Ryan Aughavin ’21 rose to the occasion during Sunday’s lacrosse game against the University of Virginia, the defending national champions and No. 8 ranked team in the country. His three goals were critical in Bruno’s 14-13 win. With the aid of home-field advantage, Aughavin and the Bears came back to defeat the top-tier team after trailing by six goals during the second quarter. Aughavin notched the winning score with 42 seconds remaining, improving Brown’s overall record to 3-2.
Aughavin, who is concentrating in political science, hails from Glen Head, New York. He attended North Shore High School, where he was a three-sport athlete in lacrosse, football and basketball. Aughavin was an All-American in lacrosse and received All-State honors in both lacrosse and football. For his impressive performance Sunday, Aughavin has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.
Herald: How did it feel to score three goals and lead the Bears in taking down the eighth-ranked team in the country?
Aughavin: We got lost in the storm … we played really well. We were down 8-2 (in) the second quarter and everyone was getting a little nervous, but we just had to chip away and do what we had to do to get the win.
During your time at Brown, what do you think has changed on the team to allow the Bears to capture this come-from-behind victory?
It is the team camaraderie — there are 48 of us and (numbers) one through 48 are good friends with one another. Being great friends off the field transcribes so well to being on the field (together). You can trust the guy next to you.
Do you feel that you have improved your skills while at Brown?
Physically, I have gotten stronger, but the main thing was practicing against these guys. It is hard not to get better each day when you have these talented players around you. In high school, I was the only player (at my school) to (commit) to play (lacrosse) in college.
When did you start playing lacrosse?
I started playing in seventh grade. I made the switch from baseball — both of my brothers played baseball. Being from Long Island, everyone played lacrosse, so it seemed pretty natural at the time … it was definitely a great decision.
Throughout your career, have you been inspired by specific role models or coaches?
My high school coach … with me starting late, was very influential. The coaches here at Brown have also helped me out a ton.
How did your background playing other sports help develop your lacrosse game?
A lot of the skills from football translate (to lacrosse) … if you are super athletic, they can probably find a spot for you (in both sports). Also, my two older brothers were very tough on me. Honestly, I think having that mental and physical toughness from an early age helped me the most in all of my sports.
This article has been edited for length and clarity.
