The men’s lacrosse team goalie Jack Kelly ’16 was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his contributions in last Saturday’s game against Harvard. Bruno came back from a two-goal deficit, with Kelly making five of his 15 total saves for the game during the fourth quarter.
The Bears have won their last four games with Kelly starting between the pipes in each of these games. Teams are averaging a total of 7.27 goals against Kelly on a per game basis — this is the lowest mark in the Ivy League and ranks in the top 10 nationally. The squad will continue play during spring break as they take on three opponents, including the No. 14 University of North Carolina. For his stellar goalkeeping, The Herald has selected Jack Kelly as Athlete of the Week.
The Herald: The game against No. 5 University of Massachusetts Amherstlast week finished in a thrilling, overtime fashion. How was it? What was the atmosphere like?
Kelly: It was really exciting — it was my first game against a high-powered team. We went in there and not a lot of people expected us to even stay with them. It was a huge win for us, especially because we are currently unranked and they are No. 5.
Can you talk about how you expect the team to keep up its current momentum as the season progresses?
We still have a lot of work to do, and we have a tough schedule coming up now. We play UNC next, and they are a top 10 team. And a lot of the Ivy League teams are really high ranked. We have done a lot of good stuff, but we still have not played the best we can play.
Do you have any pregame rituals?
Not really, I just listen to music. (I listen to the) same playlist every game consisting of mostly rap and techno.
How has the transition been from high school athletics to college athletics? Was it what you expected?
The toughest thing for me is the games are three minutes per quarter (longer) in college. It’s essentially playing five quarters of high school lacrosse. The speed of the game is not much different (because) I played on a team that played fast in high school. The shot speed is a lot faster, especially as the goalie. Trying to stay focused for so long is a lot tougher.
How did you first start playing lacrosse?
I always played as a little kid with all my friends. My town (West Islip, N.Y.) is a really big lacrosse town. My older brother played, and all my friends’ older brothers played.
What do you see yourself doing after graduation as far as a career and lacrosse are concerned?
I don’t think there’s a future in lacrosse for me personally. I would play non-competitively in a fun league during the summer with friends who have graduated, but not competitively at all. As far as job-wise, I really have no idea at this point.
What are your favorite athletes and sports teams?
I am a huge hockey fan, so I’m going to have to go with the New York Islanders. As far as athletes, that’s tough. I’d go with J.R. Smith on the New York Knicks because he’s a very in-your-face, high-energy player. I like how he does all the dirty work on the team, and accepts it. Although not many people recognize him as a really good player, I still like him a lot for what he brings to the team.
What are your interests outside of lacrosse?
When I’m home I go to the beach a lot to relax. When on campus, I’m just hanging out with friends and relaxing when I’m not studying or practicing.
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