Cristo Rey as one of the most accomplished athletes ever. Most importantly, though, I felt like that win was the spark of a culture change for Cristo Rey lacrosse."

Conaway's collegiate career had a similar start at Goucher. The Gophers lost to nationally-ranked Gettysburg and a formable opponent in Randolph-Macon in the first two games. The team then fell behind 4-1 to McDaniel in the first quarter of his third collegiate contest.

"After the first two losses, I realized that college lacrosse was a different breed and that myself and the team have a lot of work to do," said Conaway. "Then when we were down 4-1 against McDaniel, I honestly felt no emotion. Before the game, I felt like the guys we had on our roster were better than the guys on their rosters, and we were going to come up with a win. I knew it was going to be a dog fight, but I just trusted the process continued to play how we envisioned we would, and we got the outcome we wanted."

Something happened in the second quarter for the Blue and Gold. The squad outscored McDaniel 5-0 in the frame to go into halftime with a 6-4 edge. Goucher came out to start the second half with two of the first three tallies, including Conaway with his first collegiate assist at 7:47 in the third quarter. The Gophers would come out on top 12-8 for the team's first win of the season.

"After the win, I was happy but more so proud of my boys," said Conaway. "We just showed an absurd amount of grit to get that dub. I felt like it was only up from there."

That win started a three-game winning streak and victories in four of the last five contests before the season ended. The team dramatically won its final game with a 10-9 overtime win at Neumann.

"Honestly, the winning streak just furthered my understanding that hard work and perseverance will put off no matter how long the process or journey is," said Conaway.

The sophomore played in all seven games in 2020 with the assist against McDaniel, 14 ground balls, and three caused turnovers. The season had its ups and downs, but Conaway believes that the men's lacrosse team is there for each other.

"What makes the men's lacrosse team so special is the brotherhood," said Conaway. "I knew each guy on the team was ready to go to war for me as I would for them day in and day out. When Coach (Brian) Kelly introduced the energy bus and everyone invested in the concept, I knew we were a special group of guys that would go on to cause havoc that season."

Conaway felt the team had something special on his overnight visit to Goucher, and that night helped him decide to committed to the college.

"My overnight visit at Goucher was the reason I chose to come," he said. "My host, along with the rest of the team and the coaching staff, made my stay extremely comfortable. It was almost like a was already enrolled at Goucher. The family vibes I got were just too promising, and from that point on, I knew where I wanted to go."

Going through a losing streak at any point in someone's life can be difficult, but it's how you react to it that shows your character.

"From that losing streak, the most important thing I learned was grit," said Conaway. "Those were some extremely tough years, and game after game, I just thought maybe if I continue to work, it'll pay off, and eventually it did. That losing streak taught me how to persevere and fight through adversity." 

There are many lessons, especially in high school, that are hard to learn. Conaway leads a great example of how those lessons can make you #GoucherProud of the experience and the #GopherGreatness that can come!